GREENFIELD — A new face joined the City Council on Wednesday, as William “Wid” Perry was appointed and sworn in to fill the Precinct 7 vacancy at the John Zon Community Center.

Perry, 66, said he wanted to step up and fill the position vacated by Jasper Lapienski on Jan. 1 and serve as a “bridge builder” for whoever will take over the position when his term expires on Dec. 31, 2025.

In the time before this term expires, Perry said he wants to try and bring back a more “old school” style of politics, where folks listen, connect with each other and represent their community.

“When the Precinct 7 councilor seat was vacated, I asked myself if I could make a difference by approaching the position with an old-school mentality from the previous generation,” Perry said. “My career Navy experience gave me the skill set to work as a team to achieve common goals while maintaining an ethical moral core. I hope I can bring some of that to my role as city councilor.”

Three people had put their names forward to be appointed to the Precinct 7 seat: Perry; Jesus Leyva, who ran for an at-large council seat in November’s city election; and Drew David.

“We had three really excellent, outstanding candidates for Precinct 7, which speaks highly of Precinct 7,” said City Council President John Bottomley, thanking Leyva and David for putting their names forward. “It was a very difficult decision; I decided with advice from committee chairs to appoint Wid Perry.”

Perry previously served on the Human Rights Commission for a full term, but resigned in October 2020 because he “saw how politics played a role in not approving the Human Rights Commission chair for a second term.”

Perry said he is hopeful to move past those politics during his service. He noted he is well-positioned to do this because he won’t have to play politics for re-election because of his intention to step away from the council when his term ends.

“It’s no secret how divided the town is, politically,” Perry said. “I have no political agenda. I do not see myself serving beyond the end of the term, so I don’t have to worry about getting re-elected.”

Perry’s other community service includes time on the Arena Civic Theater board, 25 years of work with his church and 15 years with the Franklin County Reinventing Justice Program.

“I also see my time on the council as a salute to those hard-working, dedicated people who volunteered their time and talent to serve the city. I see this as my turn to do the same,” Perry said. “I’m humbled and honored for the opportunity and I look forward to working with my fellow councilors to move the city forward in a positive, inclusive fashion.”

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com.