Jackson’s Fifth Ward has a new City Council representative. At a special meeting on Monday, Nov. 27, the City Council appointed Shalanda Hunt to the vacant Fifth Ward council seat.
The seat was vacated in Sept. upon the resignation of former City Councilmember Karen Bunnell. Hunt was appointed to the seat following a process that saw eight Ward 5 residents interviewed by the council. She was sworn-in to the office on Tuesday, Nov. 28.
City Councilmember Hunt is a lifelong Jackson resident and resides in the Fifth Ward with her two daughters. She currently works for the State of Michigan as a Child Welfare Trainer and is the Vice President of the Jackson Public Schools Board of Education.
Councilmember Hunt thanks the City Council for this appointment. “I am looking forward to serving residents and being a leader for the City that makes decisions that are financially feasible, equitable and sustainable,” Hunt said.
Hunt will hold the position until elections are held to fill the seat in Aug. 2024 (Primary Election) and Nov. 2024 (General Election). The winner of the General Election will complete the rest of the seat’s original term, which ends in Dec. 2025. The Fifth Ward is made up of the western half of Downtown Jackson and several residential neighborhoods surrounding downtown.