"A Mayor Who Cares and Listens to the Residents."

RESPONSE TO "MEET THE CANDIDATES FORUM 2025"

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Dear Connect Macomb Teri Stabnick,

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I have received your invitation to the September 25, 2025 " Meet the Candidates Forum" for the November 4, 2025, City Council Election.

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After watching the "State of the City 2025" for Sterling Heights that you hosted at the MJR Theatre in Sterling Heights, I as a New Candidate for Mayor was highly disappointed in what was presented by Connect Macomb and the current Mayor of Sterling Heights. Many other residents in Sterling Heights feel the same and did not even know about this event. This event should have been free for the Residents to hear an update from the mayor on what is going on in 2025 in Sterling Heights.

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It was questionable to see all the County Elects present whose $30 ticket cost was purchased by Macomb County but very few Sterling Heights Residents were present at the event.

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The mayor states the City Council and himself are progressive and depicts himself and City Council as being in detention as elected officials. Is this childish behavior or is the current Mayor and Council in confinement for a wrong done? Then who is running and representing Sterling Heights? They should be representing the Residents, not themselves. Many residents have found this appalling.

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This is not funny or fun for Sterling Heights as a very large hard working suburban family city in Michigan.

Also, after watching the "Meet the Candidates Forum 2021" and seeing how it was allowed by the current Mayor to berate and belittle down the then new candidate for Mayor and seeing this to be so wrong and unjust for the host Sterling Heights Chamber Connect Macomb to let this go on throughout the forum.

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Connect Macomb has stated they will be using questions provided by the media but why are not the questions provided by the Residents of Sterling Heights? The Residents are the voters and pay the taxes for Sterling Heights.

Four minutes seems like a very small amount of time for a New Candidate to present themselves especially when New Candidates are not allowed to have any events at the library, community centers or park pavilions in the city, but the current Mayor and City Council elects can do many events throughout the city.

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After careful thought and prayer, I cannot attend such an unprofessional and biased event. I believe the Residents of Sterling Heights deserve better.

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Events should be allowed to be set up for Residents to ask questions and get answers, so they hear from all the Candidates running for Mayor and City Council, especially New Candidates running.

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Sincerely,

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Matthew Ryan

Candidate for Mayor 2025

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