Press Release | Office of the Mayor | Westland Mayor William R. Wild sworn in as Chairperson of the Conference of Western Wayne

For Immediate Release | Official Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

36300 Warren Road | Westland, Michigan | 48185

Office 734.467.3200 | Fax 724.721.2310

WWW.CITYOFWESTLAND.COM

Westland Mayor William R. Wild Sworn in as Chairperson of the Conference of Western Wayne

Westland, MI (January 8, 2016) - This morning, Westland Mayor William R. Wild was sworn in as Chairperson of the Conference of Western Wayne (CWW).

"I am truly honored to serve the 18 communities in Western Wayne County that make up this consortium," said Mayor Wild. "We meet monthly to discuss issues such as legislation, transportation, public safety, substance abuse prevention, community and economic development, employment and the environmental health of the region."

The CWW Board of Directors is comprised of the chief elected officials from each of the 18 member communities. This bi-partisan Board works collectively to discuss mutual issues, share information and generally improve the quality of life for the nearly 700,000 residents who live in the area.

The CWW communities are the Cities of Belleville, Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Garden City, Inkster, Livonia, Northville, Plymouth, Romulus, Wayne and Westland, and the Townships of Canton, Huron, Northville, Plymouth, Redford, Sumpter and Van Buren.

"This position complements an initiative I started last year to mobilize mayors in the state," said Mayor Wild. "We are all facing issues at the state-level that impact our cities and communities. It is imperative that we collaborate and create solutions to the challenges we encounter."

The CWW area is 340 square miles, bordered by Washtenaw County to the west, Oakland County to the north, the City of Detroit to the east, and Monroe County to the south, and represents over 700,000 residents of Southeast Michigan.

The Conference is the access point for funneling information to local units from county, state and federal agencies. In this capacity, the CWW will monitor state and federal legislation for its impact on local government. In addition, the CWW works as a liaison between local government and many service organizations by representing its members on various committees and boards.

The Conference serves as a collective program planner and developmental entity and provides a forum for the discussion and review of issues.

Despite the diversity of size, economic development and population density, these communities have been working together - working regionally - to enhance this area of Wayne County for 35 years.

"We are fortunate to have many strong leaders in Western Wayne County like Mayor William Wild, who has volunteered his time, effort and experience to the benefit of all the Conference of Western Wayne communities," commented Jordyn Sellek, Executive Director of the Conference of Western Wayne. "Because of the strong leadership of our 18 CWW leaders, 700,000 people choose to call Western Wayne their home. I look forward to working with Mayor Wild in moving our region forward and congratulate him on his selection as the chair of the Conference of Western Wayne."

For more information, contact Aubrey Berman, Administrative Secretary, at

734-467-3200

###

Westland, Michigan is the state's 10th largest municipality, with a population of over 84,000 people who exhibit a great deal of pride in their All-American City. Westland has a thriving business community along with beautiful residential areas. The citizens enjoy a wide array of amenities and a quality of life that is second to none.

In 2014, Westland was rated as one of 24/7 Wall Street's America's Best 50 Cities to Live, offering residents and visitors an ideal blend of single-family affordable homes, apartments and condominiums, great schools, and access to numerous outdoor activities. Public safety is delivered by full-service, professional law enforcement and firefighting personnel. Westland Police Department, whose motto is protect and serve, provides emergency dispatch services to four cities and over 100,000 residents; the Western Wayne Fire Association firefighters collaboratively serving the Cities of Wayne and Westland are licensed paramedics who responded to over 13,000 calls for service last year, about 85% being medical based. They never forget their mission of preserving life and property.

Westland is well-known as the premier destination for shopping and dining in Wayne County with hundreds of shops and restaurants anchored by the Westland Shopping Center, one of the country's original four regional malls.

Infinite opportunities are available in Westland for the recreation aficionado including, more that 40 parks and 1,500 acres of trails, a 9-hole golf course, hockey arena, athletic fields, playscapes, a Farmers and Artisans Market and more. One of Michigan's most environmentally friendly cities, Westland has a progressive curbside recycling program with one of the highest participation rates in the nation and the City is raising the bar for cultural experiences with the placement of public art throughout the City.

The City is served by two public school districts; Wayne-Westland Community Schools serving 12,000 youth was recently named one of the Best School in Michigan by WXYZ-TV and is the proud recipient of 14 Golden Apple and two Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards. Livonia Public Schools, educating nearly 15,000 students, is proud of their MEAP/MME scores that exceed state averages and the District has also earned Golden Apple and Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards.

Westland's philosophy is that government should embrace good business principles. Providing oversight over the City's operating budget of $60 million dollars, Westland is the only community in Wayne County with a 3-year balanced budget and an approximately 10 percent budget surplus.

The City provides competitive incentives for those who are interested in investing in Westland, making it one of the hottest investment markets in the region. Our Fast-Track to Business Team, which consists of key decision makers who work diligently on a development plan will "cut the red tape" and expedite the approval process for new business development.