By Dedra Cordle
Staff Writer
The village of Urbancrest council voted in a new member to fulfill the late Christine Bailey’s unexpired term at a special meeting on Aug. 18. After hearing from the two nominees, Abdi Issa and Alicia Wiggins, the council voted 3-2 in favor of Wiggins.
Councilwoman Shawn Moore said she nominated Wiggins for the seat because of her love for volunteerism and her exemplary work ethic in the professional realm.
“She has the community at heart and I have every confidence that she will do well as a member of the council,” she said.
Unlike Issa, who has served on the village planning committee, the board of public affairs and the council from 2010 until 2013, this will be Wiggins’ first foray into local politics.
Wiggins said that she did not have much interest in local politics beyond attending meetings so she was shocked when Moore said she was going to nominate her for the seat.
“I think very few people intend to go into politics but I do want to use this opportunity to make a difference,” she said.
Wiggins said she has no specific agenda items in mind to tackle, but she said as a resident she does have concerns about what she sees in the community.
“My concerns are the things we see every day in the village,” she said. “How our properties look, the abandoned properties and what the opportunities are for the kids who live out here. If we don’t find things for them to do, they are less likely to do constructive things.”
Councilman Kenneth Skeaton, who voted for Wiggins along with Moore and Deborah Larkins-Jackson, said he believes she will be a good fit on the council.
“She has a level of commitment and connectivity that is desired and much needed on a council,” he said. “She has a business mind and she is not new to the business world or policies. She has been positioned in places of authority and will be able to fulfill that ultimate goal of project management.”
Because she is filling the seat of Christine Bailey, Wiggins will be a member of the health and safety committee as well. Her term on the council will expire in 2017.
