Three Rivers commissioners sworn in, McNary appointed mayor pro tem during contentious first meeting

The Three Rivers City Commission began the night by swearing in its new and reelected members. Angel Johnston was sworn in as mayor and Anthony Stanfill as Third District commissioner, with At-Large Commissioner Torrey Brown and First District Commissioner Pat Dane re-sworn in after last Tuesday’s election was certified.

Two meetings took place, the first being the annual organizational meeting. The first agenda item was to elect a mayor pro tem – who serves in the mayor’s absence – which began with Commissioner Lucas Allen nominating Commissioner Carolyn McNary for the position, seconded by Stanfill. After no discussion, the commission voted unanimously to elect McNary as mayor pro tem.

The rest of the organizational meeting consisted of procedural reviews of City Commission guidelines, the 2026 meeting schedule, and parliamentary procedure, all of which passed unanimously.

Next was the commission’s first regular business meeting together, rescheduled from Monday, November 10 due to election results not yet being fully certified.

The new commission’s first business item – the Millard Court sanitary extension on the east leg – drew division as Commissioners Dane and Allen pushed for the local bidder despite a nearly $4,000 higher cost. The lowest of five bids came in at $32,523 from John Boettcher Sewer and Excavating (JBSE) of Mishawaka, Indiana. The second-lowest bid, $37,105.80, came from Three Rivers–based Roberts Brothers Excavating Inc.

After city staff noted that JBSE is a contractor the city has worked with before and would like to continue working with, the commission voted 5–2 to award the bid to the Indiana-based company. Dane and Allen opposed, with Stanfill, Johnston, Brown, McNary, and Steven Haigh in favor.

“We do have a local preference policy, and that’s for a bid within 5%,” Director of Public Services Amy Roth said. “This bid is actually more than 5% from the next lowest, and Roberts Brothers is outside of that 5% policy. That’s why they weren’t recommended.”

Commissioner Brown said he trusts Roth’s recommendation and commended her work.

Lowry appointment

Later in the meeting, commissioners considered agenda item 12.2: the appointment of former Mayor Tom Lowry to the Zoning Board of Appeals for a term expiring March 1, 2028.

Several residents urged the commission not to appoint Lowry, citing a desire to move on from the former mayor after the election.

“He just was fired from his position by the citizens of Three Rivers. They do not have his support,” one resident said. “I don’t necessarily agree that Tom’s service was to serve the citizens of Three Rivers. Tom’s service, in my opinion, was always to serve Tom Lowry, so I don’t think he needs to be appointed to this board.”

Lowry served on the commission for 27 years and lost the November 4 election to Johnston by 19%. He also owns Lowry’s Books in downtown Three Rivers and Sturgis.

Before commissioner comments, City Attorney T.J. Reed clarified the role of the Zoning Board of Appeals and the challenges created by vacancies. Reed explained that the board typically handles cases where a property owner seeks relief from height or setback requirements, often involving fences or driveway length. 

“The zoning official may say a structure can’t be that tall, and the owner can appeal to the board to explain why they need relief,” he said. Reed added that while the board has 12 meetings scheduled per year, it usually convenes only when needed. “Having vacancies on these boards does create logistical issues in getting the ability to actually have something done.”

Tempers flare during commissioner discussion

Third District Commissioner Stanfill opened the discussion by opposing Lowry’s appointment.

“I’d like to welcome you to the start of the end of the good old boy system,” he said. “I was elected to be the voice of the Third District. That’s exactly what I’m going to do. I’m going to take my feelings out of this completely and speak for the people who I’ve spoken to before the election took place. I feel the people of Three Rivers have spoken with the election results.”

Commissioners Brown, McNary, Haigh, and Dane responded with comments stating they would vote for Lowry’s appointment due to his knowledge of city matters and the need to fill vacancies.

“There’s always vacancies on those boards, and with our newness and the energy our new mayor is bringing, things could change rapidly,” McNary said. “If that happens, and as we grow, we need people in place. Just because he’s not mayor doesn’t mean he can’t be an effective citizen.”

Mayor Johnston joined the discussion by sharing Facebook reposts from Lowry’s page that criticized Donald Trump, referenced his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and showed edited “Make America Great Again” hats reading “Gullible AF.”

“A few people asked me: If you were a Republican, would you feel comfortable having Tom make a decision that could affect your home or your livelihood? I had a hard time saying that I would feel comfortable if I was a Republican and Tom was in charge of something,” Johnston said.

Commissioner Brown interrupted, stating that the commission serves as a nonpartisan body and that discussing matters through party lines is beyond its scope.

Commissioner McNary also interrupted, expressing frustration over Johnston referencing political parties as part of her rationale for opposing Lowry’s appointment.

“I don’t think you would have interrupted Tom,” Johnston said, continuing her explanation and acknowledging that the commission had the votes to appoint Lowry.

“You have the votes to appoint him, so what I’m doing is exactly what the public has asked me to do,” Johnston said. “But there are legal issues too. As the city attorney described, this could end up going to court. If somebody is an open Republican, they can walk into court with these or anything he’s posted.”

City Attorney Reed added context, clarifying the potential for legal issues. The only way a board member’s political views could be relevant to their position on the board is if, while serving, they inserted those political views.

“I just want to be clear that we’re teetering on potentially exceeding the scope of the discussion for what could lead to litigation to the city, but not in the manner in which I believe people are discussing right now,” Reed said. “I’ve never seen where they go into the political ideology or personal Facebook posts of an individual board member, because most of the time these issues are talking about – a fence – is nonpolitical.”

Commissioners paused as Reed finished his explanation.

“Well, then I’ll hold my tongue,” Johnston said.

Stanfill reiterated his opposition. Both he and Johnston said they would have no issue with Lowry serving on another board in the future but felt the timing and position were not appropriate.

The commission approved Lowry’s appointment 4–3. Dane, Brown, McNary, and Haigh voted in favor; Allen, Stanfill, and Johnston opposed. It was the first major disagreement for the newly seated commission.

During commissioner comments, McNary revisited her disagreement with Johnston. Quoting Maya Angelou, she said, “When a person shows you who they are, believe them.”

“I am just a bit taken aback, Mayor, with you bringing up parties tonight,” McNary said. “I’ve sat here for years, and you say you’re not for this party or that party, but you mentioned parties – and the parties you were speaking for, you tended to stand for tonight. At this meeting, where I wanted to be here in support of you, we spent more time standing on Tom’s head rather than lifting you up, lifting our city up, and moving ahead. I’m just hoping that in the future, as you lead this city and govern this commission, you refrain from standing on political sides, because we are Three Rivers.”

When McNary asked what the red hats in the photos represented, Johnston replied:

“It represents half our country and about half our city. And I do believe in neutrality significantly. And I think that anyone who disparages half our country – approximately half our city – on a daily basis shouldn’t be involved in anything.”

The Three Rivers City Commission will hold its next regular business meeting on December 2, canceling next week’s Tuesday, November 18 meeting.

Maxwell Knauer is a staff writer for Watershed Voice.