Belleville City Council interviewed four for one council vacancy

At a special meeting on Dec. 12, the Belleville City Council interviewed four candidates for one position that was vacant on the council because of a resignation.
But, by the time it got to the regular meeting on Dec. 19 when the council person was to be voted on, there was another resignation looming, so they chose two new council members for the two vacancies: Jeremiah Beebe and Tom Fielder.
The vacancies occurred when Councilwoman Amy Henry resigned because she was moving to Van Buren Township and later when Councilman Steve Jones accepted the position of city Project Manager offered by City Manager / Police Chief Dave Robinson.
Beebe and Fielder will serve until the council’s next election, which is in November. The terms they are filling expire in December 2025, which means whoever runs for those seats in November will run for two-year seats.
Because of the way the terms are set up, the whole council will be running for reelection in November.
The mayor’s position, now held by Kerreen Conley, will be filled, along with council positions now held by Ken Voigt and Kelly Bates. All are four-year positions.
The mayor’s position is paid $1,500 a year and the council members are $1,000 each a year.
Jeremiah Beebe
During the open interview on Dec. 12, Jeremiah Beebe, 363 Church St., said he had been a resident for more than 20 years. He said a couple of years back he became more and more involved in the parade and other events. He was best known to the council as the person who did all the background for a new golf cart ordinance and presented his proposal in great detail. It was later adopted.
When asked about his volunteer work, he said he was a founding member of Vista Maria in Plymouth that took kids and got them to help in a store. He also worked with the UPS Foundation and got a $50,000 grant. He worked with his church and built a basketball league, a computer center for women, and helped with robotics in the Belleville schools.
He said that Lake Fest and Winter Fest in Belleville are good but can improved. And, three people do 80% of the work, he said.
Beebe said he has never served in public office before.
Thomas Fielder
Thomas Fielder, former mayor and councilman, 206 South St., said he has lived in Belleville for 76 years. He attended the University of Michigan in the 1960s and has a bachelor of arts degree in history. He worked at Belleville High School for 30 years.
He said he served nine years as mayor, two years on the Downtown Development Authority, the city council for a few years and the planning commission. He has been on the Parks and Recreation Committee since 1994 when the city started planning Victoria Commons.
Why is he coming back? He said at the last election nobody chose to run and, “I didn’t want that to happen again.” [Actually, there were two seats open and one candidate who filed, Jones. Henry filed as a write-in candidate.] He said something he would like to accomplish is to find a place for a new city hall. He also would like to see a closer relationship with neighboring communities and a sharing of services.
Fielder said the city came within a few steps of sharing a fire department in the past. But, not the police department, because he said people like to know the officers and their names in this community.
He said he would support a special millage and, “I would like to see progress on everything.”
Fielder listed his volunteer activities as Growth Works board, Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network Substance Use Disorders board, Belleville Central Business Community board, president of Historical Society (though they haven’t met in three years), DDA liaison with the school, and more. Fielder also serves as a baseball-softball official.
Julie Kissel
Also interviewing for a council seat was Julie Kissel of 375 Charles St. who has lived in Belleville for three years and before that in Sumpter Township for 18 years. She said she has been a teacher at Washtenaw Community College for 19 years. She originally is from the Saginaw area and attended Eastern Michigan University.
She said they are renovating their house on Church Street. She said she volunteered at the Elwell Elementary PTO before the building was demolished. She said she loves the community.
Kissel said she works in a consensus-building environment and has served as a union president for the last three years while still teaching.
She said she planned to read everything to get acclimated to the council position. She said she is an English teacher by training and she finds a to-do list very important to keep on track. She said she wants to learn everything.
Kissel said she planned to put in much time and be present at meetings.
She said she would support a special millage if, after study, she thought it was the right thing to do.
“I want to give to the community in which I live, support the arts, understand how best to serve,” she said.
When asked about her volunteer work, she said she spent six years at the Elwell PTO and was a popcorn mom every Friday. Her husband and she coached soccer. She said now she serves on the union without pay and is a member of the fire auxiliary.
She has never served in public office before.
Randy Priest
Randy Priest of 311 E. Huron River Dr. said he has lived in Belleville for 23 years and had taught algebra for 42 years as a public-school teacher. He ran a home improvement business and volunteered.
He is a member of the planning commission and Senior Transportation Committee, and just passed recertification for the Board of Review. His hobby is ceramicist. He reads all the newspapers to be aware.
“I am pretty darn happy here and I want to help in any way I can,” he said.
It was noted Priest had volunteered to be an ordinance officer to help the city control the blight, but his offer was not accepted.
Priest has been an ongoing advocate for safe sidewalks to provide public access to the city. He said with the Iron Belle Trail coming through the city there are holes in the sidewalk, which doesn’t allow safety and access. He said a tight budget was cited as a reason that sidewalks couldn’t be replaced.
He said he would support special millages but, “Not willy-nilly,” with public hearings and public surveys needed first.
When asked about his volunteer work, Priest said as the father of three boys, he was a Boy Scout leader, baseball coach, participated in music programs and has been very active in his church as a trustee or on the board, and he has worked with the homeless.
New Project Manager Steve Jones
Steve Jones, 371 Church St., was elected council member in the 2021 election and served for a year. He has resigned from the council to take the new Project Manager position at the city of Belleville to assist City Manager/Police Chief Dave Robinson.
On his candidate information form in 2021, Jones, now 50, said he has lived in the city for (now) 16 years and was employed by the Van Buren Public Schools as a Custodial Supervisor and Facilities Use Coordinator. He is a graduate of the Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts and ran unsuccessfully for council in 2008.
He was appointed to the planning commission in 2008 and served as the president for many years, resigning after he was elected to the council last year.
Jones serves on the Belleville Area Council for the Arts and the Belleville Area Chamber of Conference and is currently chairman of the chamber board.