During the August 8 primary for Lansing City Council, voters on the city's Eastside will pick from three Ward 1 candidates to advance to the general election.
Incumbent Ryan Kost is facing off against two challengers in the race. The two candidates who receive the most votes will advance to the November election.
The council's current term has centered around addressing red-tagged housing, negotiating the city's budget and enhancing economic development in Lansing.
WKAR asked the three candidates why they want to represent Ward 1 and what their priorities would be on the council. Here's what they said.
Responses from the candidates have been shared without modification or editing.Ryan Kost
Ryan Kost won a special election last November to represent the Ward 1 on the City Council. He works for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Why are you running for a full term on the Lansing City Council, and how are you pitching yourself to voters?
I am running because in the short time I have been on council I have given folks a voice and worked tirelessly for them to get stuff done. I have proven to be effective, transparent, and a leader who leads the community as an equal. Everything I have done is to fight for the people of Lansing.
In your opinion, what are the biggest issues facing the city right now?
The three biggest issues are housing, reinvestment in neighborhoods, parks, and certainly infrastructure. I don't list public safety because the list above touches on problems with public safety. It is a safety issue when houses are dangerous and people have no shelter. It is dangerous when our roads are falling apart and sidewalks can't be walked. I have taken all these issues head-on and will continue to do so.
What's one area of the city you would spend less on? What's one area of the city you would spend more on?
We need to look at where our waste is. I did when we passed the 24 budget. I went line by line. We made cuts across the board as we face a deficit next year. I also put two amendments forward to cut what we saw as ineffective leadership and it was vetoed and we overrode the veto. We all took cuts and they are hard but we can't cut our rank-and-file workers and we must put more money into public service. There are several areas where I will be looking at tightening the belt in the 25 budget.
Lansing officials have been working to address issues with red-tagged housing, but many homes still remain uninhabitable for residents. What would you change to improve housing conditions in the city?
I am spearheading this movement on the council. We have already made several changes. We have a monthly meeting on this topic now. We have addressed the fact that many ordinances were not being followed and now are. We got new leadership in place. We have started reducing the red tags by charging the neat fee when bad actors don't take care of their property. We also have taken slumlords to court when they left people in horrible conditions. We are hitting this on all fronts. I am also in contact with our state reps working to see a housing bill is passed to include a tenant bill of rights. I will continue to fight for the people on this issue. Nothing is more important than knowing when you put your child to bed it's in a safe home.
How would you work effectively with the rest of City Council and Mayor Andy Schor's office?
I have worked with everyone. Council is united and works very well together and I stay in contact with all members. I also have worked with the mayor many times and stood up to him when I needed to, all for the people of Lansing. If it will improve the lives of the people there is no one I won't work with. I also am firm in not playing political games just to get votes. I am square with the people I represent and I owe them everything and without the people's support I would not be here. I am proud of the things we have done in my 7 months on council and given 4 years by the voters I will be relentless to work with anyone to make this a better place for the citizens of Lansing.Michael VandeGuchte
Michael VandeGuchte is a team leader for Meijer and a former security officer for Sparrow Hospital.
Why are you running for Lansing City Council, and how are you pitching yourself to voters?
My name is Michael VandeGuchte, I am a 29 year old Lansing resident. I received my Bachelor of Science in Fisheries & Wildlife with a Minor in Conservation Enforcement from Michigan State University. I have lived in Lansing the past 10 years, 6 of those being in Ward 1. I currently work as a Team Leader for Meijer, prior to that I was a Security Officer for Sparrow Hospital. I am running for Lansing City Council because I believe my ward, and the City, deserve a strong leader. I believe that when people talk about the largest cities in Michigan, Lansing as the Capital City shouldn't be the last on the list to visit or be mentioned. Lansing should be the Pinnacle of Mid-Michigan. The best way to make that vision come true is to focus on three key things: supporting small businesses, lowering the violent crime rate, and focusing on mental health programs for those in need. Great strides in these three key areas will open the city up to its full potential and get money flowing back in. Ward 1 has been through enough changes and deserves somebody who will remain calm under pressure, be attentive to the communities needs, and isn’t afraid to stand for the beliefs of their constituents. I am running for City Council because I am the right voice for my ward and the City.
In your opinion, what are the biggest issues facing the city right now?
Economy- Lansing is a city that should be on the rise. My plan is to focus on changes that will attract business and labor force to increase revenue to the City while maintaining and supporting the positive structures and policies we currently have in place and immediately going after any policies that are hurting our business potential.
Public Safety-Fix the small things and the big things will fix themselves. I truly believe that showing that the city cares about small matters will fix a lot of the moderate problems we see in the city in reference to crime. I will work hard with the Mayor and LPD to find ways that we can begin implementing these changes and getting back to community policing.
Mental Health- In my experience the most difficult time during a mental health crisis is asking for help. The second most difficult time is the transition from care back to normal life. It's time the City of Lansing has solid programs in place to assist those in mental health crisis, especially in those two critical moments. There are proven correlations to mental health, homelessness and crime rates. Great strides in this area will make the City better for everyone.
What's one area of the city you would spend less on? What's one area of the city you would spend more on?
I feel that there are ways to cut unnecessary spending in our budget without affecting large programs. I am very much in favor of attempting budget balancing tactics such as splitting payments, reducing paper budget by utilizing e-services, hiring collection agencies to pursue outstanding debt, limiting employee travel, eliminating overtime and non-essential hour cutbacks before we even need to consider departmental budget cuts.
As far as what we could spend more money on, I am a big advocate of getting Lansing's infrastructure in tip-top shape. Sidewalks and roads in high traffic areas should be our first priority and this goes with my economy boosting vision. Pretty sells after all. Once we get those areas in order we can start actually fixing the worst roads and only utilizing patching as an emergency response and not the go to standard.
Lansing officials have been working to address issues with red-tagged housing, but many homes still remain uninhabitable for residents. What would you change to improve housing conditions in the city?
The first step is to focus on affordable housing just like what is happening with the old Walter French school. The second step is to ensure code enforcement stays in top shape and accountability occurs when necessary. I do believe that great strides are already being taken by the city, so my vision would be to focus more on the future. Following up when necessary and guiding responsible parties in the proper direction to ensure Lansing residents have effective enforcement.
How would you work effectively with the rest of City Council and Mayor Andy Schor's office?
Even though there are many people with different beliefs and agendas working together, there is still one ultimate goal, to make Lansing a better city. At the end of each council member and mayor's tenure I truly believe that they all want to leave the impression that they worked their hardest to make that dream come true. Working together is all about listening to everyone's side and then coming to a consensus that is the best for the City. Accountability and Integrity are a very important part of this as well. Everyone should be held to the same standard, and I would not only hold my colleagues accountable but most importantly to myself.D. Taft
DeMarco Taft, listed as D. Taft on the ballot, describes himself as "a passionate All-American African street minister and historic church owner." He unsuccessfully ran for the council in 2021 and 2022.
Why are you running for Lansing City Council, and how are you pitching yourself to voters?
I’m pitching a platform not myself. I never have and never will ask anyone to vote for me. I think in a free society a person should be able to vote freely without persuasion from a candidate or secondary influencer. I stand solid on my platform with no crutches is why I don’t accept donations or endorsements. I believe the voters are more concerned about issues than personal attributes but for the sake of answering the question I will state the unobvious fact that Lansing City Council do not have an All-American African male seated on council. All-American African meaning both parents are descendants of the formerly known Negro. I am the first male in my family born after the Civil Right Act of 1964. I spent the first 13 years of my life learning from my great grandmother. She was born in 1897 the daughter of two former slaves. She would tell me the family stories dating back to the late 1700’s as told to her by her former slave parents and grandparents. She would end by telling me how fortunate I am to benefit from the 100s of years of work it took for our family to get free and gain Civil Rights. She wasn’t bitter about our journey as she lay optimistic about the future of our family and country. I will bring soul with common sense as my compass to Council.
In your opinion, what are the biggest issues facing the city right now?
Public Safety is the biggest issue. According to the FBI, Lansing is ranked the 17th most violent city in America. I plan to deter crime with technological tools including efficient, sturdy City Wide Surveillance and Rapid Response Drones. Technological tools will provide situational awareness to law enforcement by allowing them to verify situations, promptly identify threat and improve response times. Technological tools will immediately deter crime and as cases begin to be solved and criminals realize they will likely be caught, potential offenders will commit fewer crimes. This will increase the quality of life in our community because a safe environment will attract families and businesses and increase confidence and productivity. Our residents deserve to live their best lives in this great city without the fear of being a victim of a crime. I think we have to balance privacy and safety as we upgrade our law enforcement and communities into this technological era. This month the city of Lansing had 2 mass shootings in 24 hours with 9 injured and no arrest. I believe we as a community share the responsibility with law enforcement to protect us. Therefore, with the same spirit of appreciation with have for them wearing body cameras we must have for city wide.
What's one area of the city you would spend less on? What's one area of the city you would spend more on?
I would spend less of the $175 million bond money for a brick and mortar public safety complex and more on technological tools including a robust fleet of rapid response drones for city wide surveillance with real time monitoring from command centers. This will help with recruiting and retention while making it safer for the public and easier for officials to work.
Lansing officials have been working to address issues with red-tagged housing, but many homes still remain uninhabitable for residents. What would you change to improve housing conditions in the city?
Ingham County including Lansing recently agreed to pay millions to homeowners for habitually keeping surplus for auctions is proof they are responsible for the, “Red Tag Crisis” not tax paying homeowners! I plan to rescue as many homes as possible. I support bidding on city hired contractors to enter and make required updates and assess the cost for improvements to the owner. The homes that are owned by the city should be upgraded by the city hired contractors and sold to qualified residents with affordable terms not investors. I will change the current auction system as it relates to the sale of foreclosed properties. Foreclosed properties would no longer be sold at the auction with violations for more than what was owed in unpaid taxes and fees. This will deter the habitual keeping of surplus. The occupied red tagged homes should stay occupied if the home can pass electrical, gas, water inspections and presents no immediate structural hazard. The filing deadline for previous homeowners to retrieve surplus and be made whole is August 7th 2023.
How would you work effectively with the rest of City Council and Mayor Andy Schor's office?
I’m a true independent that votes split-ticket for both parties depending on the issues. I appreciate disagreements as long as they lead to constructive progress. I’m the type that can disagree with a point about a topic and then agree on the next point about the same topic. It’s not all or nothing with me. Some of my most solid relationships began from a disagreement. I find value in the views of others even if I don’t agree. This combined with the fact that I genuinely have no other political ambitions but to represent the people of the 1st Ward in Lansing, MI will position me as the voice of reason on all topics. I don’t require others to agree with me for us to have a positive working relationship. I think this authentic belief and approach will be healthy and work well with the rest of City Council and Mayor Andy Schor’s office.
