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Lansing Mayor Andy Schor said a typical State of the City event is a mix of celebrating accomplishments from the year before and laying out a vision for the year ahead.
But he said after his annual address Wednesday evening, they’re one and the same for 2026.
“A lot of the things I talked about this year, they were not big grand productions of new programs,” Schor said. “A lot of it was what’s working, and how do we do it better.”
Schor said the city’s budget staying nearly flat means there’s little room for brand new programs. Instead, his focus is on expanding and improving existing services and continuing on what he identified as a trajectory of success in the city.
One example of a program being expanded is local road repairs.
The city plans to invest more than $12 million in fixing local roads this year.
More than half of that money, about $7 million, will go towards work on major thoroughfares. Repairs will take place on Pennsylvania Avenue, Mt. Hope Avenue, Jolly Road, Cavanaugh Road and Pleasant Grove Road.
The city will also rehab about nine miles of neighborhood streets.
Schor said he wants to make sure every dollar stretches as far as it can.
“Let’s grind down some streets. Let’s do some asphalt overlays. Let’s not just restructure a road,” Schor said. “Let’s figure out all the different options.”
Rather than giving a traditional speech, Schor sat behind a talk show style desk and introduced city staff members to highlight progress their departments made last year.
Public Service Director Andy Kilpatrick said increased state funding could help the city reach an additional nine miles of neighborhood roads.
Kilpatrick said March and April are peak months for potholes in Michigan.
He said the city typically receives around 300 pothole complaints by the end of April. But that can sometimes amount to twice as many if the spring freeze-thaw cycle has been particularly rough.
During his address last year, Schor unveiled the design of the new City Hall that’s set to open later this year and talked about issues like housing and roads.
Schor said some previously announced initiatives, like installing modular housing units for the city’s homeless population, are still ongoing.
"The state of our city is strong," Schor said. "And we have so much to be excited and hopeful for right now. As I always say, and you know it, Lansing's time is now. And the best is yet to come."
