City Council Member Mike Hillier revealed that he will not seek re-election to the Fourth Ward seat as he plans his retirement.
Hillier joined the Mount Vernon City Council in 2006 as an at-large Republican candidate. He left the council in 2015 to run for election to the Mount Vernon mayoral position and lost to current Mayor Matt Starr. He returned to the council in 2018 after he was appointed to fill the unexpired term of the Fourth Ward council seat that Jeff Gottke vacated. He won re-election in both the 2019 and 2021 municipal elections.
“I have been on [the] City Council for approximately 14 years, and it is time to let someone else have the seat. I will be retirement age in 2024 and plan to retire from my workplace – PakMail – and the city at the end of December 2023,” Hillier said in a press release from Tuesday.
He said he and his wife are ready to start the next phase of their lives.
“Our grandsons live in Cincinnati, and I plan on attending more of their sporting events and spending more time with my family,” he said.
He told Mount Vernon News about his successes while on the City Council.
“One thing I am very proud of is Hiawatha Park,” Hillier said. “I have been supportive of the park since I was on the planning committee at the very beginning. I also have been very vocal about deteriorating, run-down properties in neighborhoods.”
He said he was known as the council member who asks questions. He feels his success is best measured by his constituents.
“It is measured by the timeliness in answering the calls and how I have handled the problem or situation they may have,” he said.
When asked to offer advice to his eventual successor, he said that he or she should be honest.
“Do your homework and be prepared,” Hillier said. “Never forget the people that elected you. You represent the voter first. And stand your ground. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.”
Hillier serves as the city representative on the Knox County Regional Planning Commission and is chair of the Land Use Committee. During his time on the City Council, he held chairmanships for the Police and Fire, Finance, and Planning and Zoning committees.
“I pride myself in the fact that I represent the people first,” he said. “I am never afraid to question the administration’s direction and how it will affect the city’s budget.”
Hillier said it is important that council members remember why they were elected. He said he only missed one meeting and was never late to a meeting since he was first elected.
“I feel I have made many positive accomplishments for the residents of Mount Vernon,” he said. “I want to thank all of those who have supported me and have elected me to office throughout the years.”
