Candidate questionnaire: Justin Wickey

***Sturgis Second Precinct Commissioner candidate, Justin Wickey (Courtesy: Justin Wickey)***

The following is Watershed Voice’s candidate questionnaire for the November 2026 local elections. We will be running all remaining candidate questionnaires in the order received today.

Justin Wickey, Sturgis Second Precinct City Commissioner candidate filled out our questionnaire, below are his answers as submitted. Wickey is running unopposed.

Name: Justin Wickey
Age: 46
Are you an incumbent? Yes
Family (optional): Wife and 4 kids

Background/bio

I was born and raised in Sturgis. Minus a 2 ½ year stint that I lived in South Carolina, I have lived in Sturgis my whole life. Sturgis is my home – the people of Sturgis are my people.
As a child, I attended Jerolene elementary school (K-2), Wall Elementary school (3-5), Sturgis Middle School (6-8) and Sturgis High School (9-12). In high School I participated in band (playing percussion) and football (starting on the defensive line and offensive line).
After High School, I attended Glen Oaks Community College – getting my associate’s degree in general studies. Later, I moved to South Carolina (for 2 ½ years) to get married and worked at a factory while my wife finished up getting her bachelor’s degree.
Then, we moved back to Sturgis. I worked at IAC in Mendon for 5 years and then was laid off. I decided to leave the workforce and went back to college. I got my bachelor’s degree in Family Life Education with a nonprofit leadership endorsement through Spring Arbor University.
After graduating, I was hired on at Grace Christian Fellowship (Grace Sturgis), eventually becoming an associate pastor which is the position I currently hold.

Why did you decide to run for this position, and what do you hope to accomplish if elected?

One of my greatest joys in life is getting to help people. I would love to have the honor of representing my neighbors again. Also, I want to help the city that I love to be a place that is thriving.
Sturgis is a great place but, there’s a lot of work to do!

What professional, personal, volunteer or public-service experience has prepared you to serve in this role?

I have served on the commission for 3 years previously – having to leave my term a year early to help with a church plant. And now, finishing up a 2-year term that I was appointed to (Previously Roger Moyer’s seat). I’m a pastor and citizen who stays engaged with the community. I feel I’m prepared to serve in this role- mainly, because I’m a person of integrity and secondly, because of my experience as a commissioner and my connection to the community.

How will you engage with and remain accessible to constituents outside of regular commission meetings?

I’m out and about throughout the community often. I’m always happy to hear from my neighbors and remain diligent to relay their concerns to the appropriate City channels that can address their concerns. If I don’t see my neighbors face to face, my phone number and email address are posted on the city website. Feel free to contact me any time.

What do you believe is the most significant issue facing the city right now, and what specifically should the commission do about it?

I’ll mention three issues out of many possible ones that the City is currently facing:
1.) We have a mayor who has refused to function in an ethical manner. Because of his actions, the city has lost literally hundreds of thousands of dollars (now paying for 2 City manager salaries and prompting an expensive investigation – which clearly showed his wrongdoing). The Commission can do nothing about this. If mayor Perez will not resign. The voters in Precinct 4 NEED to vote him out. They are the ones with the power to make a positive change. I believe this is the #1 issue plaguing the City. It is very difficult to have a thriving city if its government is unhealthy.
2.) The unhoused population in Sturgis is a growing issue. This issue is quite complex. It’s going to take many minds and many resources (beyond just the commission) in order to make some headway. To Find solutions and then to implement them, I believe will involve many city and county resources.
3.) The lack of “entertainment” businesses (movie theater, roller skating, bowling, laser tag, etc.) keeps people from visiting Sturgis and forces our own families to go out of town for family-friendly entertainment. The commission cannot make a business appear, but we can approve tax benefits and alike. We want to be a business-friendly town.

What do you do for work, and how do you spend your time outside of work and public service?

I’m an associate pastor at Grace Sturgis. When I’m not serving the church, much of my wife and I’s spare time is spent by supporting the endeavors and dreams of our four kids (my Oldest daughter’s singing career in Chicago, my son playing college football in Grand Rapids including his wife / my bonus daughter’s endeavors, my youngest daughter who sings and does art and finding her direction in college and the workplace, and our youngest son who is in high school, his love for the SHS band and being a part of it is something we never want to miss.) Beyond that, being outdoors is so refreshing to me – camping, hunting, fishing, kayaking, etc. Oh yeah… I’m an avid Detroit Lions fan – GO LIONS!

Serving on the commission requires attending meetings, reviewing agenda materials and communicating with residents outside of meetings. How will you make sure you have enough time to fulfill those responsibilities?

I have made this rhythm of life a priority for nearly 3 years prior as a commissioner and now finishing up a 2-year term. We are all human; we all have our own lives to where conflicts occasionally come up. But, in large, we all find time for the things we believe are important. I believe the welfare of my neighbors and the welfare of this city is important. I choose to make time.

What do you believe are the most important responsibilities of city government, and what should its role be in the everyday lives of residents?

Each Commissioner is to be a representative AND advocate for their neighbors. Beyond that, City government should:
– Review, revise and give final approval of the budget.
– Pass city ordinances, resolutions, and set the overall strategic direction for the City.
– Give oversight to the City manager.
– Bring recommendations and/or attention to areas in the city that need work.
– Protect and preserve what’s good about our city.

Commissioners will inevitably disagree with one another. How would you approach disagreements with fellow commissioners while still working effectively as a governing body?

Disagreements will happen in any good governing body. If we all felt the same on every issue – that means we are not getting the full picture, we aren’t getting all the information. I’ve been a part of many disagreements on the commission. The beauty of disagreement is that we all hear everyone’s points, concerns and recommendations before voting. More often than not, the city benefits from this process. We all hold nonpartisan positions. So thankfully, partisanship doesn’t keep us from making what we believe is the best decision for the City.

I’m a firm NO WAY to the development of data centers or any related infrastructure in the city. We can’t just look at the short-term dollars waving in the air. Real harm would be done to our environment, our utility bills would skyrocket, and who knows when the need for these kinds of data centers will become obsolete – leaving a negative wake as they are abandoned for new tech.

Describe a personal experience you’ve had with local government—positive or negative—that shaped how you think government should serve residents.

I’ll share one negative and one positive:
Negative: I’ve seen what it looks like when someone on the commission has their own agenda. They are looking out for themselves and try to push around the power they’ve been given and ultimately caused catastrophic harm. Experiencing this has shaped me. It’s gross and I hope to never see this again within the commission.

Positive: I have loved the opportunities that I’ve had with my neighbors who’ve asked for help with a city issue and have gotten to see the City come through for them. Being able to help give them a voice is so rewarding. Serving the residents is how government should be operating- representing the people.