On Nov. 24, the Millcreek City Council met to determine who would fill the vacant District 3 seat.

This vote came following the retirement of Millcreek's first mayor Jeff Silvestrini. A special election was held, and Councilmember Cheri Jackson was unanimously selected to fill the position. Incidentally, Jackson won her city council seat three times and did so with over 70% of the electorate voting for her each election cycle. 

Silvestrini acknowledged during his time in government that some people have a desire to hold public office without ever having participated in local government as a constituent, something he thought was very important for anyone wanting to be successful in government. Jackson was praised by Silvestrini for her ability to represent a district whose boundaries had changed multiple times over the past nine years.

The news of her appointment to mayor meant not only a new city leader, but it opened the door for a Millcreek resident to become part of the city council. To run for the District 3 seat, an application was open to residents until Nov. 14, where the candidates were asked to submit a resume and questionnaire to the council with information about their work history, educational backgrounds, and priorities for the city if elected to public office. 

The candidates (in order of appearance before the council) were Amber Measom (participating electronically), Linda Zenger, Ian Wright, Leslie Moss, Matthew Gardner, Michael Gura, Nathan Gibby, Patti Hession and Nicole Handy. These individuals came from a variety of backgrounds and represented decades of Millcreek residency, with some candidates having lived in the area for their entire lives. 

Each candidate was given one minute to present an introduction to the council, before participating in a 10-minute question and answer period, and a short closing statement. Following the introductions, the candidates were asked to leave the room until it was their time to speak, ensuring a fair interview process could take place.

The councilmembers and mayor were each allowed to ask the candidates questions regarding a variety of topics ranging from the candidate's top priorities to presenting them with hypothetical scenarios they could face while in office. The candidates could spend as long as they needed to answer each question, and the number of questions asked depended on how fast they could answer the council's questions.

A big topic of discussion was that of community participation in local governments. Many candidates for councilmember emphasized the need to ensure members of the community had the ability to communicate with the council and make their voices heard. Currently, at every council meeting the members provide time for public comment, and the city hosts events throughout each month that provide residents with the opportunity to get directly involved with their representatives and to advocate for issues that matter to them.

Councilmember Bev Uipi of District 4 centered many of her questions for the candidates around their history of participating in local government prior to this election, such as through engaging in one of Millcreek's four community councils or attending a city sponsored events. Many of the candidates had experiences participating at the local level. Candidate Gura mentioned his participation with Millcreek's Promise Program to uplift the schools and kids who need it most, stating his belief in the program to provide resources through the program as "not a handout, but a hand-up."

Another pressing topic during the interviews was that of housing affordability and the need to create better options for individuals and families wanting to live in Millcreek. Mayor Jackson explained that District 3 has been "characterized by stable and established neighborhoods," a component that is important to preserve about the area. Candidate Wright said that people in the community need to understand that there is a need for these homes, and that it hurts the entire community to have a lack of housing options.

District 1, represented by Councilmember Thom DeSirant, contains a lot of Millcreek's moderately dense housing, and questions were asked regarding where more homes could go within District 3. Candidate Gardner suggested using land occupied by parking lots or office buildings that are vacant or not largely in use to provide areas for more forms of housing.

Councilmember Sylvia Catten inquired about how candidates would handle a property dispute between neighbors, asking about the candidate's ability to balance individual property rights and public clamor. Candidate Zenger suggested Millcreek maintain preserving historic old homes through the city's historic site, while candidate Moss asserted the right of an individual to alter their property even if the community disagrees.

Candidate Hesson discussed how Millcreek can use tax increases to benefit the entire community and bring families to the area who are looking for somewhere to raise children. "Nobody likes [tax increases], but if I'm looking at a big picture and we want to draw families back [to Millcreek], we've got to do something about bringing in green space."

The last candidate to face the council was Handy, who moved to Millcreek with her husband 17 years ago. She recalled that when they first arrived to Millcreek it was a financial stress on their family, and that in today's market "young professionals and young families cannot make it in to Millcreek, and that's a problem." 

Jackson asked how Handy would battle the competing viewpoints among those who think increasing taxes is a terrible idea, and those who want to increase taxes for city needs. Handy emphasized the need to be careful with the budget and to differentiate between the needs and wants of the city when making financial decisions. When DeSirant asked what could be better about the city, Handy cited infrastructure as a major concern and something she'd like to investigate further if appointed to the position.

After the candidates gave their closing remarks, the council briefly discussed their thoughts regarding the candidates and their interviews. Catten thanked the candidates for their participation and said she felt like many of them would serve Millcreek well. Uipi explained that she wanted to see not only the candidates' involvement in the city, but how they communicate, lead and "how [the candidates] listen." DeSirant repeated the same feelings and encouraged those who would not be selected for the role to stay involved with the city.

The council unanimously voted for Handy to take the position, and she received a round of applause and standing ovation from those in attendance. The council then voted to confirm her appointment and Handy was sworn in after taking an oath of office. Handy will serve in the position for the conclusion of Jackson's term, which goes until the 2027 election.

Millcreek City councilmembers interview a candidate. (Photo credit Millcreek City)