Sage Looks to Become Further Involved in City

When Steve Sage sought an appointment to the Rochester City Council in January, he made it clear that his service to the city would not be a short-term stint.

"I said then that I intended to run again, and not just be on council for nine months," he said.

Sage left by Jeff Matis, who left City Council after being elected to the Oakland County Board of Commissioners. Next week, Sage is vying for a long-term seat on City Council.

Spurred by the issues

in Rochester.

Voters will elect city council candidates and members of the Rochester Board of Education.

Sage is one of six candidates for four positions on the Rochester City Council. The three candidates who receive the most votes will serve four-year terms; the candidate who finishes in fourth place will serve a two-year term.

Besides Sage, candidates are , , , and Stan Surratt.

Sage is a rental sales manager for Chrysler; he says his 25-year work experience has developed his ability to consider an issue and find a common ground between parties that delivers a fair and justifiable result.

He has an 8-year-old daughter and has lived in Rochester since 1999.

Sage first became involved in city government in 2007, when he began attending City Council meetings regularly.

"I wanted to learn more about the town I lived in," he said.

At the time, there was the possibility of the becoming managed by the Oakland County Sheriff's Office. Sage said the strength of the police and fire departments in the city spurred him to oppose that idea, and he said he will continue to work to maintain the city's own emergency services.

If elected, he said he will also work to maintain the city's multiyear budget and to not raise taxes. He will also try to encourage more community involvement in local government.

"I want to try to find ways for more residents to give feedback and provide input for the future of the city," he said.

City involvement

Sage is the City Council liaison to the Downtown Development Authority, the Paint Creek Trailways Commission and the Historical Commission. He is a member of the City Beautiful Commission.

He was one of the co-founders of the Greater Rochester Heritage Days Festival and said that as he has gotten involved in more projects in the city, it has just encouraged him to stay involved.

"If you feel good about where you live, and if you never want to leave, there is a want to do more for your city," he said.

For more election news, visit the Election Page on Rochester Patch. For more on Steve Sage, visit www.SteveSage.info