Meet the nine candidates bidding for City Commission

As Mount Pleasant residents take to the polls on Nov. 3, voters will decide who will take the four seats up for grab on the City Commission.

This year, nine candidates are vying for the seats. Since 2020, this election normally features one to five candidates

“This year’s yield is like the largest scene in the last six years,” Schemeltzer said.

The commissioners’ responsibilities include attending commission meetings, voting on budgets, setting priorities for the city and serving on liaisons.

Four of the candidates are up for re-election, one of which currently sits as mayor for Mount Pleasant. 

After results are in, the selected commissioners will be sworn into office at the beginning of 2027 and will appoint one to be mayor. The terms limit for the officials will continue until Dec. 31, 2030 .  

Justin Bailey is running to be a “voice for all Mount Pleasant townies;” she’s a community organizer and a tenants’ rights activist and a McDonald’s crew member. Bailey started attending the City Commission meetings because she didn’t hear the commissioners address the problems residents are facing.

She wants to expand job opportunities with a more diverse job market to help drive up wages and decrease the “massive income inequality” the community faces.

She said their platform is built around improving public transportation, creating a worker-friendly economy and expanding affordable housing. Bailey said the goal is to make the area a place where residents can learn, work and live here while being comfortable and proud to do so. 

“I have a will that is unbreakable and won’t waver at the first signs of something going wrong,” Bailey said in an emailed statement to Central Michigan Life. “I witnessed first-hand how important it is to be an advocate, that’s why I’m fighting so intensely for things like a tenants rights committee, unions and LGBTQ rights.”

Firras Garada is a podiatrist from Virginia, but has resided in Mount Pleasant for the past seven years. He said throughout his time in town he’s seen things stagnate while other towns were ever-growing.  

“I just feel like it’s kind of falling flat, and you see all the empty businesses, and you see kind of things are getting a little run down,” Garada said about his motivation behind running. “I don’t have the answer for everything, but I just know that there has to be more, so I put my name in the hat.” 

If elected, Garada said he would try to fix public transportation, infrastructure and revive the downtown area.  

Sue Hahn was born and raised in Mount Pleasant, the town she’s called home for 53 years, and is a family nurse practitioner in the area. 

She said her goals are to help create a thriving, safe and welcoming community for everyone. 

Hahn said she believes effective leadership starts with listening and, if problems arise in the community, she will take the time to listen to residents. She said her experience in healthcare has taught her the importance of communication.

“I want residents to feel heard, respected and confident that their concerns are being taken seriously,” Hahn said in a statement to CM Life. “Tax dollar spending needs to be transparent and the best option for the city as a whole must always be considered.” 

Seth Triezenberg moved back to Mount Pleasant two years ago. His dad was a professor in town and Triezenberg previously taught a class at Central Michigan University.  

When he returned, he found himself getting more involved with the community and started attending commission meetings. He said his past experience working as a producer at Amazon has prepared him for possibly being a city commissioner because of the background in business. 

Triezenberg said he’s not someone who’s going to say, “Your opinion is wrong,” he would find a way for it to work. 

“I would want to sit down with the people that I’m working with, we don’t all have to agree every time, but we all have to understand why someone is not wanting to vote for something or be in support of something,” he said.

Incumbent Ryon Skalitzky graduated from Mount Pleasant Public Schools and briefly attended classes at Mid-Michigan College and CMU before pursuing a degree in Network and Communication Management online, according to Vote 411. 

If re-elected, he said he wants to continue supporting the work of other commissioners, like Hanna Demerath, to make menstrual products accessable for all.

He said he’s been working for the town to stop corporations from making single family homes unattainable and supporting local skilled tradesmen to be masters of their craft. 

“I might not practice medicine, be a business owner, or taught our children, but my history is very much Central Michigan and Mount Pleasant,” Skalitzky said in a statement to CM Life about what prepares him for the position. “I was born in our hospital to a working-class family. I attended our schools and swam in the Chippewa growing up.” 

Mary Alsager is up for re-election after serving as a city commissioner for Mount Pleasant since 2020. Alsager received a Bachelor of Arts from Iowa State University in 1977 and Master of Arts from CMU in 1986. 

In previous reporting by CM Life in 2022, Alsager identified three major topics that she would focus on if re-elected. She wanted to focus on mitigating the city dump, so it wouldn’t leak into the river and also developing the Mount Pleasant center property.

Alsager also said she wants to have more pathways for citizens on the south end of town, so people in the area can ride their bikes farther than what the town had then. 

She could not be reached for comment.

Incumbent Boomer Wingard currently serves as the mayor for Mount Pleasant. He holds a bachelor’s degree from CMU, focusing on political science and has been involved with local political campaigns. 

He said in his second term, he hopes to continue addressing the need for affordable and attainable housing within the city.   

“As both a public official and as a financial service representative, I work with people every single day from all walks of life,” Wingard said in a statement to CM Life about his past experiences preparing him. “I have made a career of learning about the problems of strangers, building trust between us and finding a solution that gets them in a better direction.” 

If re-elected, he really wants to hone in not just on what we are accomplishing, but how we go about it. Wingard said some of the most challenging decisions from the past four years have been contentious re-zoning fights. 

Grace Rollins currently serves as a commissioner for the city. When she was deciding on a place for her family to live, she said her decision was guided by low crime rates, strong educational opportunities and an affordable cost of living. She landed on Mount Pleasant. 

“Like many cities, Mount Pleasant faces challenges, including population decline, a struggling business environment, and housing shortages,” she said in a statement to CM Life. “However, we also have significant opportunities for growth and revitalization. As a commissioner, I am committed to being a responsible steward of our local re

Rollins said if re-elected, her primary focus would be creating additional opportunities for the youth, strengthening city infrastructure and developing solutions for the current housing needs, particularly affordable rental options. 

Michael Kostrzewa is up for election. He was previously on the ballot this summer against current commissioner, Hanna Demerath. She won against Kostrzewa with 55.64% of the vote, according to previous reporting by CM Life.

In a campaign video, he said he would be proactive in bringing ideas for positive, non-destructive change to the city. He has served the city for 22 years, on both the police and fire pension board and the planning commission.  

“I would be willing to entertain anybody’s ideas about what makes our city better,” Kostrzewa said in the campaign video. “Tell me where I’m wrong and don’t praise me too much where I’m right, because we’re all in this to make the city of Mount Pleasant a better place.” 

Where can you vote?

Voters in the area can cast their ballot on Election Day at their assigned precinct depending on where the resident resides. There’s three locations and Michiganders can find their precinct online at Michigan Voter Information Center

Precinct 1: Ganiard Elementary School at 101 S. Adams St. 

Precinct 2: Pullen Elementary School at 251 S. Brown St. 

Precinct 3: Fancher Elementary School at 801 S. Kinney Ave.