Eighth grader Taytem Rivera sat next to Mayor Ron Oler during the May 5 Richmond Common Council meeting as the city’s honorary Mayor for the Day.
She might return one day, occupying Oler’s seat. Or that of A.J. Sickmann, the city’s corporate counsel.
“I definitely think it’s going to help shape what I want to do in the future,” Rivera said about her day.
Rivera, who attends Hibberd Program Building, earned the Mayor for the Day opportunity by winning Wayne County’s civics bee, which is organized by the Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce. Oler was one of three judges for the program.
During the day with Oler, Rivera met the city’s department heads and spent time with members of the mayor’s department. A highlight, she said, was a luncheon that exposed her to more government employees, giving her insight into the breadth of the government. Then, she attended the council meeting and the following Richmond Power and Light board meeting.
“It was amazing, just in general; being in this type of community is always just something great for me,” Rivera said. “I love being surrounded by people, especially who are related to the government, so being able to hear more about what they do in their daily agenda is always something good for me to hear, especially since I want to go into the government field.”
Rivera, who lists corporate law as a college option, became community-minded by hearing about the involvement of her parents, Raf Rivera and Ali Carter-Rivera, who also attended the council meeting. She wants to “support those who aren’t supported,” making decisions that better the whole community.
Council members congratulated Rivera on her civics bee victory and asked her several questions. Asked what she’d do first if she were mayor, Rivera said she would visit schools.
“That’s one of the main things I want to be involved in,” Rivera said.
For the civics bee, Rivera wrote an essay about protecting birthright citizenship and steps that support immigration rights. She answered multiple-choice questions about civics, government and community issues, then faced judges’ questions. She qualified for the July 30 state civics bee, where she’ll compete for a spot in the national finals.
“All of it’s just unbelievable that I could even be here today,” Rivera said. “Just in general, having the experience of winning the civics bee and then being able to move to state, then being mayor for the day, all of it’s just one big experience that I’m really grateful to have.”
Council actions
Council approved 8-0 a resolution supporting Abilities Richmond. At council’s previous meeting, founder Tami Johnson requested a show of support that Abilities could use when pursuing funds and grants.
An ordinance that would transfer $1,450 within the city clerk’s budget to purchase three laserjet printers was referred to council’s finance committee.
A version of this article appeared in the May 14 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.