This week marks
a change in leadership on the Farmington
Hills City Council, with Mayor Vicki Barnett
gaveling her final council meeting.
On Monday, she ended her 12-year run as
city councilwoman, with the past four years
as mayor.
The city has gained much from this dynamic
leader. She has demonstrated, time after
time, that everyone's opinion matters; that
all parties need to be respected and heard.
As mayor, she led the council through some
controversial issues, and she did it with an
open mind, respectful dialogue, plenty of
information on the subject and input from
citizens.
This sort of leadership doesn't happen by
chance, and unfortunately it's not all that
common in government. We compliment Barnett
for fostering the professional decorum on
the council, keeping the business of the
city "job no. 1."
We've witnessed the unproductive
bickering and partisan politics on the state
level and at the local level in neighboring
communities. Barnett should leave office
feeling proud that Farmington Hills never
dropped to that level on her watch.
Many aspects of the city have changed in
the past 12 years and Barnett led the
challenge of moving from a growing city to a
mature, developed city that needs to be
poised for redevelopment and continued
economic growth.
Creative and insightful, Barnett brought
local issues to the state and federal level
- and brought valuable information back to
the city - through her involvement with the
National League of Cities and the Michigan
Municipal League, where she served the past
year as president.
We applaud Vicki Barnett for a job well
done as a city leader and someone who can
serve as a role model for future leaders in
Farmington Hills
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