All five seats on the Belleville City Council are up for election on the Nov. 7 General Election ballot.
Ken Voigt has filed for mayor, Jeremiah Beebe and Julie Kissel have filed for partial terms, and Randy Priest and Kelly Bates have filed for full, four-year terms.
Four-year terms will expire in December for present Mayor Kerreen Conley and Councilmembers Bates and Voigt. Councilmen Beebe and Tom Fielder were appointed in 2023 to terms that expire in December 2025, but they had to run in the November election to finish their terms.
Mayor Conley chose not to run for reelection, Councilman Fielder chose not to run for election, and Mayor Pro-Tem Voigt chose to run for the vacant mayor’s seat.
Ken Voigt – Mayor
Ken Voigt, 78 Wabash St., is married to Peggy and their children are Matt, Sarah, and Adam. Voigt, 67, has lived in the city for 44 years.
He is retired and has a bachelor of arts degree from Eastern Michigan University in Public Administration/Urban Planning.
Voigt ran for the city council and was elected in 2019. He has served in appointed positions on the Belleville Downtown Development Authority (18 years), Planning Commission (4 years), and Sign Committee (4 years).
He is a member of the Belleville Area Council for the Arts and the Belleville Yacht Club.
He said he is running for office because: “I have lived and worked and raised children and grandchildren in this community for 44 years and have been serving the community in one capacity or another during that entire time.
“In my opinion, Belleville has the best geographic location in all of Southeastern Michigan and we haven’t always taken advantage of that. We have made tremendous progress in the past 4 years in improving events, improving operating efficiency and customer service and improving our facilities and infrastructure but there is more to do. I feel that my experience and education can be of benefit to the community. Simply put, I am running for Mayor because I love this town and I want to see it thrive in every sense of the word.”
He added: “My goals are to continue to push to improve the operating efficiency of the city, to continue to improve our infrastructure (in particular our roads), upgrade our parks, improve our attention to detail and guide development in such a way that it doesn’t adversely impact the fabric of the community.”
Kelly Bates – Council full term
Kelly Bates, 342 Victorian Ln., has been married to Thomas Bates for 13 years. They have lived in the City of Belleville for nine years.
She is employed at the University of Michigan Athletic Department as Executive Support & Operations and Community Specialist. She currently serves on Belleville’s City Council, and said she is looking forward to the continued opportunity to serve.
“I have always enjoyed being active and serving in my community. Volunteering has always been a big part of my life as I love to give back!,” she said.
“I have served in our community as a planning commissioner before joining city council. At work I serve as the head of my department’s Health & Wellness committee. I also head up our Recycling and Sustainability committee and also I am in charge of Employee Recognition efforts with an emphasis on “FUN”.
“I also enjoy volunteering at local events and helping out wherever I am needed. My husband Tom and I love to travel. We typically travel to Florida about twice a year. Sanibel Island is one of our favorite places we visit as we are both avid sea shellers and love to fish.
“We travel to Canada as often as possible as most of my family lives there. We also enjoy being visible in our community by walking, biking, kayaking, talking with residents, eating at local restaurants, shopping local, and attending local happenings.
“I am also a big animal lover and have been known to help rescue animals. When I’m not rescuing them I do enjoy watching them while on Belleville Lake, the metro park or hikes or when bird/deer watching.
“We also enjoy spending time with our friends and family, sharing a meal and laughs. I enjoy gardening and taking care of our yard.
“Over the years I have always been connected in my community; I served as the past president of my homeowners’ association in Victoria Commons as well as being awarded the Woman of the Year in my previous community for my dedication to residents and moving the city forward. I have also volunteered with the American Cancer Society, United Way, National Kidney Foundation and the Alzheimer’s Association.”
Bates said she is running for this office to continue to build upon the groundwork that has been laid by previous residents, council and boards while fostering closer relationships with Belleville’s residents and businesses.
“We live in such a special city with a small-town, Hallmark feel to it, rich in history, diversity, dedicated passionate residents and traditions,” she said. “I hope to continue to improve upon current resources and benefits to our residents. At the end of each day we are all neighbors!
“In the past few years we have seen our city become a destination for restaurants, and new businesses! I’d also like to incorporate more ways to be encouraged and engaged through health initiatives for our residents. One of my passions is sustainable living and being conscious of how everything we do and use impacts us. I would like to bring more awareness and education of this, including our recycling program and through community gardens.
After election, she said her continued goals include serving with trusted integrity while utilizing my experience with community involvement. While continuing to be an integral member of the council team I will continue to talk to residents (including youth) as well as neighboring communities and businesses about their needs in our community. As the city seal says ‘Quality Living”. I always want to help make decisions with that goal and our residents in mind. Providing the essential basic services like police, fire, utilities, infrastructure, preparedness as well as amenities such as parks and our downtown are important to all of us who live here. Other important aspects include attracting and retaining businesses within the community.
“I continue to seek ways we can continue to be more innovative including exploring how we can have a more engaged city. With the city’s resources and staff, we can look at what has always been done and ask and explore the ‘whys’ to see where appropriate that we can improve upon current processes. We continue to look at possible funding options and/or grants to help our community thrive. Also, I would like to see more collaboration between boards, commissions and committees to work together to strengthen and build our community. It is important to bring us all together to continue making a thriving City where people from all over will want to come across the bridge and visit Belleville.”
Randy Priest – Council full term
Randy Priest, 311 E. Huron River Dr., is seeking a four-year seat on the city council. Priest, 77, has lived in the city for 23 years with his wife Linda.
Their sons are Jason, Eric, and Seth.
Priest is a retired public school teacher, with a master of science degree from Eastern Michigan University.
This is his first run for public office. He holds appointed positions and currently serves on the Belleville Planning Commission, Board of Review, and Senior Transportation Board.
Priest is a member of the Belleville Yacht Club, League of Women Voters Director, and is active in his church. He enjoys doing pottery and working with ceramic tile.
“I am running because I have enjoyed living here and contributing to some of the improvements to our administration and infrastructure,” he said. “I think there are opportunities in elected office to move us even further ahead.”
When asked about goals, he said: “I think Belleville has come a long way since I came here in 2000. As we continue to develop as a destination city, we need to plan and implement future needs for acccessibility and public safety, such as streets, sidewalks, traffic control and city services.”
Jeremiah Beebe – Council, 2-year term
Jeremiah Beebe, 363 Church St., is married to Wendy and they have two children, Grace and Aiden. They have lived in the city for 22 years.
Beebe, 47, works in sales and has a Master of Business Administration. He was appointed to the city council and has never run for public office before.
He is a member of the Council of Supply Chain Professional and Redemption Bible Church. Hobbies include golf, tractors, and fishing.
He said is is running for office because he wants to be an active participant of his local government. His goal is “to keep the progress we having going moving in the right direction. There are many people who are passionate about Belleville and if we all work together, we can accomplish the goals.”
Julie Kissel – Council, 2-year term
Julie Kissel, 375 Charles St., has lived in the city for four years. Kissel, 50, is married to Tim Kissel and they have three children, Justin, Garrett, and Jilian.
She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, a master’s degree in Learning Disabilities and a bachelor of science in English and Special Education.
Kissel is on the professional faculty of Eastern Michigan University and is the faculty union president. This is her first try for elective office. She currently serves on the Belleville Planning Commission.
She currently is a member of the Belleville Fire Auxiliary and in the past served on the Elwell Elementary PTO, was a VB soccer coach and played/managed women’s soccer team until 2017.
She said she is running for office because, “Moving to the city, I knew that I wanted to be active in the decision-making process and serve where I could. As time permitted, I began attending city council meetings, library meetings, and the Belleville Fire Auxiliary meetings. This allowed me to begin working with those most active in our community, and I knew that I had the energy, experience, and drive to join their efforts.”
When asked if she had any goals once elected, she said: “With so many exciting things happening in Belleville, I’d like to help promote and share those things more robustly. I would also like to make sure that the residents of the city know who is working for them. For example, I’ve been helping at city hall recently as offices are shifted and spaces reorganized in preparation for the new city manager. The people who work at city hall do love what they do, but they also need support from the council to make sure they have what they need to do the important work of the city. I also want to make sure that they are consistently recognized for their efforts. Being more transparent with the community about the daily activities of the government along with sharing the exciting events/changes/updates can allow our community to grow more strategically while preserving what makes the City of Belleville so special.”