Don’t Drill The Hills is not endorsing candidates. However, in response to many requests, here is a roundup of candidate stances and records pertaining to oil & gas drilling in the City, and the parks and cemetery oil lease specifically. Residents can decide for themselves which candidates support their vision.

MAYOR

Ravi Yalamanchi

Rochester Hills City Council member, District 1, 2005-2013 / CEO of Metro Community Development

*Voted NO on oil & gas lease of city parks.

Against oil & gas drilling in the City, vows strengthening ordinance language, and as Mayor, lobby Council to rescind city parks lease.

Jim Stevens

Local business man

*Against oil & gas drilling in city.  Offered to give $10K signing bonus for city parks lease back to oil company.

Bryan Barnett

2 term Mayor, running as a write-in

*SIGNED CITY OIL & GAS LEASE for 2 parks & cemetery w/o a prior public vote per charter – after specifically made aware of interest of oil exploration in residential areas along Tienken corridor (Sheldon to Adams)

Not supportive of oil & gas ordinances until RESIDENT driven initiative.

COUNCIL MEMBER – AT LARGE

[Vote for not more than 2]

Dale A. Hetrick

Engineering Consultant. Former planning commission member, appointed to Council Jan 2015 to fill empty Mike Webber seat.   (no candidate website)

*Supported oil & gas ordinances.

Bill Soule

Local Attorney and Professor of Business Law

*Against oil & gas drilling in the City.

Would like to strengthen ordinance language.  Will lobby Council to rescind city parks lease.

Mark Tisdel

Rochester Hills City Council member 2011-2015 / Medical Liability Insurance Salesman (no candidate website)

*Voted YES on City oil & gas lease

Introduced and instrumental in Council approval of City oil & gas lease. As VP of Council, Recommended and helped pass Council rules changes to make it harder for residents to make comments on this or any issue. Has insisted that there are NO surface oil leases in the City.

COUNCIL MEMBER – DISTRICT 3

Susan Bowyer

Senior Scientist Henry Ford Hospital, Physics Professor at Oakland University

Board member of group that passed 2011 resident-driven charter amendment to ENSURE PUBLIC VOTE prior to ANY lease or sale of public parks.

*Against oil & gas drilling in city.

Looking for ordinance language fixes.  Will lobby Council to rescind city parks lease.

Julie Grantham

Retired Educator/Attorney (no candidate website)

No stated official stance on oil & gas drilling

States green space important. A cost/benefit analysis should be utilized in determining whether a proposal should be accepted by the Council

COUNCIL MEMBER –  DISTRICT 2

Adam Kochenderfer

Rochester Hills City Council member 2011-2015 / Bankruptcy Attorney (no candidate website)

*Voted YES on City oil & gas lease