Residents’ frustration evident as candidates interview for 1st Ward Council seat

Flint, MI — Flint City Council interviewed candidates on Thursday, March 21, 2024, for the vacant 1st Ward council seat as residents expressed dissatisfaction over the process.

“I am taking my name out… because I want to run, and I do have respect for Councilman Mays,” said Liberty Bell, who was interviewing for the 1st Ward City Council seat. “And if you stand with me and you know what Eric Mays stood for, you would also take your name out of this election and let’s do a special election.”

Bell withdrew her name during a heated public comment session that lasted over an hour.

“The new people coming on. if you cannot take criticism, political criticism, don’t get on this council,” said Flint resident Arthur Woodson. Woodson told council members they need to be more immune to criticism from the audience and constituents.

“Damn near everybody up there cannot take political criticism. You’re not going to get positive criticism all the time. People are going to disagree with you.” 

Some residents, like Rich Jones, expressed concern over certain council members choosing a candidate to fill the vacant 1st Ward seat after previously voting to suspend late Flint City Councilman Eric Mays for 90 days. 

“How do y’all feel about somebody suspending you from work or getting you fired from work and then picking who takes your job?” Jones asked the audience. 

Linda Anthony, Leon El-Alamin, Cynthia Haynes, Torrell Dewayne King, Freddie Eugene McCoy, Rosemary Marrow, Nadine Roberts, D. Eric Walker, and John Billings Jr. were all interviewed in a group of five, then four.

Flint City Clerk Davina Donahue added Billings Jr. to the list of candidates during the council meeting before the interviews began.

Council President Ladel Lewis, Vice President Candice Mushatt, and Councilmembers Quincy Murphy, Judy Priestley, Jerri Winfrey-Carter, Tonya Burns, and Dennis Pfeiffer asked each candidate interview questions. These questions included whether they knew the Flint City Charter, council challenges, and their definition of a compassionate leader. 

Councilwoman Eva Worthing was absent from the meeting.

All nine candidates expressed their interest in the 1st Ward seat by discussing their commitment to Flint and its residents and their willingness to listen to and address residents’ concerns.

Council will meet on March 25 and is expected to appoint a candidate during that meeting. Per Flint City Charter, council must fill the vacant seat before midnight.

The vacancy comes after Mays’ death on Feb. 24, 2024.

During Monday’s meeting, council will also be presented with a proposal to hold an Aug. 6, 2024, primary and a Nov. 5, 2024, general election so that voters can decide on a council member to represent them until 2025.