Jerry DeMaagd - WKTV Journal

Tomorrow, Nov. 7, is election day and residents in both the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming have items on the ballot.

City of Kentwood

In the City of Kentwood, residents will be electing their city officials for the next four years. Of the six city positions up for election in Kentwood, only two are contested.

The first race is for the office of mayor, featuring incumbent Stephen Kepley who will be facing challenger Scott Urbanowski. Kepley was elected to the mayoral position in 2013 having served as a city engineer. Urbanowski is president and founder of Humanoid Digital, a digital media company.

For more on the mayoral candidates, check out the We the People Mayoral candidate article or view the September mayoral candidate forum hosted by the Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce.

The other contested race in the City of Kentwood is a 1st Ward City Commissioner seat with incumbent Jerry DeMaagd facing challenger Emily Bridson. For more on the candidates, see the We the People 1st Ward Commissioner article or view the September 1st Ward Commissioner candidate forum hosted by the Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce.

There are also four races in Kentwood that are unopposed. Those are Dan Kasunic, for clerk, Laurie Sheldon, for treasurer, Betsy Artz, for commissioner at large, and Tom McKelvey, for 2nd Ward city commissioner.

City of Wyoming

Those in the Wyoming Public School District, the largest district in the City of Wyoming, will be voting on an extension of the district’s millage for $79.5 million to be used on infrastructure projects. For a detail look at the extension and what the money will be used for, check out the WKTV Journal article by K.D. Norris.

Cities of the Kentwood and Wyoming: The Rapid Millage

The Rapid is seeking a renewal of 1.47 mills. The millage, which has been active for the past seven years, is about a third of The Rapid’s total budget of $44 million, covering about $15.5 million. For more about the millage, see The Rapid millage story by WKTV Editorial Assistant Hannah Haviland.

From left to right, Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley, Chamber forum moderator Kathy Bates, Chamber President Bob O’Callaghan and mayoral candidate Scott Urbanowski . (Supplied)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

While there are actually six City of Kentwood elected positions on the Nov. 7 ballot, only the position of mayor and one of the 1st Ward commissioner seats find incumbents facing challenge.

But the candidates for those seats were face-to-face recently as the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual candidate forum at the Kentwood City Library — and WKTV was there, covering it all, and now those forums are available to the public either on our cable channels or on-demand over the Internet.

During the candidate forum, Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley and challenger Scott Urbanowski answered questions selected by the chamber and the audience, as did incumbent commissioner Jerry DeMaagd and challenger Emily Bridson.

WKTV’s initial rebroadcasts of the Sept. 21 candidate forum will be on Comcast Channel 26 and AT&T Channel 99 Government Friday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m., with the commissioner forum first, then again on Saturday, Sept. 30, at noon, with the mayoral forum first.

Both programs are available on-demand over the internet at wktv.viebit.com.

At the candidate forum, Commissioner DeMaagd, who is running for a second term, touted his being a longtime Kentwood resident as well as his efforts for long-term city planning — “I have a passion for organization,” he said at one point.

Bridson, who said she moved to the city in 2011 and bought a home two years ago because “I have a passion for this city”, stressed her work for the city as a planning commission member, a park and recreation commission member, and on the current 50th anniversary committee.

During the mayoral forum, Urbanowski introduced himself by saying he has “worked, studied, lived and prayed in this city,” and repeatedly stated that “the city could be better managed.”

Mayor Kepley, as part of his discussion, said that he is proud of his and the city’s accomplishments during his tenure — “We have a great report card.” And he pointed out that in a strong mayor governing system, as Kentwood has, “This is a big job. There is no learning curve.”

The mayor and the 1st Ward positions are each 4-year terms. Also on the ballot for new 4-year terms are Commissioner Member At Large incumbent Betsy A. Artz, Commissioner 2nd Ward incumbent Tom McKelvey, incumbent city clerk Dan Kasunic and incumbent city treasurer Laurie Sheldon.

Also on the ballot in Kentwood will be the renewal of The Rapid’s operating millage which funds the greater Grand Rapids public transportation system.