Northville City Council Candidate Profile: Ryan McKindles

This year, voters will once again have the chance to shake up the membership of the city of Northville's five-member voting body when they head to the polls Nov. 8 to choose two council members.

The two 4-year seats currently occupied by Nancy Darga and Douglas Bingham are being sought by Darga, Ryan McKindles and Robert Grant. Bingham has opted to not seek re-election to the seat he has held since 2007.

Mayor Chris Johnson is also seeking his seat, but is running unopposed, unless someone files to run as a write-in candidate by Oct. 28.

With the number of issues facing the city, including shrinking revenue from the State of Michigan, Northville Patch interviewed each council candidate to see where they stand on the issues, and how they would go about setting policy that benefits the city and its residents.

The candidates' profiles will run over the next couple of days.

Ryan McKindles

Ryan McKindles has lived in Northville for two and a half years, and said he has been looking for the right opportunity to get involved in the community. He works as a private attorney.

“I always said that wherever I chose to move and start a family, I would want to get involved,” said McKindles, 33. “This where I expect to be for the duration.”

If elected, McKindles said he would focus on continuing sound fiscal policies, generating more business activity and fixing two well-traveled intersections.

Regarding finances, shrinking state revenues means the city must be innovative in terms balancing its books, said McKindles.

“The council has done a good job [with finances], but I think we can generate revenue,” he said. McKindles said this can be accomplished without raising taxes on residents by making the city – especially its downtown – more attractive to businesses.

Additionally, McKindles said he would like to see residential living options increased in the downtown areas, with many top levels of building being vacant. He said if those spaces were converted to residential lofts, it would increase foot traffic downtown.

Another priority for McKindles would be working with the county to improve two intersections – Seven Mile and Sheldon and Eight Mile and Center, which he said need attention from the county because they are essentially the gateways into the city.

McKindles would also like to explore the prospect of wireless internet infrastructure for the city. This plan could take several forms; the city could partner with private internet providers to install the infrastructure for the WiFi system, which would reduce costs because businesses would then have flexible workplaces that would all be connected. McKindles also said that a wireless program increases property values by 6 to 8 percent.

McKindles has never served in public office, but said his professional experience as an attorney would be helpful to the board.

“I have a lot of experience in real estate because of my practice,” he said.

McKindles said the things he loves most about Northville are the strong and vibrant downtown, and the walkability of the area, which is something he would work to preserve if elected.