With the election of Jim Salzwedel in the November election, Marty Chambers is no longer the newest member of Lowell City Council. Two months ago, Chambers was appointed to fill the seat vacated by Alan Teelander. He was sworn in on September 5, 2017 for a term that will expire in 2019.
Lowell’s First Look caught up with Chambers recently to see how he’s settling into his new position and what he hopes to accomplish during his time on the council.
Privileged to Serve the Community
Chambers, 53, says he had been mulling over a run for city council in a future election. However, he didn’t think 2017 was the right time to throw his hat in the ring. “There [were] people running this year who are very qualified,” he says.
Rather than add one more name to the list of 2017 candidates, Chambers was content to continue his service on the Planning Commission and the Lowell Light & Power Board. That changed when an uproar over the Lowell Showboat name led Mayor Pro Tem Teelander to resign from his position.
When it was announced applications were being taken for Teelander’s seat, some community members suggested Chambers would be a good fit. That’s much the same way he came to be on the Planning Commission and LLP Board. In each instance, Chambers wasn’t seeking out the position but instead was approached by someone else and asked to serve.
“It’s funny how I’m always asked, and it’s always different people [asking],” Chambers says. “I feel pretty privileged that they’re happy with me.” And so Chambers sent in a letter of interest and later got the call that he would be the newest member of Lowell City Council.
Roads Important But Fire Department Highest Priority
Echoing the sentiments of other council members, Chambers agrees something needs to be done with the city’s crumbling roads. However, he adamantly opposed to a city income tax which he says would hurt local workers, particularly those making minimum wage. “There is no way I would be a part of that,” he says.
What Chambers would like is to find a way to temporarily raise city property taxes to pay for road work and then lower the rate for existing homeowners while keeping a higher rate for new residents. “I know no one wants to talk about new taxes,” he says. But it’s a conversation that needs to happen if people want the roads to be fixed.
However, an even more pressing concern for the community is the fire department, Chambers says. “Lowell, Lowell Township and Vergennes Township have grown to the point where a volunteer fire department for the daytime just isn’t cutting it,” he says. Based on discussions with the Fire Chief, Chambers would like to find a way to get a minimum of three full-time employees hired for day shifts. He says money spent on that would be worth every penny to get emergency aid to residents faster.
Supporting Growth in Lowell
Although he knows he can’t make everyone in the city happy, Chambers is determined to try his best. He has his personal cell phone number printed on his business cards to make it easy for residents to reach him, and when it comes to hot topics like the establishment of medical marijuana facilities, he’s been pounding the pavement to see what locals think of the issue.
As the owner of Red Barn Consignment and Antiques, Chambers has seen firsthand how the community has grown in recent years. “I don’t want to go backward,” he says. “Main Street is full and buzzing.” He notes it wasn’t too long ago that there were empty storefronts lining the street. Now, he hopes to build on the success of the business district by making it easier to convert upstairs lofts into condos and apartments.
Chambers wasn’t looking to become a member of Lowell City Council this year, but fate would take him there anyway. Now, this lifelong member of the greater Lowell community hopes to use his position to better the city he loves. By all accounts, he’s off to a good start.
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