City Council Member At-Large Micah McCarey is running unopposed for Council president in the May 6 primary election.
“I am excited for the opportunity to help our City Council and city overall achieve its goals of transparency and civic engagement,” McCarey said. “The presidency would give me a formal leadership position through which to do that.”
Current City Council President Sam Crowl said he encouraged McCarey to run for the position just as the former President Chris Kinsely, the first female president of Council, did for him. Crowl said McCarey both has experience on Council and has stood out as a leader.
“If you ever are able to sit down and talk to him about the world, about his own Ph.D. work or his experiences, you’ll find he's very well spoken and very intelligent,” Crowl said. “I think he's really the perfect fit for Council president.”
McCarey is running his campaign, “Hope is Here,” which expresses Athens as a special place in Ohio where hope is alive for advocacy, activism and an environmentally sound ecosystem is alive.
“Hope is also something that a lot of folks have been feeling less of with the rolling back of rights and protections that a lot of groups have benefited from,” McCarey said. “Most notably the attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion.”
If elected, McCarey plans to improve communication among residents and Council by making sure residents are more aware of upcoming projects and building stronger connections on social and local media.
“Right now, if you visit our city website or follow us on social media, you can look for the information you're seeking,” McCarey said. “But there's still a good number of people who share that they weren't aware that a project was being considered”
McCarey said he will continue the 2040 Comprehensive Plan working with the mayor’s team and Ohio University. With a plan to make Council members more equipped, McCarey said he wants to improve onboarding and orientation opportunities.
Additionally, McCarey said he plans to host sessions for the public to voice their concerns, more multicultural celebrations and festivals to promote community cohesion and find practical ways to promote small businesses.
After following his leadership and intellectual interests, McCarey completed his master’s and doctorate degree at OU.
“I had about a year of overlap between finishing my Ph.D. and joining City Council, so City Council has felt like my next degree,” McCarey said. “I've spent four and a half years as an at-large Council member, so now I feel like I'm graduating to the presidency.”
If McCarey wins, he will be placed on the ballot for the Nov. 4 general election.
