Chelsea Update sent all four Chelsea City Council candidates a survey to give you a little bit more information about them before election day on Tuesday, Nov. 7.
Below are their answers.
Running for mayor is Melissa Johnson.
Melissa Johnson
OCCUPATION: non-practicing attorney
EDUCATION: Chelsea High School, 1990, College of Wooster, B.A., 1994, Indiana University School of Law-Bloomington, J.D., 1998
ANY PREVIOUS ELECTED OFFICE: Chelsea City Council Member, 2013-2017
CURRENT PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY SERVICE: Washtenaw Area Transportation Committee, 2013-present, City of Chelsea Parks and Recreation Committee, 2014-present, Chelsea Community Center Exploratory Committee, 2014-present, Chelsea Leadership Group, 2015-present, City of Chelsea Transportation Working Group, 2017
Top 2 KEY ISSUES and solutions:
Quality of Life. I would like to see Chelsea remain a great place to live, work and raise a family.
As Chelsea and the surrounding townships continue to grow, Chelsea will need to focus on maintaining a safe and affordable community with good infrastructure, enhancing our recreational and community facilities to address growth and to serve people of all ages and abilities; improving our motorized and non-motorized transportation systems; and diversifying housing options. Recognizing these challenges, as a council member, I initiated the Transportation Working Group and the Parks and Recreation Committee, which have identified key areas of concern, have implemented, with the approval of council, change (such as the creation of a new dog park, improvements to Pierce Park and Weber Fields and the design of the City’s Traffic Calming Campaign this fall) and have planned/are planning additional improvements and investments in our community.
Good Governance. As a citizen, an attorney, and a representative, I value transparency, accountability and following procedures to ensure all viewpoints have the opportunity to be considered.
As a Council Member, I strive to ensure that I make informed decisions; that our citizenry has access to information and is involved in planning processes; that debate and questions are encouraged; that the city has and adheres to its legal frameworks and processes; and that decisions are made in a manner in which those making the decisions can be held accountable. As a city, we should continue to improve communication with our citizens by updating the city’s website to make information more accessible and by continuing to work with local news agencies to disseminate information; encourage board and committee members to participate in training opportunities to ensure that all City representatives model good governance; and continue to examine and improve our processes and ordinances.
WEBSITE: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaJohnsonforCityCouncil
PERSONAL: married to Mark Chasteen, 3 children, ages: 14, 11, and 6
Running for City Council seats are Cheri Albertson, Rick Catherman and Tony Iannelli. Their answers are below listed alphabetically.
Cheri Albertson
OCCUPATION: Clinical Social Work
EDUCATION: B.S. – Central Michigan University, Summa Cum Laude; Dual Major – Community Development, Public Administration, MSW – University of Michigan, Clinical Social Work
Post Graduate Research Appointment – University of Michigan, Institute for Social Research, Center for Political Studies. Research Associate UofM/ISR – Center for Political Studies
PREVIOUS ELECTED OFFICE: City of Chelsea, City Council
CURRENT PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY SERVICE: – Joint stewardship – City of Chelsea
2 KEY ISSUES and solutions: Continued focus on identifying, prioritizing, and implementing quality of life factors, dynamics, processes. These as identified by our Community as well as City and Administrative staff, e.g.
Transportation and traffic challenges and solutions
Identifying and pursuing parks and recreation opportunities
Vigilant focus on fiscal management. This links directly to 1) above, ensuring that resident tax dollars are utilized specifically for the well-being and benefit of our community and residents.
PERSONAL: married, two children – John Albertson, Cammila Albertson. Both having attended and graduated from Chelsea High School.
Rick L. Catherman
OCCUPATION: Teacher
EDUCATION: Grand Ledge High School, Grand Ledge, MI – 1985, Michigan State University – Bachelor of Music Education, 1990, The University of Iowa – Master of Music Education, 1995, National Board Certified Teacher, 2008
ANY PREVIOUS ELECTED OFFICE: Elected to several offices at the State level of the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association 1999-2006; 2010-2017
Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association District 12 President 2007-2009
President of the Chelsea Education Association, 2010-current
President of the Washtenaw County Education Association, 2015-current
CURRENT PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY SERVICE: Participant with the Chelsea Leadership Group – current, partnering with the Chelsea Library and the Chelsea Kiwanis Club on a number of past and current/future community projects.
KEY ISSUES and solutions: Public Service – I believe in public service, and as a Chelsea City Council Member, I will be committed to maintaining the traditions of Chelsea while moving our city forward to be a safe and healthy community for all of our citizens and an even more caring, compassionate, and understanding place for people to make a quality life.
I will be a “listener-leader” and work toward a city government that will continue to be transparent and open. I will work to provide more opportunities for community members to engage with local leaders on issues, and provide the leadership necessary in finding solutions that will benefit all of our citizens.
Local Economy and Housing – I will work to strengthen our local economy and support of our local businesses and school district by planning and expanding housing options that best meet the needs of current and future Chelsea residents.
I believe that by strengthening existing relationships and building new ones, we will continue to ensure that Chelsea is a great place for people to live a quality life. City Council can provide the leadership necessary for this to happen by reaching out to our local stakeholders, collaborating with our neighboring townships, and listening to and acting on the concerns of our citizens.
Facebook page – Rick Catherman for Chelsea City Council
PERSONAL: Wife Susie Catherman, child: Daughter Olivia Catherman, 19 years old
Tony Iannelli
OCCUPATION: pricing analyst (IBM Watson Health)
EDUCATION: Ann Arbor Huron High School, 1988, Western Michigan University, Bachelor of Science, 1993. Industrial Management.
ANY PREVIOUS ELECTED OFFICE: None.
CURRENT PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY SERVICE: Active volunteering for Chelsea Athletic Boosters, Chelsea Water Polo, Chelsea Swim and Dive, Chelsea Track and Field, Chelsea Area Players.
Two KEY ISSUES and solutions: Responsible, pragmatic growth of the city as the city limits will likely be expanding.
Working with council to have a thorough process in evaluating new development proposals, ensuring that they keep our community attractive to families (so we can refill our empty school), inclusive to provide economic and social diversity, and with considerations for the long-term impact on our existing infrastructure and the local ecosystem.
Working together with the surrounding townships, cities, and Washtenaw County toward mutually beneficial solutions to the challenges that we need to take on together.
The city’s expansion is inevitable, and we need to work well together with the surrounding townships and the County to find the most favorable solutions for this expansion.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tonyforchelseacitycouncil/
PERSONAL: married to Dawn Day-Iannelli, children: Jaron (16) and Finn (13)
