Scott Sessions before the November election. Thomas McKenna | Collegian

Mayor Scott Sessions will not run for reelection this fall as his one-year term expires in November, the mayor told The Collegian in an interview marking his first three months in office.

“I’ve been mayor twice now, and I think it’s time for someone else to step up,” Sessions said.

Sessions, who previously served as mayor from 2013 to 2017, won a special election in November 2025, defeating Ward 2 Councilman Matthew Bentley for a one-year term. 

As mayor of Hillsdale, Sessions is a voting member of the city council and runs meetings, but lacks executive authority. The city council as a whole oversees the job of city staff, which is led by the city manager.

Reflecting Tuesday on his first three months in office, Sessions said overseeing the appointment of Police and Fire Chief Kristopher Joswiak has been his most important accomplishment. Joswiak, a native of Canton, Michigan, replaced former Police and Fire Chief Scott Hephner and began work for the city Monday after a week of onboarding.

“He’s already had an opportunity to go out and do some training with our fire department, actually put on his turnout gear and get out in the field with the guys,” Assistant City Manager Sam Fry said. “He’s doing a great job so far, just in the short time he’s been here.”

Under Sessions, the city has also begun to fill some of the staff positions left vacant when five city officials resigned last year. Planning and Zoning Administrator Olivia Smith, City Engineer Rob Stiverson, and Code Enforcement Officer Nicole Leroux have all begun work since November.

Sessions has also overseen eleven successful nominations in the space of his three months.

New appointments include Felicia Ray-Finch, Rachel Doty, and Chris Sumnar to the TIFA Board; Cathy Kelemen to the Planning Commission; John Kast to the Zoning Board of Appeals; and Ronald Spence to the Cemetery Board. 

Additionally, Sessions reappointed Amber Yoder to the Zoning Board of Appeals, Eric Moore to the Library Board, Ginger Novak and William Mullay to the Election Commission, and Anthony Vear to the Board of Review.

“It’s been a busy three months,” Sessions said.

Sessions campaigned in the fall on the promise to oppose what he saw as a culture of negativity in the city of Hillsdale and unnecessary tension between the city council and the city staff. He said at the time that his opponent Bentley, as well as former Mayor Pro Tem Joshua Paladino, had fostered this toxic culture.

At the time, Sessions said he would institute a chain of command in which the city council would communicate with city staff only through him. Now, he says he has largely abandoned that goal after other council members refused to follow the arrangement. 

“I asked for it to be done,” Sessions said. “Now it really hasn’t been done because I got some pushback, but that’s fine.”

Nevertheless, City Manager David Mackie said Sessions has maintained a good working relationship with the staff. 

“Staff appreciate his collaborative approach and his willingness to meet with us to better understand our work and the challenges facing the city,” Mackie said. “Mayor Sessions asks thoughtful questions, listens to our professional perspectives, and emphasizes working together to find solutions. That openness and communication has created a more constructive working environment and improved morale.”

As Sessions makes plans to step down in the fall, Ward 3 Councilman Bob Flynn announced his candidacy for mayor at the Hillsdale City Council meeting Monday. The retired WCSR on-air personality is the first to step forward to run for the four-year term. 

With his remaining time, Sessions and the city council will have to address the open question of road repair funding after three proposed special assessment districts for 2026 were rejected Monday by citizen petition.

Special assessment districts, or SADs, require individual property owners in a designated district to pay up to $5,000 for repairs on their street. Without SAD funding, the city lacks the money necessary to fund road repairs, but Sessions said he and the city council will seek other sources of funding.

Meanwhile, he said he will prioritize keeping up the morale in city government.

“I want everybody to feel comfortable working here — it’s not a toxic environment,” he said. “I think it’s a great staff here.”