Two seats are open on the Hillsdale City Council after Councilwoman Emily Stack Davis resigned March 30, leaving positions available in Wards 2 and 3 for the August 2 election.
Stack Davis and her husband bought a new home in Hillsdale Township, outside the city limits, in November 2015, forcing her to vacate her seat in Ward 3. Ward 2’s second council member position remains open after a second candidate did not run in the November 2015 election, which means Ward 2 is currently not represented on the council. The deadline to register candidacy for seats in Wards 2 and 3 is April 19 at 4 p.m., and the deadline to register as a write-in on the ballot is July 22. The terms end in 2017.
Having recently given birth to their fourth child, Stack Davis and her husband decided they needed to purchase a larger house. Although Stack Davis said she hopes to move later this spring, she resigned in March to give someone the time to sign up to run for her seat.
“It’s a compelling family interest,” Stack Davis said. “For me, leaving council was definitely on the con side of the list.”
Potential candidates should visit the clerk’s office in city hall to complete a form and obtain a state of Michigan petition sheet. Individuals must gather between 25 and 50 signatures to get their name on the ballot in August.
To run for city council, candidates must have lived within the city of Hillsdale for at least three years and in the ward for which they are running for at least six months.
“We have a lot of people who don’t even qualify for city council because they’re rotating through housing,” French said of Ward 2.
Not having two representatives for each ward, however, gives the people living in those areas of the city less of say, Stack Davis said.
“If we want our city government to run well and represent the interests of our community, then someone has to step up,” Stack Davis said. “There are others far more qualified than myself.”
Stack Davis added that councilmembers provide a community perspective to city leadership, balancing the discussion of what the city needs and the recommendations from the state of Michigan.
Ward 2 Councilmember Dixon said not having a second representative in his area puts the council at an even number — 8 instead of 9 — which makes decisions more complicated in instances of ties.
Timothy Wells, Hillsdale College’s senior administrative affairs operations manager, served in the now-vacant Ward 2 seat for the spring and summer of 2014 before moving outside city lines.
He said city councils make important decisions that affect their communities, some of which can change national discourse, such as recent statutes concerning public restroom use and subpoenaing pastors to submit their sermon materials in other states.
“Much of those conversations and statutes originate at the city level, where city councils have the opportunity to debate and have a say in what is done,” Wells said.
Stack Davis said serving on city council is a lot of work. Nonetheless, she thinks the three years she spent on the council were worth it.
“Fiscally, we’re in a good place, and we’re cleaning up and making sure everything is good going forward,” Stack Davis said. “It was an uphill battle, but it’s rewarding.”
The city’s leadership, she said, is also heading in a positive direction.
“I think it has a new dynamic to help serve the residents’ best interest first,” Stack Davis said. “It’s a great time for someone else to step in and carry that on.”
Stack Davis said she still hopes to be an active member in her community after moving and will keep her options open in terms of local government involvement.
“As a citizen in any area, the more people chip in, the better it is,” Stack Davis said. “If there’s an opportunity, I’d certainly consider it.”
Wells echoed those remarks: “Serving on a city council is an important role, one to be sought and an opportunity to cherish.”
