GRAND HAVEN, MI – A meeting scheduled to end with the appointment of a new city council member ended without a decision, leaving the four-member council at an impasse.
Following the resignation of Grand Haven City Councilman Ryan Cummins, five candidates were interviewed this week for the open seat.
Those candidates – Erin Lyon, Ryan Galligan, Steve Skodack, Mike Dora and James O’Neal – were voted on by the council on Thursday, in hopes of narrowing the choices down to two and voting again.
After the first round of voting, two candidates were tied in the first choice and thus became the two leading candidates: Lyon and Dora.
Galligan was picked third, just one point behind the top two.
The council then voted three more times, each time ending 2-2, with Councilmembers Karen Lowe and Kevin McLaughlin voicing their support for Lyons and Mayor Bob Moneza and Councilmember Mike Fritz voting for Dora.
Lyon is the owner of Kenzie Be’s Cafe and Jumpin’ Java Cafe in Grand Haven, a nonprofit organization that employs people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Lyon holds a master’s degree in business administration from Grand Valley State University and a law degree from Michigan State University.
Dora worked at Johnston Boiler for 44 years. He is a former Grand Haven City Council member and planning commissioner. He was appointed to a two-year term on the council in 2019 to fill Moneza’s seat, who was elected mayor. Dora was also appointed to the Planning Commission in 2015 and 2017 and served as its chair in 2019. He has served on the Beyond the Pier Steering Committee and the city’s Infrastructure Review Committee.
Both Lyon and Dora were in the audience at the meeting on Thursday evening.
“I think Erin Lyon did a great job interviewing and her qualifications are really absolutely amazing,” Lowe said. “She’s been part of this community and has been involved in so many different philanthropic activities and organizations. I can’t think of anyone better to maybe represent some of the people who aren’t as represented on our current council, some of the most disadvantaged, and for that reason, I’m giving my vote to Erin Lyon.”
McLaughlin agreed, adding that the council needs to mentor more of the younger generation.
“I think it’s important that we try to do everything we can to be able to step back,” he said.
Fritz and Moneza pointed to Dora’s previous experience on the city council and said he would have an easier transition to the city council because of his prior knowledge of the city and government functions.
“I chose Mike Dora because he is well known in the city of Grand Haven and very approachable,” Fritz said. “Personally, I think Mike would do a really good job, and I want someone who already knows how the city works… He can hit the ground running and do very well.”
Moneza agreed, adding that all candidates were suitable for the position in their own way.
“Of course Erin understands a lot of this too, everyone has strengths,” Moneza said. “I don’t want to put anyone down or let anyone down. I think everyone can understand it, it just takes a little time.”
Council members encouraged all candidates to run for office when three council seats become vacant next year, including the currently open seat. Anyone selected for that seat will have to run for re-election at that time if they wish to remain on the council.
After Thursday’s impasse, Lyon said she was at least grateful to have received some feedback on how her interview went.
“I’m disappointed that they couldn’t make a decision — not that I wasn’t,” Lyon said. “I think Mike Dora is a great guy, but he was previously appointed by the City Council … and then voted out by the community. I just think someone else should take that seat, whether it’s me or the other three candidates … I think we need other voices and voices from other generations on the City Council. We need to be more diverse.”
Lyon said the development of Chinook Pier and accessibility for families, as well as the installation of recycling bins downtown, are close to her heart.
“We need to be better at managing it and be aware that we are responsible for the water that surrounds us,” she said.
Dora said he was also disappointed that the decision was “dragging on”.
“You always run into problems,” said Dora. “Maybe we need to do another round of interviews between two people. I’m not sure what the best way is.”
For Dora, it is an important task as a council member to offer an open ear to the public.
“One of the things I really strived to do over the last two years of serving on the City Council was to be open and meet with any resident of the city who was interested in sharing their thoughts, views or concerns,” Dora said. “I always made sure I was available for meetings, answered their emails and addressed their issues. I don’t think we have much of that on the City Council today. That would be one of the things I would like to reinstate.”
Dora said he had some concerns about the development of Chinook Pier.
“It seems like people are trying to make something out of it a bit too quickly,” said Dora.
The Council will meet again on Wednesday, August 28, at 6 p.m. to decide who will fill the vacant seat.
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