Candidate Profile: Tim Kolar, Grosse Pointe Park City Council

GROSSE POINTE PARK, MI — There are three seats open for Grosse Pointe Park City Council in November's general elections.

To help readers make informed choices, Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Tim Kolar is running for Grosse Pointe Park City Council. Here's how he filled out his profile:

Live in Grosse Pointe? Click here to subscribe to our free breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox and mobile devices. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and download our free mobile app on Android or iPhone.

Age (as of Election Day)

41

Position Sought

Grosse Pointe Park City Council

Party Affiliation

None

Family

Courtney, 41. Lottie, 5. Ella, 2.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Accounting, Finance, International Studies - Kelley School of Business, Indiana University Bloomington; Masters of Business Administration (Candidate) - Gies College of Business, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Occupation

State Office Administrator - State of Michigan; Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

None

Campaign website

kolargpp.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

Continue to progress the City of Grosse Pointe Park forward and to build confidence that the City Administration is working on behalf of all residents of Grosse Pointe Park.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Infrastructure. Grosse Pointe Park has multiple, large-dollar projects facing us that must be done right. Our storm and sewer systems, our lead line replacement project, and our functionally obsolete marina all need to be addressed. Project oversight, listening to experts, partnerships at the regional, state, and federal level, and communication with constituents are the pillars that must be met by the City Council.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I believe in following the City Charter and having a Council-Manager form of Government. There is another slate of candidates from the Mayoral candidate to City Council candidates who believe Grosse Pointe Park should be a Strong Manager form of Government.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

We lack effective and meaningful communication in Grosse Pointe Park. We fail to meet all of our residents at the mode of communication that works for them. We also struggle to meet the needs of the community at large as the City Administration often times acquiesces to our donor class. While we are all thankful for our donors who have given $4 million since 1985, or approximately $115,000 on an annualized basis back to the city, we have general fund revenue of $15 million annually. Our priorities should be focusing on the needs and desires of the entire community.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

We needed to support our local businesses at the onset of COVID. Instead, the calls to action by some City Council members and others in the community were mostly ignored. As a result, a citizen led initiative in Sustain GPP was launched by a City Coucilmember and members of the community. Grosse Pointe Park was nearly a year into COVID before a grant program was put together for our local businesses.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

The key-word is: Transparency. As has been disclosed, there are a significant number of land and building purchases done by prior City Administrations that have been recently brought to light and called to question. Many of those land and building transactions were located in Detroit. More questionable transactions continue to surface. Our Tax Increment Financing Authority has purchased $4.5 million in land and buildings, but the City does not have an inventory of those properties. This is an issue that needs to be addressed, starting with a full inventory, publicly available, of all properties owned by Grosse Pointe Park.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

My 14-year career as a management consultant servicing clients in multiple industries all across the globe, and my last four years working in the public sector give me a well-rounded experience and skill-set that will serve me well on City Council.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

"If everyone likes you, you are doing something wrong."

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I fully believe that civil rights, and creating a welcoming community for all, is something that should be a focus of our City Council. While other candidates believe civil rights are a partisan issue and are not in the purview of City Council, I will strive to continuously improve all aspects of our community, one where everyone's voice matters, and all are welcome.