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Board names Rosella Mirabelli and Dr. Catherine Albright to Community Mental Health board; public commenters press for change
Summary
The county commissioners cast ballots and selected two at-large members for the Community Mental Health board, and public comment featured multiple endorsements of Dr. Catherine Albright and criticism of incumbent CMH oversight and attendance.
The St. Clair County Board of Commissioners voted by ballot on April 17 to fill two at-large, three-year seats on the county's Community Mental Health (CMH) Board. The majority vote elected Rosella Mirabelli and Dr. Catherine Albright to the seats expiring March 31, 2028.
Why it matters: The appointment followed more than an hour of public comment that included repeated endorsements for Dr. Albright and broad criticism of the current CMH board's attendance and oversight practices. Multiple speakers urged the commissioners to pick candidates who would increase accountability and community representation.
Public testimony Several residents spoke in support of Dr. Catherine Albright, describing her as a Harvard-trained researcher, author and community advocate who has worked on local issues including solar development complaints in neighboring counties. Speakers including Sandra Richardson, Vicki Blackburn, Dawn Falk and others said Albright's background and recent advocacy made her a strong choice for the CMH board.
Other commenters also criticized the current makeup of the CMH board. Carol Miller said overlapping membership across advisory and governing boards reduced oversight; she also alleged attendance problems and possible open-meeting violations in the agency's past meetings. Speakers asked the commissioners to prioritize accountability, attendance and responsiveness to residents.
Board action and process - The board voted by ballot after a nomination motion that placed multiple candidates on the ballot. The clerk announced that a majority vote went to Rosella Mirabelli and Dr. Catherine Albright. - Commissioners briefly discussed the ballot process and whether votes were secret. The administrator clarified that ballots include voters' names and are public records; one public speaker criticized the use of secret ballots for other appointments earlier in the meeting.
Background and candidate notes Dr. Catherine Albright spoke to the commissioners and summarized her background, including research and advocacy work she said included national campaigns on medical ethics and local work advising residents affected by industrial solar installations. Several supporters described her as a change-oriented, community-focused candidate whose experience would add new perspectives to the CMH board.
Ending Commissioners elected Mirabelli and Albright to the two at-large CMH seats for three-year terms. The board also discussed the appointment process and said staff will retain ballots as part of the public record.
