Debbie Swanson is running for Ypsilanti Township Clerk in the upcoming Nov. 5 general election. She is a life-long resident of Ypsilanti and an Eastern Michigan University alumni.
Currently, she is finishing out her term as township trustee. For the past four years and continuing forward she has served on the Ypsilanti Township Election Committee. For 20 years she was the township Park Commissioner. In addition to serving the Ypsilanit community, Swanson has worked as a teacher at Willow Run Community Schools and Ypsilanti Community Schools for the past 39 years.
During the Aug. 6 primary election she ran against Christina Benitez and won 61% of the vote. According to Washtenaw County’s unofficial candidate list for the general election, she is now running unopposed.
Swanson is first working to address her lack of experience in politics. She acknowledges these criticisms by saying, “I am not going to know everything but I am really dedicated to the idea that I will work really hard to learn and put in the hard work to be a good clerk.”
Her main goal for this coming year is to get into office and start examining systems and policies, looking for places where improvements can be made. She wants to make sure her office is open and friendly so residents feel comfortable coming in with questions.
Additionally, she’s learning about the election process and how to make it overall more transparent and easier for people to run for office.
Long term, Swanson wants to make the budget planning process more specific and detailed, while maintaining as much transparency as possible. She plans to work extensively with the board to ensure things continue to run smoothly and work on economic development, looking specifically at stabilizing neighborhoods and business districts.
Right now, she is focusing her platform on collaborating with other elected officials to make sure things work the way they are supposed to. She wants her community to feel local politics are fair, transparent and that their vote is counted and protected no matter their political affiliations.
As the official record keeper for the township, Swanson is focusing on making sure all systems function well. She says this is important because, “When systems don’t function well, it is not healthy for people.”
At the center of her campaign is people. Much of her experience thus far has come from her time working as a teacher in the local schools. This has fostered a deep caring and passion for the community. She says, “One of the things I value the most is the idea that community is so important, and it’s really the people.”
Swanson is taking this value with her into office as she works to find ways to better the systems already in place for the benefit of Ypsilanti residents. She also says, “This long-term impact that you have with people is probably the part that I enjoy the most.”
A township clerk covers a broad base. The clerk is responsible for the actions taken by the township. They oversee the elections, aspects of accounting and are the official record keeper for all the business in the township including minutes, agendas, bids for projects, letters, etc.
To Swanson, being township clerk means being part of a team, collaborating with the trustees, supervisor, treasurer, etc.
Additionally, it means being someone who is going to be at meetings, manage the business of the clerk, and bring that perspective to the other board members.
It is important to her to be available for people, to work on and solve problems. Swanson says, “That is what I’ve had to do for 39 years, I’ve had to find a way to solve problems with other people in a way that keeps everybody healthy.”
For more information about Debbie Swanson and her campaign, you can visit debbie4clerk.com.
