By RAUL GARCIA JR | Lansing News Wire
The Lansing News Wire had a chance to catch up with Layna Anderson, candidate for the City of Lansing City Charter General Revision Commission election slated May 7. Here is what he had to say in Meet the Candidate Q&A:
Q:Can you briefly introduce yourself and provide some background on your qualifications for this office?
A: I’ve lived in the Lansing area for my entire adult life. I fell in love with this city, so much so that I made it my career. I worked for an agency of the City of Lansing until 2019, when Schor taking office caused me to seek other career opportunities.
Q: What professional or community experience do you bring to the table that makes you well-suited for this role?
A: I worked for Downtown Lansing Inc., a quasi-governmental organization with the City of Lansing, for five years. During that time, I encountered the charter from a municipal employee perspective and had the opportunity to connect with colleagues from many departments within the City of Lansing to hear a variety of perspectives. Since leaving the City, I have been working in communications for Michigan State University. My combined experience with working in both municipal government and communications makes me uniquely qualified to draft a city charter.
Q: What motivated you to run for this office?
A: I’ve always been waiting for the right moment to get back into City of Lansing government, and this is the perfect opportunity for me. I understand the scopes and limitations of a city charter, I have relationships throughout the city to gain input on issues impacting residents, and I have the written communication skills to draft a large document.
Q: What are the top three priorities you would focus on if elected?
A: 1. Restrict mayoral powers. I think we should keep the strong, elected mayor system, with the caveat that we revoke some of the mayor’s powers, most importantly, the mayor’s power to appoint department heads. Currently, the mayor can appoint any individual to these roles, irrespective of their qualifications, education, or experience. This policy needs revision to ensure that only qualified candidates can be appointed to these critical positions.
2. Restructure City Council. We should shift to an odd number of city council seats. This can be accomplished a number of ways, but my preference would be to create more wards in the city, have one representative for each ward, and fewer at-large seats. An example of this would be creating six wards, having six ward representatives and three at-large, for a total of nine members. Having more wards would increase representation from all communities in Lansing, creating a more inclusive government.
3. Review and revise boards and commissions. Boards and commissions are a great way for citizens to get involved in city government. As a charter commission, we should review the scope of each of the current boards and commissions, how many members each have, how members are selected, and how long they serve.
Q: How do you plan to address specific challenges facing the city, and what are the relevant issues from your point of view?
A: I think the charter commission’s main job is to revise the charter in such a way that sets up the future city council, mayor, and boards and commissions for success in making positive change. We can’t anticipate all the future issues that our city will face, but we can build the framework to have a municipal government in place that is efficient, inclusive and transparent. Our current city charter was written more than 40 years ago, and it doesn’t work for us now in 2024. When writing a new charter, we need to make sure it not only works now, but for years into the future.
Q: How do you plan to engage with and involve the community in decision-making processes?
A: There are a lot of passionate folks in Lansing, the kind that show up at all the community events, and the kind that don’t have the means to do so. While I do think we should have plenty of community listening events in person, we should also find ways for folks to contribute ideas and feedback that doesn’t require them to be at a certain pace at a certain time. City Council recently passed a resolution to open committee-of-the-whole meetings up for two-way digital discussion. Perhaps the charter commission could piggyback on that and create opportunities for residents to contribute in ways that are comfortable and accessible to them.
Q: What strategies do you have for ensuring that all voices in the community are heard and considered?
A: With a restructure of City Council and an increase in the number of wards within the city, we will increase representation of historically underrepresented communities in Lansing. This help create a more inclusive government for the people.
Q: Can you provide a brief overview of the current city charter and its key provisions?
A: The current city charter is a 34 page document drafted in the 1970s. It dictates an elected mayor with power to appoint department heads and an eight person city council consisting of four ward representatives and four at-large representatives.
Q: What are your favorite hobbies:
A: Running, reading, floral design, long walks with my dog Ruby, and attending Lansing Lugnuts games.
Q: Favorite Book:
A: Anything by Jane Jacobs.
Q: Favorite Movie, or TV Show:
A: Parks & Recreation
Tanya Garcia