Our team believes that any discussion about cityhood should start with the people, not with government officials. There hasn't yet been clear, demonstrated community support to justify pursuing the process. Becoming a city is not a cheap process. It can cost $100,000 or more just to start the process before it goes to the ballot for a vote.

If there is genuine grassroots interest, then that effort should come from the citizens themselves, not from elected officials pushing it through. So if the community ultimately chooses to explore cityhood, we'll respect that and make sure the process is transparent, all options are presented grounded in facts, and focused on what is best for residents.

For 20 years, residents have been told that once the bonds were paid off, water and sewer bills would go down. Two of those four major bonds have now been paid off, but residents are still paying the same debt charges without a clear explanation. That needs to change.

So we will work to ensure that detailed calculations are made public, showing exactly how much is required for ongoing operations and for the remaining bond debt. If any current charges are tied to expired bonds, those charges should be removed. Rate setting should be based on actual costs and transparent numbers, not vague excuses like "aging infrastructure." You deserve clear answers and fiscal responsibility. 

Unfortunately, there isn't a quick or cheap fix. The roads have been neglected for decades and it will take years to correct that.

Rebuilding a mile of road can cost between 1 to 2 million dollars. To put it into perspective, the village revenue is about 5 million a year and 3 million of that goes directly to police and fire. So with a tight village budget that's already, stretched thin, there's no simple promise here.

But what we can promise is a serious and strategic approach. That means leveraging expertise from people like Robert Montgomery since he has an infrastructure background and just listening to our community. Not only do we want to aggressively apply for grants, we also want to build strong ongoing relationships with our state and federal representatives so that Holly is at the table when that funding is available.

Also, whenever water or sewer projects require tearing up a road, let's make sure we seize that opportunity to rebuild. At the same time we need to grow our tax base, not raising tax rates, but by supporting thoughtful redevelopment where local businesses can give us the revenue we need to invest in roads while still preserving our character. That balance, our small town feel with smart investment is exactly what will keep Holly strong for the long term. 

Finally, if the community wants a dedicated road millage to get going on construction sooner rather than later, than that is a decision the community will need to make at the ballot box. The decision should not be forced through by Village government.

Being an informed citizen shouldn’t require residents to file a FOIA request, dig through hundreds of pages, or attend five hour meetings just to figure out what’s going on. So our goal is to make public information easy to find, easy to understand, and available up front.

We want to explore a public records portal so common documents are online and not only if someone asks. We’re also supporting plain language summaries at the start of the agenda packets so that people can get the key issues without having to read 500 pages of the agenda packet. Meetings are already recorded but we’ll push to improve the audio quality so that watching from home is actually feasible. Finally, there should be a recording of committee meetings so there is public oversight.  We've seen the ethics committee break their own ethics policy, but it was only discovered after a public records request. More oversight reduces the risk of corruption. 

Our goal’s pretty straightforward: provide the strongest service we can, while also being careful with taxpayer dollars. With the police department, Chief Narsh has stated that retirements and recruitment are serious challenges that could leave the community without officers in just a couple years.

Rather than waiting for a crisis, we believe in exploring options now. That means requesting proposals and cost estimates from all realistic options so that residents and council can compare service levels, response times, and costs. An example would be to get a quote from Oakland County Sheriff, but we’re not locked on a single outcome since we need more information. We’re committing to an informed decision-making process based on facts, not assumptions.

As for fire services, our part-time department provides an essential service, but it also faces challenges. We will explore all options to provide the safest community, and the best value for the people of Holly.

From Anna-
As many of you know, I am the Publisher for The Holly Post and Hilary is the Advertising Manager. 

When we started the newspaper, we didn’t anticipate running for office. It was because we believed our community needed an independent source of local news. At the time, much of the conversation about village government was happening in spaces that weren’t open to differing views. So we built an independent paper grounded in fairness and facts. 

As we’ve become more involved in serving the community, our roles have evolved, but our commitment to an independent press has not. We understand the importance of a clear separation between government and the press. 

Going forward, we’ll continue to follow strong ethics and avoid conflicts of interest like we always have. For example, Hilary used to be a member of the DDA. Because of that, she was never involved in writing or editing articles. If elected, we will do the same. Neither of us will write or edit articles of our own boards or offices. Those stories will be handled by our current editor, Amy Hillman, and independent writers and editors. As publisher, my only role regarding village stories would be my legal duty to ensure the paper avoids liability. It doesn’t mean directing coverage. 

The Holly Post will remain an independent newspaper. We believe the best government welcomes scrutiny, and the best local press remains free to report facts.

From Anna-
I am currently involved in two lawsuits with the Village of Holly. One involves the Freedom of Information Act and is scheduled for trial before I would take office. The other is a federal lawsuit involving claims of First Amendment retaliation and Open Meetings Act violations.

If the federal lawsuit is still pending when I take office, I will fully recuse myself from anything involving the case. That means I will not participate in closed sessions, discussions, negotiations, or votes concerning the litigation. The Village President is one of seven members of Council, so those decisions would remain with the other six Council members, along with Village staff and legal counsel.

Some people have asked: Why not simply drop the lawsuit if you’re elected?

The lawsuit addresses past actions by the Village. My campaign for Village President is about changing its future actions. Being elected to public office does not require someone to give up their individual legal rights or abandon a case involving violations of their constitutional rights. Those claims should be allowed to proceed through the legal process just as they would for any other resident, while I remain completely separated from the Village’s decision-making regarding the case.

More importantly, I want to address the underlying culture that can lead to litigation in the first place. Our Village should follow the law, conduct the public’s business openly, properly respond to public-records requests, and respect the right of residents to criticize their government and ask difficult questions.
No resident should be treated differently because they disagree with elected officials, supported a different candidate, filed a FOIA request, or spoke critically at a public meeting. Under my leadership, political disagreement will never be a reason to target someone.

 I want to help make sure other residents don’t have to go through the same experience. My goal is to improve how we govern so we reduce the risk of creating new ones.

A beautiful community starts with community pride.

Let's address the elephant in the room - some residents feel frustrated about blight and code enforcement. Codes should be enforced fairly and equally.

But we don’t think that enforcement alone creates a beautiful community. We believe it’s just as important to encourage that sense of ownership and celebration. So while we work on improving code enforcement, we’d like to work with the DDA, local businesses, and community groups to create fun, voluntary programs that recognize residents who go the extra mile. For example we can do free seasonal spotlights for best landscaping, summer flowers, creative holiday or Halloween or fall displays. Beautification also means supporting our parks, downtown and public spaces, while encouraging thoughtful development that preserves Holly’s character. 

While we ask the community to take care of their property, the Village also needs to lead by example and take care of the property that they have control over. If we all do our part, Holly can be a place that people are proud to call home.