Usually, election season can be nerve-racking for candidates, but for Oxford School Board Treasurer Doug Myer and Trustee Major Murray, they’re anything but.
‘My wife (Theresa) is the one who’s my campaign manager,? Myer said. ‘She’s the one who really feels the pressure.?
But there’s no stress or pressure because the pair are the only individuals running in the Tuesday, May 8 election for two open seats on the school board.
Myer, 51, is running for the 4-year, full term seat that would start July 7 and end June 30, 2011.
Murray, 42, is running for a partial term that will end June 30, 2008, which would complete former Trustee Judy Kubina’s term from which she resigned November of last year.
For Myer, a 20-year resident of Oxford, being re-elected to the school board would help him fulfill his main purpose of being a spokesperson for residents by ‘relaying? their feedback to the board.
‘Anybody who has any questions or wonders what’s happening in the district (needs to) get involved,? he said.
According to Myer, what makes him a unique trustee is his open mind.
‘I’m willing to accept challenge and I’m not afraid to make tough decisions,? he said.
Tough decisions definitely are looming in the Oxford School District, like the present superintendent search and curriculum changes, but Myer said the budget is high priority on his plate.
‘The biggest overall issue, which it has been for a few years past, is obviously how you pay the bills,? he said.
When Myer’s not working hard as school board treasurer, he helps run P.K. Contracting in Troy, being active in the Junior Wildcats wrestling program he created and spending time with his wife and three children.
Like Myer, Murray said there’s ‘no reason to be nervous? about the upcoming election.
‘If another candidate were running for the one-year seat, I still would not be nervous,? he said.
Murray, 10-year Brandon Township resident, said his main goal in serving the school board is to make Oxford Schools a key selling point when it comes to people hoping to move to the area.
‘When people will pay extra for housing to get into our school district, then we can truly say we are offering a superior product,? he said.
Teamwork is one attribute Murray said he can bring to the school board’s atmosphere.
‘As each team member of a sports team has specific skills and responsibilities to contribute to the team as a whole, I hope my colleagues see me as working with them to achieve the collective goal of providing the best possible education to the children of the district with the resources at hand,? he said.
Teamwork will definitely be a necessity when it comes to Murray’s biggest concern of ‘the unchecked increase in expenses, which result in neither an improved educational experience for the students nor an increase in the teachers? standard of living.?
‘As a trustee, I hope to bring a fresh perspective to this and many other budgetary issues facing schools during this time of increasing expenses and flat or declining revenue,? Murray said.
He said school districts need to get beyond the ‘one-size-fits-all? mentality when it comes to compensation and benefits.
Aside from serving on the school board, Murray spends his time in the score booth at various Oxford sporting events and working as a business unit director for Noble International in Troy.
Murray’s wife, Amy, is the trail manager for the Polly Ann Trail. They have two children, Jordan, a junior at OHS and Nicholas, a freshman at University of Michigan.