16 File for Farmington, Farmington Hills City Races

Local elections in November have drawn a field of 16 candidates for open positions in Farmington and Farmington Hills city government. 

Farmington Hills Mayor Barry Brickner will likely cruise into another term, as the only candidate to turn in petitions for his post. Voters in that city will have at least two new council members; veterans Nancy Bates and Cheryl Oliverio are not running for re-election. 

Incumbent Michael Bridges, former Farmington city council member Valerie Knol, Zoning Board of Appeals chair Erik Lindquist, former council member and current Planning Commission chair Christopher McRae, former Oakland County commissioner Steve Schwartz, William Miller III, Samantha Steckloff, who helped found the Mayors Youth Council, George Varghese and Thomas Wolverton have all filed in Farmington Hills. 

In Farmington, six candidates have filed for three open council seats, including incumbents Bill Galvin, Greg Cowley and Tom Buck.

Candidates have until Friday to reconsider, and Buck says he may still do that. 

"It feels like I have been doing this a long time," he said, adding the level of activity for the role of mayor has been "pretty intense" since his colleagues elected him to the post in 2009.

Buck was elected to city council in 2005; only council member JoAnne McShane, first elected in 1989, has served longer. He said he will make his final decision known on Friday. 

"I just have other things I feel like I need to do for my family and my business," Buck said. "It has been a wonderful experience so far. It's been fantastic." 

Other Farmington council candidates include Erica Reaves, who co-chaired the Advocates for Education campaign for the Farmington Public Schools bond election, Planning Commission member Jeff Scott and Matthew Christian Wayne.