Delavan Township Park District President Becky Lowry has expressed interest in being appointed to the Delavan City Council seat recently vacated by Douglas Bury, saying she wants to continue serving the community while gaining experience in municipal government.

Lowry, who currently serves as president of the park district board, said her desire to be considered for the council position stems from a commitment to Delavan and a desire to help the city continue moving forward.

“I want to see Delavan thrive,” Lowry told the Delavan Dispatch. “I want to continue contributing to the community. And I think this could be a great opportunity to gain experience prior to the election.”

According to Lowry, she first contacted Mayor Adam White several weeks before Bury’s resignation after hearing that Bury might not seek another term.

“I had reached out to Adam a couple weeks ago when I had heard Doug Bury was considering not running in the spring,” she said. “He neither confirmed nor denied but mentioned options are always good. So when I had been told Bury resigned, I let Adam know I would be interested in being considered for the seat.”

If appointed, Lowry said she plans to complete her current term on the park district board while helping guide several projects that have been years in the making.

“I fully intend to finish my term on park district,” Lowry said. “We have several ideas I’d like to see come to fruition after years of careful planning before my term is up in the spring.”

Lowry added that she does not plan to seek another term on the park district board and hopes residents will continue to stay involved in local government and community initiatives.

“I will not be seeking reelection on the park district board,” she said. “I’ve been encouraging community engagement now more than ever as I’d like to keep the motion we have going forward.”

She also praised fellow park district board members and their contributions to the community.

“I cannot speak for Doug [Yontz] or Dan’s [Mammen] plans moving forward. I hope they continue to contribute to park district. They’ve been amazing to work alongside,” Lowry said.

Asked about issues she would focus on if appointed to the council, Lowry pointed to public safety concerns raised by residents.

“I haven’t weighed issues per se in a particular order, but there are several concerns I’d like to address and find solutions for,” she said. “I’ve spoken to several neighbors and one shared major concern that I would have to say would be a priority, is the traffic on 4th Street, particularly speeding and distracted drivers.”

Whether she ultimately seeks election to the seat remains undecided.

“As far as running for the seat, I haven’t made my decision yet,” Lowry said.

City officials are expected to consider candidates to fill the vacant council seat until the next election cycle.