Stacy Cobb-Muñiz appointed to Eastpointe City Council

EASTPOINTE — The city’s newest council member is ready to get started. 

At a special meeting held Jan. 10, the Eastpointe City Council unanimously appointed Stacy Cobb-Muñiz to the council’s open seat. She joins Mayor Monique Owens and Councilmen Harvey Curley, Rob Baker and Cardi DeMonaco Jr. on the five-member City Council. 

“I just want to say, first to council, thank you so much. I am honored to serve with you all. I hold you all in high esteem. I think the job you have is a very important one, which is why it struck my interest,” she said. “Thank you to my family for being so supportive, my husband and my children for being here and for encouraging me to do this. I love you guys.

“I would hope to see City Council as a whole be reflective of the community that we serve, not only demographically but in terms of the values we go after and in terms of the values we seek to promote in the community,” said Cobb-Muñiz, who said she believes in the vision of Eastpointe not only as the gateway to Macomb County, but as a true example of a family town.  

While keeping city funding in mind, she would like to see economic development in the city along with a focus on road repairs. Cobb-Muñiz also would like to see more people coming out on Election Day to vote. 

The meeting also gave Cobb-Muñiz the chance to meet the other candidates. 

“I’ve enjoyed the last two hours getting to know you all. I hope I get to work with you in the future,” she said. “I was up against some tough people.”

Cobb-Muñiz will fill the term Sarah Lucido vacated after being elected Nov. 8 to represent District 13 on the Macomb County Board of Commissioners. Cobb-Muñiz’s term will expire Dec. 31, 2023. The seat will be on the general election ballot this November.  

Cobb-Muñiz has been a resident of Eastpointe since 2013 and has been involved in the community. She previously served on the Eastpointe Board of Ethics and the Eastpointe Planning Commission. Now that she has been appointed to the council, she will have to relinquish her seats on both the Board of Ethics and the Planning Commission. 

According to her resume, Cobb-Muñiz has been the director of Beauty, Purpose & Destiny Inc. since May 2012. Her past experiences include her roles as a rights representative as well as an interim senior executive assistant director for the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, and working as a law clerk for the Michigan Department of Attorney General, Children & Youth Services Division.

During the interview process Jan. 10, the candidates were brought into the council chamber individually and interviewed as the other candidates waited in a separate area. All the candidates had the opportunity to introduce themselves during a two- to three-minute introductory speech, and then each City Council member asked the candidates two questions. 

Baker asked: “What do you understand the role of a council person to be?” and “What have you done in the way of community involvement, be it past or present?”

Curley asked the candidates why they decided to apply for the vacancy. “If you’re selected, what changes would you like to see made on the council?” was Curley’s other question. 

DeMonaco Jr. inquired about what each candidate would like to see on Nine Mile Road as it undergoes reconstruction. He wanted to hear each candidate’s thoughts on the lawsuit four Eastpointe residents have filed against Owens and the city of Eastpointe who allege their First Amendment rights were violated during public comment portions of multiple City Council meetings last year.

Owens asked the following: “What are some of the challenges you may see in our city and what are some of your solutions to those problems? Owens also wanted to know, “If you were selected tonight, what would be the first action you would want to take on that is a passion to you?”

 Each council member thanked the candidates for their interest and encouraged them to apply for one of the commissions in the city. 

“We have to make sure we acknowledge who you are and what you have done today. For me to be a part of this process, I am honored to even meet some of you all that I’ve never met. To take the role in local government, that’s huge,” Owens said. “It was hard for us to pick you all. You have so much in store.” 

“Thanks, everyone, for coming out and interviewing with us. I know you spent a lot of time preparing. It takes a lot of courage to come up and do this,” DeMonaco Jr. said. “You clearly care about our community. It’s great to see so many people come out and be interested.”

Cobb-Muñiz is scheduled to take the oath of office at the Jan. 17 City Council meeting at City Hall. 

Eleven candidates submitted letters of interest and resumes to be considered for the council seat. All 11 names were listed on the meeting agenda, and the following seven candidates interviewed at the meeting: Vicky Lynn Coleman, Wanda Moody, Victor Breithaupt, Robert Roscoe, Miranda Barconey, Vincent Nunn and Cobb-Muñiz. 

According to City Manager Mariah Walton, applicants Jermaine Baldwin and Tamika Hamilton did not arrive to interview for the council vacancy, and candidates Scott Kuzma and Molly Edens emailed prior to the meeting to withdraw their letters of interest.

Letters of interest and resumes were accepted until 4:30 p.m. Jan. 5.