Ferrysburg’s mayor will not seek a new term

After more than two decades serving in city government, Jeffrey Stille has decided not to run for a second term as mayor. Ferrysburg councilmen Dan Ruiter and John Stafford have registered to run for mayor. The deadline to file as a candidate passed Tuesday afternoon, and write-in candidates have until Oct. 21 to file for the Nov. 8 ballot, City Clerk Debbie Wierenga said. Current councilmen Chris Larson and Scott Blease will run unopposed for another term, Wierenga said in a memo to City Council members.

Jordan Travis

May 11, 2011

Stille’s decision not to run for a second term stems from a desire to spend more time with his family, he said. Stille, 49, is the father of three, including one serving in the U.S. Navy.

“My kids are getting of that age where they’re getting into sports and after-school projects,” Stille said.
Stille said serving as mayor “takes a lot of time and energy,” and mayors have many public functions they have to attend on top of their responsibilities. Stille said he thinks it’s not fair to serve the city “half-heartedly.”

To read more of this story, see today’s print edition of the Grand Haven Tribune.