FeedsMayor will seek seat on county commission
Click image to enlarge
Hilliard HamptonFive months after being elected as mayor of Inkster for a third time, Hilliard Hampton III is seeking to represent the city on the Wayne County Commission.
Hampton, 56, filed his candidacy with the county last week. The Wayne County Commission has 15 members and is the governing body of the entire county.
Hampton is seeking the District 12 seat, which was vacated by longtime commissioner Kay Beard two months ago.
Ronaele Bowman, a former assistant of Beard’s, was appointed for the remainder of the term.
Bowman and Hampton are seeking the seat, along with longtime Westland City Council President James Godbout, Joan Gehardt and Danny Wilson.
Hampton said Monday he believes his tenure as mayor will support a candidacy for the $78,000 part-time slot, which he challenged Beard for in 2000.
“Kay was a formidable candidate and did a lot of good things while she was here, but she’s retired, and I didn’t want to let this opportunity get away,” he said.
District 12 is comprised of the entire cities of Westland and Inkster, and a small portion of Livonia. Though it is an incumbent-free race, it remains to be seen if Hampton can shore up enough support in Westland, where there are almost three times as many registered voters than in Inkster.
“Clearly, the objective is to do well and to get enough votes across the board in the district, but it’s not going to be easy,” he said.
If elected, Hampton would no longer be able to serve as mayor.
Mayoral succession is determined by the city charter, and would play out like this: Hampton would vacate his seat, and the full council would then vote in a new mayor. If the council members chose a current member, they would have to make another council appointment by district.
All decisions would be made by a majority vote.
