-October 12, 2023 –

Over the last few months, I’ve been going door-to-door in Birmingham neighborhoods and spending Sunday mornings talking with people at the Farmers Market. I like getting out of the house, love people, and enjoy fresh produce. But that’s not what this is all about.

As I explain to people who answer their doorbell or come up and shake my hand, I’ve got this crazy idea that because the citizens of Birmingham elected me to the City Commission, it’s my job to actually represent them. To do that effectively, I need to know what’s most important to my neighbors and their families. And the best way to do that is to talk with them and listen.

Thankfully, people in Birmingham couldn’t be nicer. I haven’t had a door slammed in my face or been arrested for trespassing yet. Even the dogs are generally friendly. And residents have lots on their minds they want to share.

First and foremost, they want me to know that they love Birmingham. We’re all lucky to be living in one of the most welcoming, beautiful communities not just in Michigan but on the face of the Earth. When my wife Laura and I decided almost 50 years ago to make Birmingham the place to raise our family, it was the best decision we ever made.

They also understand that great cities don’t automatically stay great and the character of their neighborhoods won’t stay appealing without diligence and citizen involvement. There are things that need to be addressed.

Top of mind, especially after the “500-year storm” we experienced in August, are our unimproved roads and 100-year-old sewers. Flooded streets and water in basements can make life miserable wherever you live.

Residents also want to know what can be done about the noise on Woodward. They’re not satisfied with the excuse that it’s the county’s or state’s issue to solve.

And there is a growing concern that short-term rentals are a threat to the peace and quiet of our residential neighborhoods. I’ve heard horror stories about the disruption on weekends caused by transient tenants.

I do more than listen to these and other issues. I take what I’ve learned back to the Commission and do my best to move them up on our agenda. That keeps us on track and helps me have good answers to the most important questions I get, which begin with these words: “What are you going to do about it?”

Since July, I’ve visited with folks in the Pierce, Torry, Poppleton Park and Quarton Lake neighborhoods. If my shoes hold out and the weather cooperates, I’ll get to most of Birmingham by November 7, election day. If I don’t see you at the Farmers Market or knock on your door before then and you have an issue you want to discuss, email me at BradHost@BradHostBirmingham.com

Thanks for helping me represent you on the Commission.

-July 7, 2023 –

Brad Host has filed his petition to run for a second term on the Birmingham City Commission. Birmingham residents will be voting on November 7 to fill four of the seven City Commission seats.

“It’s an honor to represent the people of Birmingham,” said Host. “Making sure their voices are heard and priorities are understood by city government is a responsibility I take very seriously.” In 2019, Host received the highest vote total of the candidates on the ballot. Commissioners are elected at large for four-year terms. Non-partisan elections are held in November of each odd-numbered year.

“We’ve made progress in a number of areas, but there’s a lot of work to be done,” said Host. “The unacceptable noise-levels on Woodward, the threat to our neighborhoods of short-term rentals, attempts to commercialize our parks, the deficit of daytime parking in our ever-growing downtown, and desperately needed budget for unimproved roads and aging infrastructure are among the issues the Commission must address with a greater sense of urgency.

“Insisting on government accountability and transparency has made me unpopular with some people in high places,” said Host. “But my commitment to protecting the character of our residential neighborhoods and preserving the best of what makes us so thankful and proud to call Birmingham our home is why the voters have placed their trust in me.”

A successful business owner and graduate of the University of Michigan, Host has been a resident of Birmingham for more than 47 years. He is known throughout Southeast Michigan for his decades of community service and civic leadership.

While raising his two children with his wife of 50 years Laura, Host served on the board of directors of the Birmingham YMCA, was vice president of the Quarton School P.T.A., coached Little League baseball and soccer, and was a director of Birmingham Youth Assistance. Host was an elected trustee of the Birmingham Board of Education from 1989-1994, and was co- founder of the Birmingham Public Schools Foundation. A former board member of the Birmingham – Bloomfield Hills Task Force on Race Relations and Cultural Diversity, Host is a member of the advisory board of Horizons-Upward Bound, for which he served as co-chairman from 1995-1997 and chairman from 1997-2011.

Over his 35-year involvement with Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit, Host has served in multiple senior roles, including chairman of the board. He also was president of the board of the Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit Foundation. Host is a Life Member of the Economic Club of Detroit, where he has served on the Reception Committee Advisory Board. In 2000 he received a Distinguished Volunteer Award from the National Society of Fund Raising Executives.

Host was co-founder in 1988 of the Quarton Lakes Neighborhood Association. In 2015 he co- founded Birmingham Citizens for Responsible Government. BCRG led the opposition in 2015 to the proposed library bond, which was defeated 75% to 25%. And in 2019 the grassroots organization opposed the N.O.W. Public/Private partnership for a $57 million bond, which Birmingham voters rejected 68% to 32%. Host resigned his position with BCRG when he was elected to the City Commission in November 2019.

“We’ll be announcing our campaign leadership team and several campaign events later this month,” said Host. “I’ll be going door to door in the coming weeks to hear from as many of my neighbors as possible, and you will find me at the Birmingham Farmers Market most weekends. I really enjoy talking with people and meeting their families. Knowing what’s most important to them guides me in fulfilling my responsibilities as commissioner.”