LANSING, Mich. — Mayor Andy Schor has issued his first line-item veto.
He says he took the action to ensure that the City of Lansing has the necessary funding to assist neighborhoods.
Mayor Schor’s second executive budget recommendation, for fiscal year 2020, was adopted by the Lansing City Council during Monday night’s City Council meeting.
While the budget resolution that passed maintains the increases in funding for public safety personnel and equipment, economic development and planning personnel and equipment, and infrastructure spending (roads, sidewalks and sewer separation), it does not include the increase in neighborhood personnel and programming.
Under Lansing City Charter, Mayor Schor has vetoed the Council’s elimination of the funding for the establishment of the Neighborhoods Coordinator position in the Department of Neighborhood and Citizen Engagement.
In a statement Mayor Schor said:
“Work in our neighborhoods is a very important part of my vision and administration,” said Mayor Schor. “Lansing residents have recently affirmed this by ranking neighborhoods as the number two issue for Lansing in a poll conducted by the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce.
With the addition of the Neighborhoods Coordinator, the Department of Neighborhoodand Citizen Engagement will take on greater capacity-building by creating new programs, as well as enhancing the already successful SERVE Lansing, Citizens Academy, Walking Wednesdays, Neighborhood Newsletters, Neighborhood Summits, LOVE Lansing Celebration, staffing for Neighborhoods in Bloom and the Neighborhood Advisory Board (who issue thousands of dollars in neighborhood grants), among other programs.
The Neighborhoods Coordinator will also do innovation work with our partners at Bloomberg Philanthropies, National League of Cities, WhatWorksCities, GovEx and others.
This necessary additional funding will ensure that we can satisfy the needs of our neighborhoods and offer increased engagement.”
Under Lansing City Charter, the Mayor has the authority to veto resolutions passed by the City Council.
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