In the Nov. 7 general election, voters in Lansing's Eastside will decide who they want to represent them on City Council.
Incumbent Councilmember Ryan Kost is facing off against Michael VandeGuchte to vie for the Ward 1 seat after making it through the August primary. The winner will serve on the council for a full four-year term through 2027.
Current councilmembers have focused on addressing red-tagged housing, negotiating the city's budget and enhancing economic development in Lansing.
WKAR asked the two candidates why they want to represent Ward 1. We also asked them how they would address policy issues that frequently come before the council.
Candidates were told to please keep their responses to up to 250 words. Their responses have been shared without modification or editing.
Ryan Kost
Ryan Kost is running for a full term after he won a special election in 2022 to represent Ward 1. He works for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Why are you running for Lansing City Council? What’s your elevator pitch for why voters should elect you?
I am running to make Lansing a better place and to give us a real voice at the table. City government has not been working for us and I have fought hard to change that. The work will continue and as the council member I have and always will have your back. I will stand up for us even if it's alone.
In your opinion, what are Lansing’s biggest strengths?
It's people. We have the greatest people in the world. We must work together and I have had the honor to serve us for 10 months now and the people of the 1st ward are not a vote or number but my neighbors and friends.
In your opinion, what are the biggest issues facing the city right now?
The city faces infrastructure problems, housing issues of many faces, and a lack of investment in the community. I have fought hard to change all those things and we are chipping away at them now. Many 1st ward roads that we're down to gravel are now fixed because we fought for it. I will always fight to make Lansing a better place for it's people.
How would you address housing?
I have been addressing it from day 1. We had a red tag crisis and I dove in. We found issues and came up with solutions. That red rag number is over 200 tags less since I came in. We also have a unhoused population issue, high rent, and many other issues. I continue to work hard to solve those and advocate to the state on these issues as we need to be all in on housing. All the partners at the table.
How would you address public safety?
One thing we did was include signing bonuses for police, fire, and public safety. We have to continue address infrastructure, hire staff for our fire department who is currently 31 short, and look to community policing and building trust in the police department. I sit on public safety and I have asked the hard questions and we have gotten much done this year to address this issue but we are a long ways from being finished. 250 words is not enough to really give a big picture of what public safety is, needs, and has gotten.
How would you address economic development?
This is easy. Take to the businesses specifically our small businesses. I have met with our small businesses and I have talked to the owners, managers, stock person, and anybody else that wants to chat. They are the experts on what they need. When they have asked for help from me I have been at their side to address and press their cause and I will continue to do that. We have some of the best businesses and shopping districts in our ward and I will fight to keep them. As for big business, I believe community investment needs to happen first and that economic development will come. If our neighborhoods look like war zones no one will choose Lansing or choose to put down roots in a meaningful way. Most of our mega developers do not live in Lansing and there is a reason. Let's change that.
How would you address the city’s infrastructure?
We have to identify what the needs are. The biggest need is not only funding but also employees. We need mass hiring, we are already funding positions, and we need to get these good-paying union jobs out for people to apply for. We also need to hold the contractors we use accountable. We did so when they did chip seal last year and it fell apart. We demanded as a council they fix it and we didn't let up. Finally they did come back at their cost to repair their work and make us whole. I will always fight that hard to make it right. On that note it makes a great point we need to stop hiring these non union guys that are doing shotty work and start doing it ourselves again.
Voters in November will weigh in on a ballot question that asks if the city charter should be revised. What’s your position on a possible charter revision?
Yes I believe the charter should be opened. If we elect to open it then we will have an election of a commission which will then make recommendations and those will go again before the voters for adoption. It's a long game but it has not been opened since the 70's when we switched to strong mayor and it's time.
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? What’s your elevator pitch for why voters should elect you?
My platform seeks to focus on three main issues:
-Economy-A strong economy which includes boosts to businesses and labor force will help the city gain more revenue to help finance the changes everyone wants to see.
-Public Safety- When you look at the statistics, a majority of violent crimes in Lansing were assaults. I believe in focusing on the small things and getting back to community policing. The perception would be that the City now cares about the small things, they must now care about the big things even more. This in turn gives us passive community enforcement.
-Mental Health-I have seen first hand the treatment those with mental health issues receive. I recognize that there are plenty of treatment options, and there are programs to help get people back on their feet. The critical timing is the lull between being released from treatment and your next follow-up appointment. In this critical junction, people need the most support and I believe that finding a way to offer that support will assist in reducing crime and homelessness as well as increasing overall community happiness.
In your opinion, what are Lansing’s biggest strengths?
The first thing is Lansing IS THE Capital City! So much potential just in that fact. People are always interested in their states capital.
The second strength is the location, situated right in the middle of the state, between Grand Rapids and Detroit. There is a lot of opportunity for stop and go tourism as well as conferences and conventions.
Finally, the community. I have found in this campaign that so many people care about each other. I know the people of Lansing are looking for change, and with that kind of ambition we as a city can do anything!
In your opinion, what are the biggest issues facing the city right now?
The main stance of my platform is business. I see when I am driving the streets that there are small businesses that are shut down, buildings that have been empty for years and new commercial constructions that haven't been filled. Even now as we have been running this campaign we are seeing a mass exodus of businesses leaving the downtown area (Grand Traverse Pie Company, Biggby, etc.) I recognized early on that those businesses are the profit potential of Lansing and the city needs their revenue to be able to implement all the programs City Council Members and Candidates talk about. I spoke to many small business owners early in my campaign and was told over and over again "I haven't seen anyone from the city, not even a candidate, come here in a long time." It is so unfortunate. We should be protecting small businesses so that they can be creative, diverse and not feel like they are alone. All of my main platform topics (Economy, Public Safety, Mental Health) are not only for the benefit of the people of this city, but will also help create an economic powerhouse of Lansing and get the money flowing again.
How would you address housing?
The first step is to put a lot of 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 to keep those housing options available. I do believe that great strides are already being taken by the city when it comes to code enforcement, so my vision would be to focus more on the future. Following up when necessary and guiding responsible parties in the right direction to ensure Lansing residents have safe and effective enforcement.
How would you address public safety?
Lansings number one violent crime is assault. I truly believe that getting back to community policing and interacting with the public is the best way to reduce this statistic. When was the last time you saw officers walking downtown or through a park? Finding ways to help citizens resolve conflict and having officers present in the communities to intervene before a physical altercation occurs will reduce our violent crime rate.
How would you address economic development?
Lansing is a city that should be on the rise. Ward 1 especially with Old Town, Reo Town, Michigan Ave and Frandor. In order to make the changes everyone wants to see, we need to increase revenue into the city. My plan is to focus on changes that will attract business and labor force into the city. Getting the city to a cleanliness standard, addressing homelessness, quality of life improvements and public safety. Incentivizing businesses in some way to make sure the empty and abandoned buildings get filled. Making significant changes in these areas will get the money flowing into the city as well as making Lansing the pinnacle of Mid-Michigan
How would you address the city’s infrastructure?
Infrastructure legislation seems to focus on putting band-aids on things because it is the cheaper route to go. I would be more inclined to fix issues at the root cause. If 100’ of road needs patches but it could also be replaced, why not fix 50’ now and 50’ later instead of patching the whole 100’. This is unpopular because it upsets more people in the short term, but it is better for the overall infrastructure in the long term. I would also look into the allocation of any other state and local funds. Also, with a limited budget, I would focus on improvements in high traffic areas that could increase the revenue stream as quickly as possible
Voters in November will weigh in on a ballot question that asks if the city charter should be revised. What’s your position on a possible charter revision?
I believe that it is always important to open the books periodically and look at what can be changed, re-worded or removed. I am pro charter review.
