Bingham Farms, Beverly Hills, and Franklin elect new village councils

Voters in the Eagle coverage area cast ballots on Nov. 3 to fill open seats on the councils of Franklin, Bingham Farms, and Beverly Hills. Oakland County elections officials posted unofficial results that determined the new leadership structures for these three villages.

In Bingham Farms, four candidates competed for three council positions. Sidney Blackman, D. E. Hagaman, and Kathy Mechigian secured the seats. Chad Miller did not win a seat. Mechigian said she intends to keep an open door policy and focus on setting goals for a solid, stable, long-term financial plan during their tenure. Eric McAlexnder won the race for village president without an opponent.

Seven candidates ran for four open seats on the Beverly Hills Village Council. Rock Abboud, Jeffrey Campbell, John George, and Dale Young won the positions. Racheal Hrydziuszko, Lee Peddie, and David Tobaben lost their bids. Young said he plans to focus on affordability and deer management while rolling up his sleeves to work for the community. Hrydziuszko thanked residents for years of support and encouraged them to become more involved in local government. Tobaben expressed disappointment but noted that another election will occur in two years.

Franklin voters chose three new members for full terms and one for a partial term. Kari Alterman, Cassius M. Drake, and Jonathan Jacobs won the three full-term seats. Pamela Hansen defeated Amanda Rosenberg for the partial term. Drake said he believes he is the first African American to serve on the Franklin council and looks forward to representing that history while maintaining the village's historic character. Alterman praised the other candidates as exceptional and valued the conversations they shared.

Geoffrey King did not win a full-term seat. He said he is proud to have served as an appointed trustee for the last year and is excited for the new group to govern the village. Hansen said she looks forward to a productive few years after a period she described as fractious on the council. Rosenberg said she believes Hansen will do a wonderful job and that the election was a very civil experience. Rosenberg added that she is unsure if it will work out for her in the future.

All candidates for the full-term seats in Franklin were part of a field that included four nominees. The partial term race featured two candidates. The results in all three villages reflect a complete turnover or partial refresh of the governing bodies. The new councils will begin their terms immediately following the certification of official results by county officials.

Residents in these communities will see changes in policy direction based on the stated priorities of the new members. The elections concluded a cycle of local governance where long-serving officials stepped aside or faced challengers. The new groups in Bingham Farms, Beverly Hills, and Franklin now hold the authority to pass local ordinances and manage village finances.