Jason Emerine to fill commission vacancy
By Grace Lovins
Almost a month after the resignation of former mayor and commissioner Elaine McLain, Birmingham City Commissioners selected Jason Emerine to fill the vacancy during the Monday, December 16, meeting.
Emerine was sworn in after the appointment and immediately began serving his 11-month term.
Emerine previously served on the city’s planning board since 2018 as an alternate board member. He also held a seat on the Ad Hoc Unimproved Street Committee between 2018 and 2019, and was chosen to fill the ‘engineer’ seat on the recently established Ad Hoc Senior Recreation Center Committee.
His switch from board and committee member to commissioner leaves a space open for a new alternate member on the city’s planning board, as well as an opening for an engineer on the Ad Hoc Senior Recreation Center Committee.
With a degree in civil engineering from Michigan State University, Emerine is the owner and president of Seiber Keast Lehner, Inc., a civil engineering, surveying, planning and consulting firm with offices in Clinton Township and Farmington Hills. He has lived in Birmingham for seven years and is the father of two young children.
During his interview, he stated that he feels the master plan is the most important thing facing Birmingham right now and noted he wants to continue pushing implementation of the plan forward faster. He expressed that, having been part of the master plan process as a planning board member, his perspective would be helpful as a member of the commission.
The city received a total of 28 applications from Birmingham residents interested in filling McLain’s seat. Two candidates withdrew their applications prior to Monday night’s workshop session and regular meeting. From the applicants, 14 candidates spoke during the city commission’s workshop meeting that took place before the regular meeting.
Candidates provided a brief statement about what they bring to the table and why they were interested in serving on the commission. Once the commission moved on to the regularly scheduled meeting, during which the appointment was made, each commissioner had the opportunity to select up to two candidates to interview.
After each candidate was interviewed, the commission voted 4-1 to select Jason Emerine as the new commissioner to finish out McLain’s term. Commissioner Anthony Long was absent from the meeting, and commissioner Brad Host voted against the motion, having nominated a different candidate to take the seat.
Emerine will complete the remainder of McLain’s term set to expire in November 2025.
