Jeanne Langlois Announces She’s Running for Oakland Township Treasurer

Oakland Township resident Jeanne Langlois, 48, isn’t satisfied with the way the township is currently run.

Her solution? Jump into the candidate pool for the 2012 Oakland Township elections and run for treasurer of Oakland Township. Her name will be on the ballot for the Aug. 7 primary election.

“There is a group of us who have been meeting and talking about township politics. … we knew we wanted some new faces,” Langlois said. “I just felt compelled to do it.”

After months of keeping a close eye on community issues and how the Oakland Township Board of Trustees operates, Langlois decided something needed to be done and she thinks she can turn things around and make a positive impact on the community.

“What makes you decide to run is when you want it to be different and you want it so bad that you are willing to be more involved and take what comes with it,” Langlois said. “I just really feel like I want to make a difference and I feel like I can.”

Some of the key things Langlois thinks are important in township government include:

• Transparency. Langlois would like to see as many documents put online as possible – including the full disclosure of budgets and expenses.
• Responsiveness. As a resident she said that she has tried to email and call township officials to raise concerns and provide awareness of issues and has been deeply discouraged by their response time. She would like that changed.
• Giving residents more of a voice. Langlois is not satisfied with the current three minutes of talking about a topic at board meetings that residents currently get, instead she would like to give people a way to get more involved by frequently hosting informal town hall meetings.

One of the first things she would like to do, if voted in as treasurer, is implement a service so that board meetings can be videotaped. She noted there are a lot of people in Oakland Township who are very busy, and videotaping the meetings would allow the township to get the information to the residents "on terms that are workable for them."

"I think you just need good, dedicated people with no hidden agenda who are willing to listen to all sides," she said of desirable qualities in elected officials.

A look at her background

Langlois and her family moved to Oakland Township from Warren in 2010. She and her husband, Joe, had wanted to move to the area for quite some time. The natural beauty was a big draw and she says she loves how enthusiastic residents are about the community they live in.

Though she doesn’t have any political background, she has accrued 13 years of experience in commercial banking after graduating from the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a concentration in finance in 1985. Her extensive knowledge of finance will help her fulfill the responsibilities as township treasurer, she said.

Currently Langlois is a full-time stay-at-home mom. For the past 13 years she has been home schooling her six children, who range in age from 6 to 22 years old. 

One of the field trips she has taken her children on over the past few months was a mill race cleanup event in Oakland Township, where community members volunteered their time to help out.

“Sometimes the field trips that are just a part of life are even more educational,” Langlois said. “The construction of the mill race and how it works was an education for all of us.”

Aside from being an educator as a home school mom, and having a strong background in financing, Langlois is also a high school policy debate coach.

“The reason I coach debate is because everyone in life needs the skills they learn in debate,” she said.

She has been coaching area home-schooled high school students for the past five years, which gives her the opportunity to stay fresh on her research skills.

Her campaign kick-off

Residents interested in meeting Langlois and hearing more about what she stands for can attend her campaign kick-off party scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at in Oakland Township.

“I want to meet as many voters as possible; that’s how I found out what matters to people,” she said.

For more information visit her website at www.Langlois2012.com.