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Middleville council interviews a slate of candidates for three open seats; vote scheduled for tomorrow
Summary
The Village of Middleville held interviews for multiple council vacancies. Candidates emphasized downtown vitality, infrastructure and resident engagement; councilors signaled a tentative top three and said formal appointments will be voted on at tomorrow’s meeting.
The Village of Middleville held a special meeting to interview candidates for several open council seats, with council members questioning applicants about priorities that included downtown development, infrastructure and ways to boost resident participation.
Susan Shannon, who said she has lived in the village since about 1991–92 and recently retired from a finance role, told the council she would prioritize downtown development, neighborhood stability and modernizing municipal communications. “Downtown development being certainly something to do,” Shannon said, adding that she believes oversight of staff and careful budget review are central council responsibilities.
Nick Hunter, a nine-year resident who described experience in retail, construction and assisted-living maintenance, told councilors he would focus on resident engagement and transparency. Hunter said social media and in-person “booth”-style outreach at community events could bring more people into civic conversations: “I think one idea you could have . . . where people could just come and talk and voice their complaints.”
Pat Hilton, a restaurant-industry executive and 20-year resident, emphasized housing and business support as top needs. “Affordable housing . . . needs to happen,” Hilton said, adding that he approaches decisions as a data-driven manager who seeks opposing views before voting.
Sandy Wake, a longtime resident and small-business owner, cited communication failures during a previous boil-water advisory as evidence the village should improve how it reaches residents. “Communication could be something that could be worked on,” Wake said, noting her experience as a nonprofit treasurer and in manufacturing.
Other applicants—including a candidate identified as CL (referred to in deliberation as Cliff)—answered the council’s standard set of questions on availability, training and committee service. Several candidates said they were willing to complete required open-meetings and budget training if appointed.
Councilors spent the latter portion of the meeting sharing impressions and tentative rankings. Multiple members named Pat Hilton, Sandy Wake and Susan Shannon among top choices; others said they were torn between Nick Hunter and Cliff. The council did not make any formal appointments during the session but planned to vote on appointments at the council’s next scheduled meeting the following day.
Procedural motions earlier in the session included approving an absence for one member and adopting the meeting agenda; both motions were approved by voice vote. The council adjourned after members shared their candidate preferences and confirmed the appointments would be finalized at tomorrow’s meeting.
The council’s next step is a formal vote on the appointments at its upcoming meeting; members said they will notify applicants of outcomes by phone or post the decision on the council’s public meeting record.
