There has always been talk that senior City Commissioners like Mayor Zambricki or Pat Hardy might someday retire. Zambricki, a six time Mayor has served every year since being first elected in 1989. Almost a quarter of a century ago.
City Commissioner Pat Hardy has served on City Commission every year since 2003. In 2007 she served as Mayor and presided over the City's 75th anniversary celebration. A departure of either would be not be unexpected.
The departure of City Commissioner Michael McCready, when the possibility was announced last April was however a shock. He was the youngest member of the commission, the baby. How young was McCready ? Young enough to put his graduation dates in his City Hall Bio. Ernest W. Seaholm High School Class of 1978. and Western Michigan University Class of 1983. The latter in a City where many have prestigious or multiple degrees, seemed pedestrian. Why was it that it took him five years to get through
school ? McCready was a public school man in private school town. There are no public schools in the City of Bloomfield Hills.
McCready with the exception of two years as a child spent in Baton Rouge Louisiana, a was life long resident of Oakland County. He grew up in what is called Bloomfield Village which is actually in Bloomfield Township and attended Birmingham Schools. Later he would start his own business and open an office in Birmingham. His wife however grew up in the City, In Rudgate, on Marblehead to be exact. That detail like many in McCready's life would only come out in a conversation concerning the matter at hand. It was at a City Commission meeting in January of last year and the topic being discussed was mailboxes on Rudgate road. Commissioner McCready said he knew the area well and explained why. Rarely would he otherwise talk about himself. Invariably he was more interested in what others had to say. A trait that serves him well.
school ? McCready was a public school man in private school town. There are no public schools in the City of Bloomfield Hills.
McCready with the exception of two years as a child spent in Baton Rouge Louisiana, a was life long resident of Oakland County. He grew up in what is called Bloomfield Village which is actually in Bloomfield Township and attended Birmingham Schools. Later he would start his own business and open an office in Birmingham. His wife however grew up in the City, In Rudgate, on Marblehead to be exact. That detail like many in McCready's life would only come out in a conversation concerning the matter at hand. It was at a City Commission meeting in January of last year and the topic being discussed was mailboxes on Rudgate road. Commissioner McCready said he knew the area well and explained why. Rarely would he otherwise talk about himself. Invariably he was more interested in what others had to say. A trait that serves him well.
In the mid nineteen nineties, in an event that coincided with the birth of his first child, McCready and family moved to the City of Bloomfield Hills. As far back as published city records concerning City elections go (2003) , McCready was running for the only elected office the City offers that of City Commissioner. For four straight years he lost.Twice he finished dead last (2003 and 2006). Once he lost by one vote (2005)
While losing commission races he served on the City's other Board's and Commissions. and became Chairman of the Cit's Zoning Board of Appeals. In 2007 his ship came in and he was elected to City Commission.
In 2009 when he ran for re-election McCready was the top vote getter in a four candidate raise and his vote total of 792 votes is highest of any candidate of the modern era. In 2011 when he again sought re-election to commission, he finished first in a four person race,
In between was the year 2010, the year McCready by a rotational system became Mayor.It was a process by which a the position of Mayor by pre-arranged vote would go to the most Senior of the Commission who had either not been Mayor or served as Mayor in the most distant past. In 2010 Commissioner Hardy had been Mayor in 2007-08 and Commiseration Zambricki in 2008-9. Commissioners Toohey and McClure were newly elected and not yet eligible.
That made McCready Mayor and no one in the City knew what to expect. McCready then in his late forties was considered by many to be the junior member of the The Mike and Mikes.(Mike Zambricki and Mike McCready)
Unbeknownst to residents McCready wasted no time in taking charge. The City's check signing procedure was to call nearby residents, former Mayor Kellet, Former Mayor Dawkins. or Former Mayor Hardy in to sign checks was stopped. As a business owner McCready wanted to be aware of all checks going out. Signing priveillges we transferred to nearby resident and newly elected City Commissioner Sara McClure. The old guard didn't like it but McCready planned to stay on top of things. Later in 2011-2012 as a commissioner again he would study the City's payables and ask at commission meetings why we were paying fees for late payment to American Express.
The drama at his first public meeting, May 11 2010 where a fire store was barely adverted is well documented . City Manager Jay Cravens had invited a public safety official from another community to discuss the possibility of out sourcing the the City's Dispatch Unit. Leaflets appeared all over town posted by the City's Public Safety department urging residents to attend the meeting and save Dispatch, The residents were well prepared having a couple of months earlier stormed City Hall to oppose aspects of the Woodward (now the Plaza Shopping Center) and the Demone (now the Woodward) projects. The residents who attended the Projects meeting did not (rightly or wrongly) believe believe that then Mayor Kellet was listening to them That spring they would elect opposition candidates Robert Toohey and Sarah McClure to City Commissioner with votes totals a second only to McCready's record 2009 number.
That night the people believed they were listened to. They told Mayor McCready they that didn't want dispatch their link to public safety outsourced. McCready said that was fine but he wan't sure how they were going to be able to pay for it. So he invited the standing room only and then some (speakers put in an overflow room didn't work) crowd to attend a special meeting in two weeks. For that the City emptied out the fire station and put in folding chairs. At final budget meeting that would preserve Dispatch, the City, in order to accommodate everyone rented a ballroom at the Kingsley Inn.
The Public at those three meetings would exceed the total number of residents attending City Commission meetings during the next two administrations or from May 2011 to present day.
Some might think it was the hot topic of Police and Fire Dispatch that brought the people out. Initially the may have been the case.
But the crowd kept coming and all of Mayor McCready's meetings ran long..Often till after 11pm and a through discussion of agenda items and public comment. were often the culprits. The last Town Hall Meeting in City History occurred in October of 2010. City Commission sponsored it so residents could debate the pros and cons of the pending library millage of of that year. Some came to debate the school bond issue of that year and they were accommodated as well. That pushed the regular City Commission meeting, also schedule for that night to an after midnight conclusion.
The lateness of the hour annoyed some who felt McCready either didn't know how to run a meeting or didn't realize that many had jobs and other obligations. It might have come as a surprise to critics to learn that McCready also had a full time job. The Business he owned required statewide and often over night travel. In his years on City Commission, 2007-2012, McCready never missed a meeting until August 14th of 2012.
If Andrew Jackson aka "Old Hickory" was the first people's president, Michael McCready was a modern era people's mayor. The only discernible difference between the two was that the latter did not invite the public in on Inaugural Day to trash his house as AJ did.
Others weren't so sure of McCready's place in the City's History. His administration which began with few knowing who he was, ended with many scratching their heads and wondering what they has just witnessed. . Critics, pundits and wags would debate whether McCready was good or just lucky.Many in a town where time in grade is king and academic snobbery is not unknown, decided he was lucky. After all nobody could be that good.
In the Spring of 2011 Downtown Publications came as close as any media in explaining the McCready phenomena by writing "At times it is hard to tell how McCready stands on a issue, as he smoothly, answers questions or fields topics without showing his hand. As Mayor he has shown great respect for resident opinion allowing them to express themselves at public hearing, listening attentively to their point of view and responding in kind."
In the Spring of 2012, McCready sprung his candidacy on an unsuspecting world and again no one knew what to make of it .History indicated that McCready did not do well in elections where he was unknown. The papers said he was joining an already crowded field of candidates. Some of whom were very well known and early favorites. The old guard would never support McCready.What was McCready thinking or was he even thinking at all ?
In between was the year 2010, the year McCready by a rotational system became Mayor.It was a process by which a the position of Mayor by pre-arranged vote would go to the most Senior of the Commission who had either not been Mayor or served as Mayor in the most distant past. In 2010 Commissioner Hardy had been Mayor in 2007-08 and Commiseration Zambricki in 2008-9. Commissioners Toohey and McClure were newly elected and not yet eligible.
That made McCready Mayor and no one in the City knew what to expect. McCready then in his late forties was considered by many to be the junior member of the The Mike and Mikes.(Mike Zambricki and Mike McCready)
Unbeknownst to residents McCready wasted no time in taking charge. The City's check signing procedure was to call nearby residents, former Mayor Kellet, Former Mayor Dawkins. or Former Mayor Hardy in to sign checks was stopped. As a business owner McCready wanted to be aware of all checks going out. Signing priveillges we transferred to nearby resident and newly elected City Commissioner Sara McClure. The old guard didn't like it but McCready planned to stay on top of things. Later in 2011-2012 as a commissioner again he would study the City's payables and ask at commission meetings why we were paying fees for late payment to American Express.
The drama at his first public meeting, May 11 2010 where a fire store was barely adverted is well documented . City Manager Jay Cravens had invited a public safety official from another community to discuss the possibility of out sourcing the the City's Dispatch Unit. Leaflets appeared all over town posted by the City's Public Safety department urging residents to attend the meeting and save Dispatch, The residents were well prepared having a couple of months earlier stormed City Hall to oppose aspects of the Woodward (now the Plaza Shopping Center) and the Demone (now the Woodward) projects. The residents who attended the Projects meeting did not (rightly or wrongly) believe believe that then Mayor Kellet was listening to them That spring they would elect opposition candidates Robert Toohey and Sarah McClure to City Commissioner with votes totals a second only to McCready's record 2009 number.
That night the people believed they were listened to. They told Mayor McCready they that didn't want dispatch their link to public safety outsourced. McCready said that was fine but he wan't sure how they were going to be able to pay for it. So he invited the standing room only and then some (speakers put in an overflow room didn't work) crowd to attend a special meeting in two weeks. For that the City emptied out the fire station and put in folding chairs. At final budget meeting that would preserve Dispatch, the City, in order to accommodate everyone rented a ballroom at the Kingsley Inn.
The Public at those three meetings would exceed the total number of residents attending City Commission meetings during the next two administrations or from May 2011 to present day.
Some might think it was the hot topic of Police and Fire Dispatch that brought the people out. Initially the may have been the case.
But the crowd kept coming and all of Mayor McCready's meetings ran long..Often till after 11pm and a through discussion of agenda items and public comment. were often the culprits. The last Town Hall Meeting in City History occurred in October of 2010. City Commission sponsored it so residents could debate the pros and cons of the pending library millage of of that year. Some came to debate the school bond issue of that year and they were accommodated as well. That pushed the regular City Commission meeting, also schedule for that night to an after midnight conclusion.
The lateness of the hour annoyed some who felt McCready either didn't know how to run a meeting or didn't realize that many had jobs and other obligations. It might have come as a surprise to critics to learn that McCready also had a full time job. The Business he owned required statewide and often over night travel. In his years on City Commission, 2007-2012, McCready never missed a meeting until August 14th of 2012.
If Andrew Jackson aka "Old Hickory" was the first people's president, Michael McCready was a modern era people's mayor. The only discernible difference between the two was that the latter did not invite the public in on Inaugural Day to trash his house as AJ did.
Others weren't so sure of McCready's place in the City's History. His administration which began with few knowing who he was, ended with many scratching their heads and wondering what they has just witnessed. . Critics, pundits and wags would debate whether McCready was good or just lucky.Many in a town where time in grade is king and academic snobbery is not unknown, decided he was lucky. After all nobody could be that good.
In the Spring of 2011 Downtown Publications came as close as any media in explaining the McCready phenomena by writing "At times it is hard to tell how McCready stands on a issue, as he smoothly, answers questions or fields topics without showing his hand. As Mayor he has shown great respect for resident opinion allowing them to express themselves at public hearing, listening attentively to their point of view and responding in kind."
In the Spring of 2012, McCready sprung his candidacy on an unsuspecting world and again no one knew what to make of it .History indicated that McCready did not do well in elections where he was unknown. The papers said he was joining an already crowded field of candidates. Some of whom were very well known and early favorites. The old guard would never support McCready.What was McCready thinking or was he even thinking at all ?
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