Longtime Savage Mayor Janet Williams informed members of the City Council she will not be seeking another term on the city council, according to Savage Spokesperson Emily Gunderson.“Mayor Williams announced last night at the City Council retreat that she will not be seeking another term as mayor,” Gunderson wrote in an email.Williams was first elected to the city council in 2003 serving a four-year term and then later was elected as mayor in 2007, according to the city website. Her term expires at the end of this year.In a message posted on the city’s Facebook page, Williams said she decided to run for the city council 20 years ago when she was “looking for something to do.”“I had just retired from 32 years as the Scott County Public Library Director – a job I started after being a stay-at-home mom for a few years and was hired as the first Savage Public Librarian,” Williams wrote.She said she was urged to run by then Mayor Tom Brennan, who opted not to run for re-election.“I was the first woman elected Mayor of Savage. Sixteen years in that position and up for reelection, I have decided not to run again,” Williams wrote. “It has been an honor to serve as your leader in a city I love and have watched grow from 500 people as a child on the dairy farm on the corner to 33,000 residents today.”
Council member seeks mayoral seat
Council member Christine Kelly, who is up for re-election in November, confirmed on Tuesday morning that she would be running for mayor. In a phone call she said she had no plans on challenging Williams.Kelly has served on the city council for as long as Williams has been mayor. “I want to thank Mayor Williams for her dedication to the City,” she wrote in a press release. “She has served as a mentor and role model, not just to me, but to people throughout the community.”“It is my desire to continue to provide leadership and vision for this great community,” Kelly said. “It has been an honor and a privilege serving the City of Savage and I hope to continue to do so in this new role in the upcoming years.”According to a press release she “has continued to fight for a fair and balanced tax levy,” and that she “believes fiscal responsibility is crucial to keeping this city a place where residents can live and thrive.”“It is one of my greatest desires that the City of Savage be a place for all. We need to make sure our property taxes are reasonable, whether you are a family buying your first home or have lived here for years,” she wrote.In her press release announcing her campaign Kelly said she “served on the REDI (Race, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) Taskforce.”“Our greatest strength is our residents and the diversity they bring to this community,” she wrote.She also is currently serving on the Prior Lake Savage Area Schools (PLSAS) Strategic Planning Core Team.“Our schools help to make this one of the best cities in which to live,” she wrote. “Providing vision and insight alongside the other core team members is important work and I am honored to participate in this process.”
