Peters Sworn In As Member of Saline City Council

Jim Peters was sworn in as a member of at the start of Monday’s meeting. Peters, who has also filed to run in the November city council election, fills the vacancy created when Pat Ivey resigned to take work in another city.

Mayor Gretchen Driskell recommended Peters and council voted 6-0 to appoint him to the seat.

“I worked with Jim on the Celtic Festival Committee and he’s a hard working, energetic person who is dedicated to the community,” said Driskell.

Peters grew up in Pittsburgh, Pa., and studied engineering. He moved to Ann Arbor in 1974 and then to Saline in 1988, where he lives with his wife, Geraldine. He is employed as senior mechanical designer at HDR Engineering in the Avis Business Park on State Street. He has served on the Saline Celtic Festival Executive Committee for eight years. He’s also the founder of Saline K9 Crusaders, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising money for local animal shelters. Peters is also a member of the Saline Area Historical Society, Saint Andrews Church Building Committee, and Saint Andrew’s Knights of Columbus.

Peters’ first meeting as a member of Saline City Council was an eye-opener. Council took pointed criticism from citizens on th, received a lengthy talk about the state of the city’s finances from Finance Director Lee Bourgoin, and had a full plate of agenda items.

“I’ve got a lot of homework to do,” said Peters, after the meeting.  “(The appointment) all came together quickly, so I wasn’t able to contribute much to the discussion tonight.”

Peters described his first meeting as a member of government.

“It’s both frightening and rewarding at the same time. I’ll be honest, being in front of the public and public speaking aren’t really in my comfort zone, so it’s going to take some getting used to,” he said.

Peters said his interest in serving on council is simple.

“I just care about Saline and I enjoy public service,” said Peters, who received the Pathfinders Gold Award of Excellence for Community Service from his company in March. “My friends and family said, ‘Hey Jim, why don’t you throw your hat in the ring?’ So I did.”

Peters is one of five candidates who have filed for the three seats available in November’s city council election. Also running are incumbents Glenn Law and Linda TerHaar, Jim Roth and John Heller.