GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The city of Grand Rapids is searching for a new interim Third Ward commissioner after longtime commissioner Nathaniel Moody stepped down due to personal reasons at the end of 2023.
Finalists were named just a few weeks ago, and there's another interview set for Tuesday's City Commission meeting on March 5. It's unclear whether or not city leaders will make their final decision on Tuesday.
The finalists for consideration are Bing Goei, Marshall Kilgore and John Krajewski. Their interviews and applications with the city can be found here.
FOX 17 briefly sat down with each of the candidates to get to know them ahead of the city's decision on who will have the seat.
Bing Goei is a small business owner in Grand Rapids, running Eastern Floral and the Goei Center.
Goei has called Grand Rapids home for 60 years. He says the most important issue to him facing the Third Ward is poverty.
“There’s a lot of good things going on in Grand Rapids. There’s so much activity, great investments going on in the city that raise the quality of life for a lot of people. Unfortunately, some of these great things are not available to certain demographics of our city. One of the issues I’m going to bring to the commission if appointed is the issue of poverty. People may not realize in a rich city like Grand Rapids we have in the Third Ward a 25% poverty rate,” Goei said.
Contender for the seat Marshall Kilgore has quite the local political resume, including currently being involved on three committees with the city of Grand Rapids.
Kilgore's day job is as director of engagement for the West Michigan Environmental Action Council. He's a new homeowner in the Third Ward. Environmental equity and policy change is top of mind for Kilgore.
“Environment is always at the top of my mind when I’m thinking advocacy. Here right in the Third Ward, we have legacy issues, such as vapor intrusion that have happened of the dry cleaners of yesteryear. They left cancer-causing chemicals in our neighborhoods. We need someone who’s going to be able to advocate to combat those legacy issues," Kilgore said.
Candidate John Krajewski has lived in Grand Rapids' Third Ward all his life. He is currently an elementary school principal and has been an educator for 20 years. Krajewski previously served as a Grand Rapids police officer for five years. Safety will be top of mind for Krajewski if selected.
“So for me, safe neighborhoods is a multitude of different things that are very interconnected. Safe neighborhoods deal with the environment and the impact on our environment, making sure our carbon footprint is more sustainable. There’s the lead-abatement component, working to make sure we have the best parks and green spaces, including that physical element in safety. Also focusing on folks' mental health and connecting them with the appropriate partners in the community,” Krajewski said.
Goei has told FOX 17 he does not intend to run for the seat this election cycle, and would simply serve his appointed term for the next ten months or so. Kilgore and Krajewski both have intentions of running for the Third Ward seat this election cycle.
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