GRAND RAPIDS — Tasha Connelly said she felt a great sense of responsibility before the Grand Rapids City Council meeting on Monday, Jan. 22. The meeting was nothing new, as she has served on the Council since 2017. But the council chambers aren’t usually full of children.
The meeting began with Connelly swearing in as the new mayor of Grand Rapids. She gave her oath surrounded by her own children and a dozen others she invited.
“It’s really important to me that our future generations see that their opinions matter,” she said. “Having representation, whether that’s direct representation or somebody who could represent you, is really important to me.”
Connelly was appointed mayor by the Grand Rapids City Council earlier this month after the resignation of former Mayor Dale Christy.
Now that she’s sworn in, Connelly is officially the second female mayor and the second youngest mayor in Grand Rapids history. Also a student support specialist with the Grand Rapids School District, she said she wants to be a 360-degree council member.
“I’m a working mom. I’m community engaged,” Connelly said. “I care about issues, and this is how we move things forward.”
She plans to start each city council meeting with something good that has happened in the community. At her first meeting she read part of a letter about Community Service Officer Carl Fisher. Fisher worked late and switched his time off to follow through on a case to ensure the safety of dozens of pets.
As mayor, Connelly is the fifth member of the City Council and runs its meetings. Together with the Council, the mayor manages the business of the city, including finances, laws and municipal codes and public services like police and waste removal.
Grand Rapids currently has a four-member Council because Connelly vacated her role as a council member upon her appointment. The city is accepting applications for the empty seat until Thursday.
Connelly said her priorities include housing, Grand Rapids downtown revitalization and surveying constituents on their quality of life to see where the Council can improve.
“I just want to continue moving our community forward,” she said. “We have great people who live here. We have great staff members, and it’s just about continuing to the forward movement of all the great things everybody’s working on.”
Christy’s mayoral term ended this year, and the position will be on the ballot in November. Connelly will serve in the role until the end of the term.
“[I’m] looking forward to working with all our community partners, our department heads, our constituents — just making sure that this place is a great place to live for people,” she said.
