Mackinaw City residents will see a new president, clerk, and trustee October 1. Jeff Hingston defeated former village president Ronald Wallin, 238 to 96, during the village election Tuesday, September 15. Lana Jaggi inched out incumbent village clerk Elizabeth Clemens, 170 to 161. Trustee incumbents James Alford and Janelle Bancroft retained their seats, while 18-year-old Steven Celez nabbed the open trustee seat from challengers Rosada Mann and Scott Newman. The election saw 336 votes cast of 677 registered voters, for a turnout of 49.63%.

Mr. Hingston, business owner of the Candy Corner, will leave his position as trustee to assume the presidency, leaving two years of his trustee service to fill. One of his first actions will be to nominate someone to fill his old seat on the council, and he plans to do that at the October 1 meeting. He also plans to choose a president pro-tem.

Mr. Hingston plans to fill other open seats on several village boards and commissions, including the Economic Development Corporation and Downtown Development Authority.

A student at North Central Michigan College in Petoskey, Mr. Celez will be busy in the upcoming year. In addition to serving as village trustee, he will also be a manager at the Starlite Budget Inn. In light of his new village government position, Mr. Celez is poring over village ordinances and municipal laws. His primary goal in the upcoming meetings, he said, is to learn more about his role in village government. He will also listen closely to everyone who approaches the council to learn about what the public needs and is concerned abou, he said.

Trustee James Alford wants to see renewed focus on village business after the election. Many projects need to be started, he said, including remodeling in the back of the village hall. With an increasing number of people attending village council meetings, it must be made more accommodating, he said. New carpeting, better seating arrangements, and a speaker system are planned for the improvements.

The water and sewer system will be addressed, as well, he said. Still in the talking stages, the update will need to be conducted in the next few years.

Ms. Jaggi will slowly move into her new position as clerk, she said, and will work with Mrs. Clemens to learn the basics of the job in October.