Politics

In its Sept. 22 meeting, the Bethel City Council passed a number of budget modifications, ranging from hiring additional staff for the finance department to fixing issues with the YK Fitness Center. 

The city will spend $330,000 to help stabilize the finance department; most of that money will pay for the services of an outside accounting firm because the city is currently without a permanent finance director or acting finance director. 

Bethel Winter House will soon have its own building to operate a year-round homeless shelter. On Sept. 22, the Bethel City Council agreed to sell the old senior center in Housing Subdivision to Winter House for $1.

A familiar face is back in charge of Bethel’s city administration. At the Sept. 22 meeting, the Bethel City Council announced that Pete Williams will serve as interim city manager. Council members chose Williams from three final candidates. The other two were Marybeth Whalen and another former city manager, Lee Foley. 

Get to know the Bethel City Council candidates with KYUK. Join us Sept. 23, 7- 8:30 p.m. for a live forum with candidates Perry Barr, Michelle DeWitt, Rose “Sugar” Henderson, and Conrad “CJ” McCormick. The four candidates are running for three open seats. Elections are Oct. 6.

When Michelle DeWitt was appointed to replace a Bethel City Council member, she said that she did not intend to run for reelection. But now she wants to stay. DeWitt said that she changed her mind because of the unique challenges facing the city during these times of pandemic and transition in the city’s management team.

At 23 years of age, Conrad "C.J." McCormick is the youngest person running for Bethel City Council in this election. No stranger to the process, McCormick regularly attended city council meetings while a high school student in Bethel.