[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 12765]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




ON THE OCCASION OF DAVID PAYNE'S RETIREMENT AS SUPERVISOR OF BLOOMFIELD 
                                TOWNSHIP

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. GARY C. PETERS

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, August 1, 2011

  Mr. PETERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate David Payne on 
a successful career--40 years in service to the residents of Bloomfield 
Township, as he retires from his position as Township Supervisor.
  Mr. Payne began his career in the Road Department in 1970 while 
finishing his college studies. Just five years later Dave was promoted 
to Director of the Road Department, the youngest director in the 
Township's history.
  Dave's foray into elected politics began in 1995 when he was 
appointed Township Treasurer and was subsequently elected to that 
position in the following year. Thanks to his strong record as 
Treasurer, Dave was selected to replace his predecessor in the 
Supervisor's office in 1999 and the residents of Bloomfield Township 
have subsequently elected to that position three times, in 2000, 2004 
and 2008.
  Dave's stewardship of Bloomfield Township has resulted not only in 
continued prosperity of its businesses and residents, but also 
transformed the Township's professional environment.
  When Dave took the reins of the Township he implemented new policies 
to change how the Township interacts with the media, its residents and 
intra-operationally. Upon entering office Dave worked to ensure good 
communication between the Township and the media--always making himself 
available to answer questions. He also sought to make it easier for 
residents and citizen groups to integrate their input into Township 
business and for concerned citizens to be able to communicate directly 
with elected officials.
  During Dave's tenure as Supervisor, Bloomfield Township has weathered 
an economic storm that has affected so many other communities across 
Michigan and the Nation. As a result of Bloomfield Township's sure 
financial footing under Dave's leadership, Standard and Poor's raised 
the Township's credit rating to AAA, the highest rating possible for 
municipalities and as such, Bloomfield Township is one of only five 
municipalities in Michigan to hold this rating.
  Dave's approach to leadership in Bloomfield Township has resulted in 
continued success for the Township's businesses and residents. I know 
his hands-on-approach to leadership and his ability to produce 
consensus will be greatly missed by his colleagues and residents who he 
served. I wish Dave many more years of success and know that as a 
resident of Bloomfield Township, the community will continue to benefit 
from his activism and service.

                          ____________________