Dear Readers,
I am running for City Council at Large. I have had many citizens of Lansing say that they don’t know much about local government but that is one of the reasons why we should begin to learn.
We as a city need to take responsibility for what we know. I believe there should be more transparency in our local government.
I want to explain what City Council is briefly, so that you will become more informed regarding your local government and how it works.
The Council holds weekly Monday evening meetings at 7:00 pm unless that Monday is a City holiday, at which time the Council gathers on Thursday afternoon at 1:30 pm. On Monday nights, if you choose to watch the City Council meetings, you will notice that the council consists of 8 members, four are At-Large and four Ward Councilmembers.
Our city is split into 4 sections and then broken down into precincts. Your precinct indicates what area you vote in.
Council meetings are held in the Council Chambers on the 10th Floor of City Hall, 124 W. Michigan Avenue and cablecasted "live" on CITY-TV, Comcast Channel 12.
There are a couple of key points about City Council members that are of note:
1. City Council seats have no particular party affiliation attached to them.
2. Elections are held every odd year, two At-Large members and two Ward members are up for election each time.
3. The City Council establishes City policy when they pass ordinances and adopt the City budget.
4. The City has the authority and duty to investigate City departments.
5. The Mayor and/or his executive assistant are encouraged to attend all Council meetings to make proposals and respond to questions from Council members and citizens. However, the Mayor doesn’t have voting privileges.
6. Certain City Council ordinances may be subject to veto by the Mayor however they may be overridden by a majority vote of the council.
7. People of Lansing it is good to know procedures and protocol and how they are crafted.
Committee to Elect Rina Risper
We are having our kick off at Sir Pizza in Old Town at 201 E. Grand River Avenue on Saturday, March 14, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. We invite you and your family to come and hear about some of my ideas that I have. I will tell you about what young adults and adults have been telling me for months about where they fit in the City of Lansing.
I plan on running a peaceful campaign and hope that there will be sensible discussion regarding where we need to go as a city.
Some feel that they have been the forgotten voice. I want to hear what you have to say.
Sincerely,
Rina Risper
