Residents of South Haven will have the chance to pick a new mayor this November.
Current Mayor and longtime city official Scott Smith and announced this week he will not be running for reelection. Also this week, Former South Haven School Board President Annie Brown, former South Haven Mayor Bob Burr and councilman Joe Reeser each announced they will run for the vacated position.
Smith, who also works a full-time job at Bronson Wellness Center, said he will step away to be with his family. He was a member of the planning commission and a city council member for many years before becoming mayor.
“I have enjoyed my tenure as mayor and will not rule out coming back some day,” said Smith, as reported in the Herald-Palladium. “But for now I am stepping away.”
New candidates
Each of the candidates running to replace Smith as mayor should be well known within the community.
Brown was a longtime member of the South Haven Board of Education, including time spent as its president. She was West Michigan Regional Coordinator for U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, and recently ran for the Michigan State House 38th District. Brown also was a preschool teacher and owned the Filbrandt Family Funeral Home with her husband Jeff Filbrandt,
Burr served as the city’s mayor for eight years and remains active on many boards, including the Downtown Development Authority, Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy, South Haven/Van Buren County Convention and Visitors Bureau Board. He is the current chairman of the Board of Public Utilities-Electric and have served on the board for over 25 years. In 2022, we was selected to be the chairman of the Palisades Community Advisory Panel.
“Acquiring over $10 million in grant funding during my tenure is a testament to my work and dedication to the citizens of South Haven,” Burr said, in a release. “It would be an honor to return to serve a 5th term as mayor.”
Reeser has served on the South Haven City Council since 2018, serves on the South Haven Housing Commission and has been an active member of Big Brothers Big Sisters for many years. He said he can better help the city with several issues it faces from providing economic growth, getting more affordable housing, and balancing the use of short-term rentals with promoting tourism as an important industry. As a business owner for more than 30 years, he said he has learned the importance of listening to customers and suppliers and incorporating their feedback into making tough decisions.
