Ex-Police, Fire Civil Service President Announces Supervisor Candidacy

The elections for the Shelby Township Supervisor's position has widened with Dave Erickson's announcement to run for office.

Erickson, along with former Shelby Township Police Chief, are the only two candidates to publicly announce their plans to run for the supervisor's position in the November elections.

Current Shelby Township Supervisor Rick Stathakis has not said whether he will run for a second term.

Erickson will run as an independent. Therefore, his name will not appear on the Aug. 7 primary ballot.

"I will be on the November ballot as 'no party affiliation,'" Erickson told Patch. "I’m not a Republican or Democrat. I guess I am just an American. I don’t have an allegiance to any company, party etc. I just want to serve the people."

Any candidate running as an independent must submit a qualifying petition, with a minimium of 300 and maximum of 600 residents' signatures, to be placed on the November ballot, rather than a nominating petition.

This is the first time Erickson will be running for public office in Shelby Township. However, the Shelby native is no stranger to local politics.

Erickson, a retired U.S. Navy Veteran, was on the Shelby Township Police and Fire Civil Service Commission for 10 years and served as the president from 2003 to 2009. He is also a former member of the Shelby Township Zoning Board of Appeals.

Erickson said he grew up in Shelby Township, and attended elementary and junior high school here while his father served in the U.S. Air Force, but moved away as a teen. He has been living in Shelby for the past 17 years.

"I’m the product of a nomadic life as my father was a career military man," he said.

The 59-year-old, who currently works with the Department of Defense as a contractor, said he believes his skills in the private and public sector will help him bring value to the supervisor's office.

"I know Bob Leman quite well and I have a dramatic respect for Bob. I have a different skill sets and life experiences than Bob, and that will add value," he told Patch.

If elected, Erickson said he would focus on transparency in the government.

"But not transparency as some people think of it—judged by the people—not as purported by politicians," he added

Also on Erickson's agenda would be to implement a purchasing power that gives local businesses first priority to submit bids to Shelby Township.

"We should be looking at investing in Shelby first—whenever possible and practical," he said.

Erickson also has started a website.