A major topic of conversation among candidates and residents is whether Lansing should move away from the “strong mayor” structure of government in favor of a "council-manager" format. Under a strong manager system, the mayor is responsible for political, policy, and administrative leadership, while city council is largely a law-making unit with major influence over budget adoption.
It is my belief that a strong mayor system is the best structure for Lansing because (1) it allows for greater efficiency, (2) it enables the mayor to respond swiftly to the public needs, (3) it keeps the selection of the mayor in the hands of the public. Under a council-manager system, the mayor is selected by the city council and serves at a diminished capacity. Furthermore, under a council-manager structure, the mayor does not have the ability to veto legislation proffered by the council, which removes an additional safeguard against bad policy.
The format for electing members of the city council is another reoccurring topic. We currently have an eight-member council, with four ward seats and four at-large seats. I propose the creation of one additional ward seat, creating a nine-member council. Creating an additional ward creates smaller districts, allowing councilmembers to have greater interaction with members of their district. Additionally, an odd number of seats avoids tie votes and promotes efficient dispensation of issues.
The availability of safe and affordable housing is critical. I've consistently heard complaints from friends, family, and other residents of Lansing about deceptive practices from landlords. To be sure, this only represents a minority of landlords, but the city charter should address this issue by creating an ordinance that protects tenants and makes living in Lansing more hospitable.
I proposed the creation of an ordinance requiring (1) each lease contain a disclosure of tenant rights, (2) prevents lease agreements from containing clauses that the landlord knows to be deceptive and which purports to take away a right of a tenant which cannot be taken away by contract under Michigan law, and (3) provides for a fine or misdemeanor for violation.
Budget management and fiscal discipline is important for any city seeking to grow and improve core services for residents. I propose an ordinance in the charter requiring that the mayor provide quarterly reports that show the relationship between the estimated and actual income & expenses to date. Furthermore, if it appears that the income of the city is less than anticipated, the Council should be permitted to reduce appropriations (with exception for amounts required to pay debt and interest charges).