The Battle Alley Bugle asked every candidate for Holly Village President and Village Council the same six questions.
Several candidates, for reasons of their own, answered.
First up alphabetically is Hilary Allgeyer, candidate for Holly Village Council.
Questions are the Bugle’s. Answers are the candidate’s. Responses are published as submitted, apart from minor formatting cleanup. The Battle Alley Bugle does not endorse candidates.
- What Village of Holly office are you seeking, and what is one concrete result you want to have accomplished by the end of your term?
I am running for Holly Village Council. By the end of my term, I want Holly to have a real, long-term plan for our infrastructure and not another temporary fix. We know our roads and water system need significant investment, and delaying real solutions will only cost residents more in the long run. I want residents to clearly understand what needs to be done, what it will cost, how we plan to pay for it, and what the priorities are. We may not fix everything in four years, but we can absolutely put Holly on the right track.
- Residents routinely ask Village government to solve problems controlled by Holly Township, Oakland County, the Road Commission, the railroad, the state, or somebody else entirely. Which problem are you most prepared to be blamed for despite having little or no direct authority over it, and what should Village officials do when explaining that fact somehow fails to fix it?
Probably the railroad! Lol! In all seriousness, residents don’t always know which government agency technically has jurisdiction when something is affecting their everyday lives. Telling someone “that’s not ours” doesn’t solve their problem. Sometimes the Village truly doesn’t have the authority to fix something, but we can still make the phone call, connect residents with the right people, advocate on their behalf, and follow up. I believe leadership means being willing to help find the answer, even when the answer isn’t sitting at the Village Council table.
- Holly promotes economic growth while treating its historic character as an economic asset. When development and preservation pull in different directions, where should the Village permit change, and where should it refuse? At what point does designing a new project to “fit in” become historical reenactment?
Holly’s history and small-town character are a huge part of what makes our community special—and frankly, they’re also economic assets. But preserving Holly shouldn’t mean preventing Holly from growing. I believe we can protect historically significant buildings and the character of our downtown while still welcoming thoughtful development and allowing businesses and property owners to meet modern needs. New buildings don’t need to pretend they were built 100 years ago. They should simply complement what makes Holly unique. There is a balance between preserving our history and building our future, and I believe we can do both.
- A proposal comes before Council that is legal, within budget, and recommended by Village staff, but the Facebook post about it attracts 63 angry comments. How much weight should those comments carry in your decision? Would your answer change at 100 comments—or if 40 of them came from the same person?
I would listen to the concerns behind those 63 comments, but I wouldn’t count Facebook comments like votes. Social media can be a valuable way to hear what residents are thinking, and if people are upset, I want to understand why. But Council also has to consider the facts, finances, law, staff recommendations, public comment, and residents who may never post on Facebook at all. And no, 40 comments from one person wouldn’t equal 40 residents. Representatives should represent the people, but that means actually listening to people, not allowing social media to make decisions for us.
- Village government has substantially more things residents would like fixed than money with which to fix them. What service or investment would you protect even if doing so required residents to pay more, and what would you cut before making that request? You may invoke “grants” once. Then assume Holly did not receive one.
Well, since I apparently only get to say “grants” once, I’ll use it wisely. Lol!
Public safety and critical infrastructure are things I would protect. Before asking residents to pay more, though, I want us to look hard at our own spending first with all contracts, administrative expenses, discretionary projects, priorities, and whether taxpayers are actually getting value for their money. And yes, we should aggressively pursue grants; however, you cannot budget based on money you haven’t received. If we truly need additional revenue after exhausting other options, residents deserve an honest explanation of why, what alternatives were considered, and exactly where their money will go.
- At the end of your term, what is one thing about Holly you hope has not changed at all, and one change you hope residents have come to accept was necessary?
I hope Holly never loses the small-town character and sense of community that made so many of us fall in love with it in the first place. I want us to know our neighbors, support our local businesses, celebrate our history, and continue showing up for one another. The change I hope we embrace is planning further ahead. Some of Holly’s biggest challenges didn’t happen overnight, and they won’t be solved overnight either. We need to stop waiting until problems become emergencies and start making thoughtful decisions today that set Holly up for success tomorrow.
Next candidate questionnaire: April Brandon at noon.