- Incumbent Fifth Ward Jackson City Council Member Christy Davis is being challenged this November by Former Council Member Shalanda Hunt.
- We're asking them both two simple questions about Jackson: what we should keep, and what we should change.
WATCH THE CANDIDATES SPEAK:
The first question is one that highlights what's great about the city they're hoping to represent.
What is it about Jackson we should keep? I ask Davis.
Davis responds: "I think the more small businesses and volunteer groups that we can have working on things together just really shows how well-connected people are in Jackson and how invested we are, and how much we care about each other."
Council Member Christy Davis was elected to City Council in a special election last year. She works at Jackson's Henry Ford Hospital in patient scheduling.
Her challenger — Former Council Member Shalanda Hunt — is looking to return as her term on the Jackson Public Schools Board nears its end. She is currently president of that board and a child welfare trainer for the State of Michigan.
What would you like to keep about Jackson? I ask Hunt.
"What I like about Jackson? What I like most about Jackson is that we show up as a community," says Hunt. "This is my hometown. I was born here, raised here….and I think here in the Jackson Community, there's this sense of local pride."
The second question is a critical one, as the City looks to build on its strengths and address its challenges: What should we change about Jackson?
"What should we change? Wow. Well, I would say — because I love my city — I want to see us fight for real, sustainable changes," says Hunt. "I want us to offer and invest in the opportunities for our young people, our elderly, for access to resources, to information that is not readily available — be on the front end, be proactive in our ability to lead. Sharing information as soon as we get it — not on the tail end — making sure that everyone is part of the process."
Davis's response: "I think a lot of things need to be revisited — not necessarily the charter, but ordinances…just to make things easier for people trying to do the right things. But it needs to be across the board. It needs to be through the whole City….we need to work with small businesses and different groups throughout the entire City to get it working again."
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