Mayoral Candidate Profile: Cathy Kelemen
Kelemen announced her bid for mayor last month.
City of Hillsdale—Four candidates—Cathy Kelemen, Scott Sessions, Rob Socha, and Matthew Bentley—will run in the city of Hillsdale’s 2025 special mayoral election this August to fill the vacancy left by former Mayor Adam Stockford when he resigned last fall.
In a conversation covering some of the biggest issues before Hillsdale’s city council, the Hillsdalian spoke with Cathy Kelemen, the first in a series of interviews covering the platforms and positions of the four candidates vying for the one-year mayoral term.
Public Camping and Public Safety
When asked about vagrancy and law enforcement in the city—particularly along the Baw Beese Trail—Kelemen said that she would avoid “being emotionally reactive” if elected.
The mayoral candidate said that she especially admires Share the Warmth, a warming center operated out of Sozo Church on south Manning Street that is open to the homeless during the colder months of the year.
Still, Kelemen emphasized, camping on the Baw Beese trail “needs to be addressed.”
Downtown Hillsdale
With respect to the Keefer House Hotel project, Kelemen emphasized that she needs to investigate city tax abatement programs further, but finds it “unfortunate” that CL RED is failing to make timely progress.
Also in relation to downtown Hillsdale, the city council will likely vote in the coming months on whether it intends to bring Broad Street from four lanes to three—with the addition of bicycle lanes on either side of the road—in exchange for grant funding from the State of Michigan’s Department of Transportation.
Kelemen told the Hillsdalian that she can “see both sides” of the issue because “the grant money would be a huge benefit.” However, she also stated that “we need more citizen input” and “education” before a decision can be made.
“You can use the bike lanes, or not use the bike lanes,” she added.
Hillsdale Community Library
As for the hot-button issue of appointments for the Hillsdale Community Library board, she said that while she is “pretty conservative,” and is “not an advocate for certain material,” she thinks that “censorship begins in your home,” and that it is up to parents to monitor their children at the library.
Staff Resignations
In the past three months, three city staffers have resigned, each of whom cited “negative culture” as a reason for leaving. Kelemen admitted to not being quite sure what that meant, but said that “we need to look more deeply at what is happening” in order to address the problems.
Throughout the interview, she emphasized that she is still learning the workings of the city, and would develop positions on other issues such as special assessments and tax abatements.
According to the longtime resident, though “the goal is to be elected” as mayor this year, she would strongly consider running for a Ward 3 council seat in 2026 if her campaign fell short this summer.
Jacob Bruns
Related Links:
Kelemen, Socha Enter Hillsdale Mayoral Race
Former Mayor Scott Sessions Announces Candidacy for Mayor of Hillsdale