Gemma, can you give me a brief overview of who Matthew Bentley is?

Yeah, so Matthew Bentley likes to say that he kind of had his arm twisted into running for office.

He served in the Army and then worked in the securities industry.

He's a Hillsdale native and moved back a couple years ago.

He ran in 2024 for the Ward 2 City Council seat and kind of hasn't looked back since.

He actually ran for mayor in the special election last year after Adam Stockford stepped down as mayor when he moved from Hillsdale.

and lost with 46.98% of the vote.

What does Bentley think is the

How are they remembering her?

One of the big things that Judge Lesney is remembered for is her seminal work in starting Hillsdale's first drug treatment court, which is one of the first specialty courts in Hillsdale.

It's kind of an alternative to prison time or jail time for either felonies or misdemeanors related to drug use.

And it keeps families together, makes people the healthiest versions of themselves.

One thing that's been really great to see is how the community has really rallied around Judge Lisney's memory.

And there are several local businesses which are donating a portion of their profits this September to the Hillsdale County Drug Court in an effort to keep her work going.

She also worked with other local organizations? Yeah, she was a volunteer at the Senior Center through the Meals on Wheels program.

What were some of the major issues discussed at the debate?