What's On the Ballot: Library Board Elections

The Nov. 8 election is upon us and on the ballot in Birmingham is elections for three open spots on the Baldwin Public Library board.

Wondering who the candidates are or what the issues are all about? Let Patch fill you in before you head to the ballot box.

Baldwin Public Library board

What the library board does: The six-member Board is responsible for controlling the expenditures of all library funds, adopting an annual budget, appointing directors and setting library policies. Board members serve four-year terms. Terms are staggered so that three positions are elected every two years.

Open spots: There will be three open spots this fall.

Incumbants: David Underdown

Challengers: Robert Tera, Ruth Ploski and James Suhay

Who are the candidates?

• 
  Age: 68
  Occupation: Owner and operator of in Birmingham.
  Previous elected experience: Underdown has been on the library board for the past four years. He is a member of the Birmingham Rotary Club, the Senior Men's Club and the .
  Top priorities: There are three main issues facing the library in coming years, Underdown said: finances, technology and cooperation with city government. "My action is to give support and help and to encourage and enhance what is being done."

• 
  Age: 67
  Occupation: Suhay, now retired, spent more than 30 years in automotive finance and management, primarily at Ford Motor Company. He is also a volunteer management consultant for several non-profits and teaches strategic management and corporate financial management at Oakland University.
  Previous elected experience: Since retiring, Suhay has focused his time on community service and has been a volunteer consultant for several non-profits, including Baldwin Public Library, and the Race Relations Task Force.
  Top priorities: Suhay has three priorities should he be elected to the library board: the elimination of Baldwin's annual deficits, making sure the library meets the needs of all age groups and optimizing the library building to fit user needs.

• 
  Age: 71
  Occupation: Tera is the retired senior vice president for Wachovia Securities.
  Previous elected experience: In the city, Tera has served as the appointed chairman for Birmingham's Ritto Sister Committee, as well as the Board of Zoning Appeals and the Birmingham Planning Board. In addition, Tera as served for the past 20 years as a trustee for the Oakland County Library.
  Top priorities: For Tera, one of the most important challenges facing Baldwin Public Library is its financial plan. "(We) need to have a detailed plan that stabilzes and enhances the financial operations of the library." The library's physical building must also be maintained and upgraded in the years to come, Tera said.

• 
  Age: 31
  Occupation: Ploski has worked in several fields over the years, and is most recently doing accounting work for several small businesses.
  Previous elected experience: This would be Ploski's first elected experience.
  Top priorities: According to Ploski, Baldwin Public Library should be paying close attention to the times and what kinds of repercussions are possible for the traditional library model. "With technology and global information more available to the general public, traffic in our libraries has been reduced."

For more: Read up on how each candidate fared in a .