By Staff Writer Tyler Riley
ChelseaIn order to choose its newest mayor and City Council for the ensuing four years, Chelsea is getting ready for its 2025 municipal election.
Following the conclusion of the election’s qualifying period on Tuesday, June 24, which gave candidates the opportunity to complete the required papers in order to have their names on the ballot, citizens now know which field will be on the ballot on August 26.
Since Tony Picklesimer declared that this term would be his final, there will be two contenders vying for the mayor’s seat this year.
Three names will be on the ballot for the final City Council seat, while four seats are up for grabs.
Since Mayor Pro Tempore Scott Weygand, Chris Grace, and Casey Morris, respectively, will run unopposed and serve third terms, incumbents will occupy Places 2, 3, and 5.
Johnna Barnes will take Cody Sumners’ place in Place 1, as the latter is vying for the mayoral position in the next election.
After being appointed in 2023 to replace Tiffany Bittner, Arthur Fisher Jr., who presently occupies the remaining seat in Place 4, has declared that he will run for reelection.
He is facing competition from Jeff Honea II, the owner and CEO of a pharmaceutical company, and Ryan Adams, a current Chelsea High School teacher.
In the next term, a new candidate will take over as mayor. Mayor Picklesimer will not run for reelection for a third term in office. He was originally elected to his position in the 2016 municipal election.
Two candidates will be chosen to succeed him: Mike Rochester, a businessman, and Sumners, a two-term member of the Chelsea City Council.
In January, Sumners was honored for his retirement from the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and declared his intention to run for mayor. He had a wide range of positions within the county over his 26 years of service.
Rochester, who has been a Chelsea resident for nearly ten years, made his campaign official on Facebook on Friday, June 20. In his former residence in Trussville, he assisted in the planning and construction of the city’s parks and recreational facilities while serving as president of the Trussville Chamber of Commerce.
The Chelsea Community Center will host the city of Chelsea’s municipal election voting from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The election can be viewed at Cityofchelsea.com/413/local-elections for those interested in learning more.
