The Nov. 8 election will be a big one for Fenton City Council. There are seven seats on the council, four of which are up for election.

One seat will be in the mayor's race where Councilman Tim Faricy will oppose longtime Mayor Sue Osborn for the two-year term.

Incumbent Cheryl King, former Department of Public Works director Les Bland, former Fenton Mayor Patricia Lockwood  and newcomer Michael Piacentini will compete for three four-year term council seats.

The seats of King, Faricy and John Rauch will expire. Rauch will not run for re-election. The winners will join Benjamin Smith, Dianne North and Bradley Jacob on the city council.

During the next several days, we will take a detailed look at each candidate. You can read below or watch the attached video from the Meet the Candidates forum held by the Fenton Regional Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday.

Today, we profile incumbent councilwoman Cheryl King.

1. What are your work and educational backgrounds? My education is all the things I've been involved with. I've been involved with so many things. Hands-on is a great experience.

2. How old are you, how long have you lived in Fenton, and who are your family members? I am 63. My husband is James King; daughter, Melissa, and son-in-law, Tim; granddaughter, Baylee, 16, and grandson, Logan, 11. I've lived in Fenton for 38 years.

3. What public offices have you held, and how are you involved in the community? Twenty years on Fenton City Council, a member of the museum board, helped build a new fire hall and new DPW garage with no tax increase, council representative for the Board of Appeals, and a member of the Michigan Municipal League and Women in Government. I have spearheaded the Shiawassee River Clean Up for 25 years, implemented community service in the city, served as council representative for the Genesee County Sheriff's Department GAIN Auto Theft Unit and I am past chairperson of the Fenton Beautification Commission, past council representative to the park and recreation board and cemetery board. I am credited with the installment of the volleyball courts at Bush Park and was chairperson of the 2009 tornado fundraiser and the 2011 Loose Senior Center fundraiser. I was involved with the installment of railroad crossing gates and am a past president of the Lake Fenton Orchards Association.

4. Why did you decide to run for office? You have to love what you do. If you really love what you do, because you believe in your city, that's what you should be running for. If you go into it for the wrong reason, any specific issue, it's for the wrong reason. I believe it has to be for everybody in our community, not just the number of people that vote for me. If we can help one person, then I believe that's what we're here for. The DDA is working very, very good with the city. People are coming back to vacant buildings, we got a tax exemption for Acument. We have tried to keep everything going with the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, another tax base. Revenues are being cut, there are decreasing property taxes. Council is very creative, trying to give all the services and things people are used to. I believe, with the knowledge that I have being on (council) already, you would have to go back and re-educate people that haven't been there. It's not the same as hands-on. I want to finish these projects that are in motion.

5. What issues, in your opinion, are big ones for Fenton? The big issues, in Fenton, are to keep being creative, to keep bringing people in — to stabilize everything. For the Be Closer campaign, we got people to discuss what they think of Fenton. They said it was a great place to live, a great community, a close community, good schools. When you walk down the street, people smile and say hello. People believe Fenton is a great place to live and be. After the classic car night, that Friday we went to Davison. They had a (Back to the Bricks Tune Up) there. People said they could not say enough how gorgeous Fenton was, how great the hospitality was, the Concerts in the Park and Farmers Market.