On the Issues

Here’s where I stand on some of the important issues facing East Lansing:

Budget: As we stare down a 3 million dollar budget deficit and stand 5 years away from running out of funds, council’s top priority should be putting together a balanced budget. When going through this process it is crucial that we protect the childcare and afterschool services that so many in our community rely on. Instead of looking to once again put additional costs on residents we should be looking internally and making the changes necessary to put us on a fiscally healthy path. This effort should be done in conjunction with a citizen led financial review team to review our budget for inefficiencies and put forward a recommendation to council. 

Folk Festival: When I think of the things that define living in East Lansing, the first events that come to mind are the Art Fair and the Folk Festival, yet as we all know it has been years since the Folk Festival was taken away from the community. It’s time we bring it back. I have been actively working to revive the Folk Festival and bring that light back to our community. Not only do these events create memories, but they bring thousands of people into our community to help support local business and attract new permanent residents. As we look at how isolated and polarized we’ve become, these events that bring us together to share common ground are more important than ever, so let’s make it happen and bring back the Folk Festival.

Safety: Dangerous speeding has become more and more common since the pandemic and it is time that the city finally starts to address the concerns that residents have voiced at council again and again. We need to prioritize road designs that work to prevent speeding before it starts and we need to have a law enforcement presence that holds reckless drivers accountable. We need to be proactive and bring back the Safe Routes to School initiative and prioritize walkability and pedestrian safety as we look at road repairs and modifications.

Environment: Over the past few years, as we have seen more frequent severe weather events it has become clear that our current infrastructure is simply not up to the task. With stormwater flooding streets, parking lots, and basements across the city, it is clear that something needs to be done. The city has already begun the process of upgrading its infrastructure but we can do more. We should be protecting and improving our wetlands to help capture and filter rainwater, require new construction to increase the amount of stormwater captured onsite, and set new incentives for best practices such as green roofing. Beyond stormwater, we should also be doubling our volunteer efforts to remove the invasive species that have come to dominate our parks and improve the water quality of our ponds that are frequently covered in algae blooms.

Cooperation: While serving on boards and commissions for the city the one issue that has emerged time and time again is the need to improve our relationship with MSU and other surrounding municipalities. Although MSU serves as the backbone of our city’s economy, and holds a significant portion of its land, we lack simple lines of communication that one would expect. There has often been a feeling bordering on animosity between East Lansing residents and MSU. This is understandable given recent experiences and past history but if we ever seek to move past this we need to be having frequent conversations between city officials and MSU admin. There is so much that we are missing out on by closing ourselves out to MSU and the funding potential that it offers; whether that be collaboration on local events and festivals or opportunities for citizen input on campus developments, we need to be striving for better.