Politics & Government
Getting to Know the Candidates: Steven Rzeppa
Trenton-Grosse Ile Patch sent all 10 candidates running for election or re-election to Trenton City Council in the coming primary an identical questionnaire to give voters more information on each candidate.
The Trenton primary election is rapidly approaching and to help voters make sound, informed decisions, Trenton-Grosse Ile Patch created a questionnaire for candidates seeking election or re-election in 2013.
The primary election is set for Tuesday, Aug. 6.
Each of the 10 candidates seeking election or re-election for three city council seats received the same eight questions.
Find out what's happening in Trenton Grosse Ilewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Age?
20 (21 by the election)
Spouse/kids?
Jim Rzeppa (dad) Patty Visco (mom) Brian Rzeppa (brother-19)
How long have you been a resident of Trenton?
I've lived in Trenton for about 19 years
What is your prior political experience?
I've never held elected office before, but I have been involved local campaigns in the past along with University of Michigan Central Student Government.
What is your prior professional experience?
I'm currently finishing my degree in Public Policy at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and working in the Office of Congressman John D. Dingell.
What made you decide to seek election/re-election?
This is something that I've always been interested in, especially given my educational background and prior campaign experience. This past year I was named the 2012 Trenton Man of the Year by the Civic Commission and spoke to several community leaders about my candidacy. We talked about the desire to see younger people get involved in the community. They know about my ambitions, qualifications, and work ethic and told me they felt I would be a great candidate. The more I considered it, the more excited I got for the opportunity to serve our residents. I feel that I can bring a fresh perspective to our city government that we haven't had in a while, and I see this as a ways to give back to the community and keep us thriving. Together we can make sure Trenton remains the best community Downriver.
What issues do you see affecting Trenton?
The biggest issue we face as a community is declining revenues across the board. Thankfully in Wayne County this past year, property values crept up about 10% so that is a positive sign. Unfortunately we aren't sure if we'll ever see our state shared revenue return to previous levels, and we must prioritize are budget to make sure we get the most for our money. In order to combat these declines, we have to attract new residents and new business to keep our community growing and thriving.
What is your plan to address those issues?
The most important thing we can do as a community is to attract new residents and promote growth. When people are looking to move to a new city, one of the most important things they look at is public safety. Are police and fire services are exceptional, and we can't deviate from that. We must prioritize these essential city services in our budget process each year so property values do not diminish and our city is not faced with problems similar to Allen Park or Ecorse.
I'd also love to see more development in our downtown area. We're currently underutilizing our resources in that area, with a beautiful park and waterfront that should be attracting people from all over Downriver. I feel that we need something that will draw people downtown and keep them there for the day/night. We need to explore both retail and recreation options to improve the downtown atmosphere.
20 (21 by the election)
Spouse/kids?
Jim Rzeppa (dad) Patty Visco (mom) Brian Rzeppa (brother-19)
How long have you been a resident of Trenton?
I've lived in Trenton for about 19 years
What is your prior political experience?
I've never held elected office before, but I have been involved local campaigns in the past along with University of Michigan Central Student Government.
What is your prior professional experience?
I'm currently finishing my degree in Public Policy at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and working in the Office of Congressman John D. Dingell.
What made you decide to seek election/re-election?
This is something that I've always been interested in, especially given my educational background and prior campaign experience. This past year I was named the 2012 Trenton Man of the Year by the Civic Commission and spoke to several community leaders about my candidacy. We talked about the desire to see younger people get involved in the community. They know about my ambitions, qualifications, and work ethic and told me they felt I would be a great candidate. The more I considered it, the more excited I got for the opportunity to serve our residents. I feel that I can bring a fresh perspective to our city government that we haven't had in a while, and I see this as a ways to give back to the community and keep us thriving. Together we can make sure Trenton remains the best community Downriver.
What issues do you see affecting Trenton?
The biggest issue we face as a community is declining revenues across the board. Thankfully in Wayne County this past year, property values crept up about 10% so that is a positive sign. Unfortunately we aren't sure if we'll ever see our state shared revenue return to previous levels, and we must prioritize are budget to make sure we get the most for our money. In order to combat these declines, we have to attract new residents and new business to keep our community growing and thriving.
What is your plan to address those issues?
The most important thing we can do as a community is to attract new residents and promote growth. When people are looking to move to a new city, one of the most important things they look at is public safety. Are police and fire services are exceptional, and we can't deviate from that. We must prioritize these essential city services in our budget process each year so property values do not diminish and our city is not faced with problems similar to Allen Park or Ecorse.
I'd also love to see more development in our downtown area. We're currently underutilizing our resources in that area, with a beautiful park and waterfront that should be attracting people from all over Downriver. I feel that we need something that will draw people downtown and keep them there for the day/night. We need to explore both retail and recreation options to improve the downtown atmosphere.
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