LANSING, Mich — Controversy has erupted in Lansing about a month before the General Election over informational mailers sent by the Charter Revision Commission.
The dispute centers on mailers sent to about 21,000 Lansing households that some city officials claim violate state campaign finance laws.
"I received it probably about 5 or 6 days ago in the mail," one resident said.
Some city council members argue that the language in the mailers crosses the line from informational to promotional.
"This is a persuasive piece of paper that has QR code that has even more persuasive arguments for the chart revision commission to change," a council member said.
Council President Ryan Kost believes the mailers violate campaign finance regulations.
"The first statement on it uses the words, the new charter seeks to strengthen transparency and accountability in city government. It is a persuasive message in my opinion - that is not informative," Kost said.
Some residents share Kost's concerns about the mailers' tone.
"The verbage in that flier was very slanted and forsure geared toward getting a positive vote on endorsing a new charter," resident Loretta Stanaway said.
The Clerk's office, which oversees the charter revision commission, addressed the controversy during Monday's city council meeting. Deputy clerk Brian Jackson attempted to reassure council members about the process.
"It was vetted by an attorney so I just wanted to answer those process questions," Jackson said during the meeting.
The response from one council member was blunt: "Well sounds like they need a new attorney."
According to the clerk's office, the commission worked with a PR company for the mailers at a cost of $15,000, with an additional $6,100 spent to distribute them.
"These are our tax dollars. That is the law," Kost said.
The controversy has prompted Kost and other council members to file a complaint with the secretary of state.
When asked about the goal of filing the complaint, Kost was clear: "To stop the next two fliers that we're told is expected to be sent out from the commission."
However, Brian Jeffries, Chair of the Charter Revision Commission, defended the mailers.
“The Charter Commission disagrees with the claim that our recent educational mailer was ‘persuasive’ in any way. This piece was carefully developed to provide factual, accurate information to residents about the proposal, its background, and its potential impact on our community. Before distribution, the mailer was thoroughly reviewed and approved by the commission’s legal counsel to ensure full compliance with state law. The content is strictly educational in nature and clearly does not advocate for or against the proposal. It provides voters with objective information so they can make their own informed decisions.
It is disappointing that some have chosen to mischaracterize this effort and attempt to confuse an otherwise straightforward and transparent process. The commission remains confident that we have acted responsibly in keeping the community informed. We, of course, continue to welcome any recommendations to improve transparency and clarity when communicating with the public.”
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