The Flint City Council is on the hunt for a new member to take over the First Ward seat, following the death of Councilman Eric Mays on February 24. Mays, who had represented the ward for more than a decade, was a towering figure in the community known for his advocacy during the Flint water crisis, as reported by WJRT.
Candidates interested in filling the vacant council seat should submit their resume or letter of interest to City Hall by 5 p.m. on March 18, the same deadline set by the Flint City Clerk’s Office according to mlive. The council is scheduled to appoint a temporary replacement before a special election, following the city's charter requirements which demand a new candidate to be seated when there's more than 18 months left in the term that Mays was supposed to serve until the end of 2025, which shows how the system works for ensuring that the people's representation is a continuous thread, binding the past to the present and onto the future timeline.
Amidst remembrance and bereavement, the community also anticipates the funeral service for Mays, set for March 9 at House of Prayer Missionary Baptist Church. His passing, at age 65, not only marks the departure of a fervent local representative but also the end of an extraordinarily candid tenure, marred at times by his inflammatory conduct and convictions for disorderly conduct during city council meetings, as detailed by hoodline.
Councilman Mays was unapologetically resolute, a stance which garnered both ardent support and stark criticism; as Mayor Sheldon Neeley pointed out the loss is "a tremendous loss for our community and a shock to all friends and family," in the moments that unfold when leadership is cast into life's inevitable void, which Councilman Mays now occupies not in the seat of governance, but in the collective memory of those he served – a reflection of his commitment to his constituents was clear when U.S. Rep Dan Kildee noted, "Councilman Mays loved serving Flint on the City Council, and his constituents continuously re-elected him because of his bold and unwavering voice," as reported by hoodline.
