Every few years, our city has a moment where we pause and ask ourselves what kind of community we want to be. This time, it came early due to a shake-up in how City Hall has been governing.
For a long time, Hillsdale has been shaped by a small circle of insiders—what folks around here call the “good ole boys.” Decisions have been made quietly, in rooms most of us aren’t in. It hasn’t always been malicious. Sometimes it was habit; sometimes it was convenience. But the result is the same: a city where big choices are made for us instead of with us. That is how we ended up with crumbling roads, drawn-out redevelopment projects that never seem to finish, and projects that cost millions when they do get shoved through by our bureaucratic masters. A toxic culture at City Hall that feels closed off from the very people it serves.
This year, four candidates are asking for your trust: Scott Sessions, Robert Socha, Cathy Kelemen, and Matthew Bentley. Each of them has a different style and a different vision. And before we decide, we need to think carefully about what good leadership actually looks like and who is best equipped to fight for the people of Hillsdale.
Scott Sessions is not a bad man, just out of touch and unable to recognize that the current “negative culture” is partly his responsibility. Ten years ago, he stepped in to serve as mayor when the economy was rough. But during those years, he built a City Hall that was run from the top down. The staff he called “good hires” became the backbone of a system that answered more to each other than to those living and working in the city. Roads deteriorated, under his staff special assessments multiplied, and under his appointments, big projects like the Keefer House were handed off to out-of-state corporations who never delivered. The Dawn sucked taxpayers dry, sitting idle even now. Today, he wants to return to that office, offering a promise of stability. But there’s a difference between stability and accountability, and we should not confuse the two. He has stated he wants to bring back the staff that has been resigning in mass after being held accountable by a few conservative councilmen and a sudden surge of standing-room-only council meetings demanding accountability for all the horrible decisions being made. Saying Sessions is tone-deaf would be an understatement.
Robert Socha promises a different kind of leadership. He speaks the language of conservative values, but when push comes to shove, his decisions often empower government over the people. He supported expanding city authority to shut down Camp Hope, a privately funded homeless camp on private property. That might sound tidy, but it set a precedent that City Hall can decide what private land can be used for. He has said he prefers to work through sensitive issues behind closed doors. And time and again, he hesitates when clear, decisive leadership is needed. It’s a polished version of the same insider politics that got us here, testing the political wind all the way up until it’s time to cast his vote. Indecisiveness is not a quality a good mayor possesses, and falling back on more government control isn’t what makes a good conservative.
Cathy Kelemen, by contrast, brings a different spirit. She is honest about the problems she sees: the Broad Street redesign that nobody asked for, the toxic culture inside City Hall, and the endless delays on projects like the Keefer House. She has the right instincts—faith, family, and personal responsibility. And she is humble enough to admit she is still learning. That honesty is refreshing. But Hillsdale’s challenges are deep, and they require someone who can lead from day one. Cathy’s time may come, and we hope it does. She has the heart for this, but right now, the city needs a steadier hand.
That leaves us with Matthew Bentley. While the others talk about how they would lead, he has already been doing it. As a councilman, Bentley has shown that he will stand up when it matters. When the county tried to push through a multimillion-dollar bond without transparency, he didn’t sit quietly. He showed up. He stood up. He spoke out. He challenged a system that most local leaders avoid out of fear of ruffling feathers. He has pushed back against unelected managers who most times forget who they work for. He has pulled sensitive debates into the open rather than letting them be hidden behind closed doors. He has fought for reform of special assessments—working for fairness rather than pretending that wishful thinking will make them go away. And on difficult issues like homelessness, he has balanced compassion with responsibility, recognizing that not every problem can be solved with a bigger ordinance or another layer of government. Matthew, at the ire of city staff, dares to lead in questioning the road diet; he speaks for his fellow Hillsdalians, not for government bureaucracy. A sharper and more noticeable contrast that stands out against the other candidates.
What Hillsdale needs now is a mayor who knows that the office is not about control—it is about service. A mayor who listens more than he talks, who asks hard questions, who respects taxpayers’ money, and who understands that government works best when it works for the people, not for itself.
This is not just about the next year. The choice we make this summer and fall will ripple. If we fall back into old habits, the good ole boys will continue to run things from behind the curtain, and we’ll all be left wondering why nothing ever changes. But if we choose accountability, transparency, and courage, Hillsdale can become what it was always meant to be: a community where decisions are made in the open, where leaders work for us, and where ordinary citizens—not insiders—set the course. If that isn’t a drastic change from the status quo of the past few decades, you, the reader, haven’t been paying attention—and you should.
We encourage you to think about the kind of city you want to live in and the kind of future you want to build. Weigh the records. Look past the promises. And when it’s time to vote, choose the candidate who has already proven they are willing to stand up for you.
Our future depends on it.
in Liberty
The Hillsdale Conservatives.
