Kokaly, Dewitt win seats on Bay City Commission

BAY CITY, MI – The next commissioners of Bay City's 2nd and 6th wards were chosen in the November general election.

According to unofficial vote totals provided by the Bay County Clerk's Office, in Bay City's 2nd ward, voters chose Craig Kokaly over Breanna Graczyk. The race for the city's 6th ward commissioner finished with Alexander Dewitt beating out Bruce Lee Eckhart.

Bay City operates under a commission-manager form of government, in which authority is vested in the commission – a group of nine people elected by the geographic ward they represent.

The commission's focus is the passage of laws in the form of ordinances or resolutions. Their terms last four years and elections are staggered. Wards 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 are elected at the same time, and Wards 2, 4, 6, and 8 are elected at the same time.

Bay City's 2nd Ward seat, which encompasses a small area on the eastern side of the Saginaw River, was open because Joseph Rivet's term expired in December, and he opted not to run for reelection.

In the 6th Ward, located on Bay City's south end, Christopher Girard vacated his position to run in the city's mayoral contest against 3rd Ward Commissioner Andrea Burney.

New commissioners will also be chosen in Bay City's 4th and 8th wards, but those candidates – Benjamin Tenney and Joseph Charlebois, respectively – were unopposed in the general election.