Copyright M Live Michigan
KENTWOOD, MI – Kentwood voters narrowly reelected Mayor Stephen Kepley to a fourth term in office in the Nov. 4 election. The incumbent mayoral candidate beat his challenger, Kent County Commissioner Monica Sparks, by a vote of 4,857 (53.21%) to 4,264 (46.71%), a difference of 593 votes, in Tuesday’s election, according to unofficial election results from the Kent County Clerk’s Office. Kepley, 60, will serve as Kentwood’s mayor for another four years. Kentwood has a strong-mayor form of government, which means the mayor is also the head administrator for the city, managing day-to-day operations. Kentwood is one of the largest Grand Rapids suburbs, with over 54,000 residents according to American Community Survey estimates. Before he was first elected as mayor in 2013, Kepley served as Kentwood’s director of engineering and inspections for 11 years. Prior to that, he worked in the private manufacturing design and construction industry. He earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering from Virginia Tech. He ran on a campaign of promising to continue the progress made under his leadership so far, including overseeing the construction of the Kentwood Community Center and the planned extension of Breton Road, to ensure the city’s long-term financial health and continued growth. Kepley said he would focus on four key leadership areas: Prioritizing safety, ensuring Kentwood remains “open for business,” providing high-quality infrastructure and parks, and promoting unity in the diverse community. Read more about Kepley’s and Sparks’ campaigns here. Kentwood voters also elected Ana Jose as the city’s next clerk in the Nov. 4 election. Jose beat opponent Cameron Duffey by a narrow vote of 4,322 (51.12%) to 4,110 (48.61%), a difference of 212 votes. There were also three uncontested races on the November ballot for the Kentwood City Commission. Clarkston Morgan was the sole candidate running for Kentwood’s 1st Ward seat, Jessica Ann Tyson was the sole candidate for the 2nd Ward seat, and Betsy Artz was the sole candidate for the At-Large seat. Election results remain unofficial until they are certified by the county board of canvassers.
