By Marisa Loranger, #Collegiate Life Editor.
“If you feel safe, you can create your own American dream,” says 65-year-old Saginaw Township supervisor Tim Braun.
With 41,000 people living in Saginaw Township, it is important for Braun to make sure his community is able to live and prosper, and safety is his number one priority. Braun says that crime has declined for 20 straight years in the township, which makes him feel like he is doing what he needs to do in his community.
“There are lots of issues to deal with every day but we make the best of it. Our citizens know we are here for them; they are not alone,” says Braun.
After a friend pushed him to run for office Braun became township clerk from 1984-2004. When his term was up, Braun ran for supervisor in 2004 after the past supervisor asked him to run when he retired. He won and that is where he still remains. He is in his third term and still is unsure if he will run again in 2016 even though he loves his position.
“The people are my favorite part of this job,” explained Braun
Braun was born and raised in the city of Saginaw and graduated from Arthur Hill high school in 1967. He went to Delta College, and after spending three semesters there, he transferred to Saginaw Valley College (now Saginaw Valley State University) where he received his B.A. and M.A. After that, he transferred to Central Michigan University and received his M.A. in education guidance and counselling.
He worked in Saginaw Township schools from 1971-2005.
Braun finds community work important to keeping a city running. The passion Braun has for the township shows in his various volunteer activities such as the Kiwanis, Saginaw Field and Stream and the Saginaw County Land Bank. He’s also an active member of his church.
Something that sparked an interest to give back in Braun was President Kennedy’s famous quote, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”
For Braun the “quote from President Kennedy really stuck with me. That speech planted a seed in me.”
The recession put a stop to projects that Braun had in mind such as adding new sidewalks. The township had to cut back on investing in new projects so they wouldn’t dip into their reserve funds. Now that the recession is over, the township has decided to start working on sidewalks again and is planning to update their tennis courts.
“We want to provide top notch quality to our citizens. We want every department in this township to run the absolute best,” says Braun.
To make sure key projects in the township are up-to-date, the township puts programs on rotation so that things don’t get too old.
Braun says, “It’s not me. It’s we, them, us, that make Saginaw Township a thriving community.”