WKAR surveyed candidates running for at-large Lansing City Council seats prior to the August primary. Below are responses from candidates who advanced to the general.

1. WKAR CANDIDATE SURVEY
WKAR surveyedall at-large Lansing City Council candidates prior to the August 2021 primary Below
are responsesfrom candidateswho have advanced to the general election.The answersappearas
submittedwiththe exceptionof some copyeditingandformattingchanges.
At-large race, elected citywide
What top three priorities will you accomplish by the end of your four-year term?
Jeffrey Brown:
1. Stable and Safe Neighborhoods
2. Equitable EconomicDevelopmentandOpportunities
3. Transparencyand Collaboration
Claretta Duckett-Freeman:
I planto pushthe council leftsothattheyinvestmore of our moneyincommunitycenters.Iplanto
establishwardmeetingssimilartothe People’sassemblysothatmore people have avoice.Iwill
investigateracial discriminationinourcitydepartmentsanddemandaccountability.People will be fired
and replaced.
Peter Spadafore:
Firstand foremost,Iwill continue mytrackrecordof thoughtful,collaborative,andtransparent
governance.The LansingCityCouncil needstobe a partner – not an adversary – to others.
Second,Iwill make sure thateconomicopportunitiesare available toall ourresidents,notjustafew.To
move our cityfromsurvivingthe pandemictothriving,Iwill ensure economicopportunityreachesevery
neighborhoodinourcity,fromcleanparksand goodqualityof life toeasyaccessto servicesandsupport
for small businesses.
Third,I will continue tofocus onthe basics:good roads,cleanwater,nice streets,andparks.I’m
committedtomakingsure cityservicesmeasure uptoresidentexpectations,because we all deserve to
live ina citywe feel proudof.
Rachel Willis:
• EconomicDevelopment - thisincludessupporting/sustainingexistingbusinessandbringinginmore
diverse economicdrivers,thisleadstogoal of financial stability

2. • Communitycohesionandcollaboration - thisincludesaddressingthe divide betweenthe
communityandpolice.Focusonincreasedsupportof local publicschools,health,welfare and
communitywellbeingthroughqualityservices. Iwouldinclude placemakinginthisgoal
• People overpolitics- the wellbeingof peopleandthe communityshouldtake precedence overany
individualpolitical motivations-we needtohearfromthe communityandgovernina way thatmakes
people feelvaluedandheard
If successful inmycampaign,I planto attainmy topprioritiesbyworkingwithmycolleaguesonthe
council to assess the programsthat we alreadyhave inplace anddetermine whatisworkingandwhat
may needtochange.I welcome the voice of the businesscommunityintoeachstepof myprocess,
especiallylookingatwaystheycan supportthe employmentopportunitiesforcitizens.Stable
employmentandincome opportunitiesleadstostable healthandwellbeing,whichleadstostable
education,whichleadstostable long-termsuccess.Itisall interconnected.
If forced to make budget cuts, what’s the last thing you would cut from Lansing’s budget? (i.e.
What spending do you think is most important to protect?)
Jeffrey Brown:
If forcedto make budgetcuts,I wouldcertainlylooktoprotectpublicsafety,basicpublicservices,parks,
neighborhoods,humanservices andinfrastructure.Incuttingitemslikediscretionaryspendingwhile
makingsure the foregoingcontinuestobe prioritized,we wouldbe positioningourselvestosuccessfully
attract and retaincitizensandemployersandensuringasafe,livable community.
Claretta Duckett-Freeman:
Communitycentersforchildrenandseniors
PeterSpadafore:
Residentsdeservethe servicestheypayforandexpect.Inleanbudgettimes.it’sincumbentuponusas
policymakerstofindwaystoensure those servicesare delivered.Iwouldprotectmostour
infrastructure andpublicservice resources(roads,sidewalks,snow removal,trashandrecycling) andour
police andfire services.
Rachel Willis:
One of the last things I would cut/fully eliminate is public safety funding - this would include
anything pertaining to roads, infrastructure, fire safety, code enforcement, mental health
services.
How should policing be reformed in the city? Do you support defunding the police/cutting
police funding?
Jeffrey Brown:

3. I believepolice reformbeginswithaccountability,transparency,policyreform, andtrue community
engagementandcollaboration.Idonotsupportdefundingthe police butdosupportcontinuedefforts
to make our police departmentthe best,mostproductive departmentinthe state.
Claretta Duckett-Freeman:
You cannot reformsomethingthatworksexactlyasitwasdesigned.Youhave tocreate something
better.Isupportdefundingthe policeandcreatingpublicsafetythatactuallyprotectscitizens.
PeterSpadafore:
Due to staffinglevels,ourpublicsafetyeffortsare tooone-dimensional,focusingsolelyoncall response.
To reformpolicing,we needatieredapproachtopublicsafetythatincludessocial workers,expanded
resourcesavailablewhencalling911 and investmentsinviolence preventionprogramslike Advance
Peace that will hopefullyhelpshiftourfocusfromlaw enforcementtoa more preventative andholistic
strategy.
Rachel Willis:
There are currentlytwosocial workersemployedbythe LPD.Inlieuof defundingpolice,Iwouldsupport
increasingthe use of social workersonthe force,butbeyondthat,the city needsmore cohesionamong
itssocial servicesarrayand availabilitytothe communitytopreventcitizensfromhavingtoengage with
the police.
What will you do to help the city of Lansing and its residents recover financially and socially
from the COVID-19 pandemic?
Jeffrey Brown:
I believewe have tolookatthe newnormal andmake the necessaryfinancialadjustments,aswell as
seekoutnewand innovativeopportunities,asaneffortto grow our city andstrengthenourfinancial
position.Socially,Ibelieve creatingnew socialengagementsandsupportingentrepreneursandcreative
groupsthroughoutthe cityis important.
Claretta Duckett-Freeman:
I wouldpropose we incentivize anyprospective developerstohire acertainpercentof Lansingresidents
at the startingrate of at least$15, provide trainingandinvestinourcommunitycenters.AlsoIwould
searchfor grants to bringmore therapiststothe city.
PeterSpadafore:
The pandemichas beensohard on so many,especiallythose thatlostlovedonestothe disease.It’s
time to getthe city back to full strength,offeringresidentssocial activitiesandthingstodo,and
supportslike rental assistance andsmall businessgrants.Utilizing moneyfromthe AmericanRescue
Plan,we can investincityservicestohelpresidentsandbusinessesrecoverfromthe pandemicand
prosper.
Rachel Willis:

4. One thingthat isunderthe control of the CityCouncil isto relieve finesandfeesforordinance violations
or late tax collectionfees.A lotof employersstruggledwithassistingemployeeswiththeirincome tax
calculationsandpayments- itmayseemlike asmall thing,butalleviatingtax liabilitiesandfinescouldgo
a longway withassistingresidentswiththeirfinancial situations.Currentlythere are opportunitiesfrom
the use of CARESfundsthat can be allocateddirectlytobusinessesincludingincentivizingthemtorehire
staff that may have beenlaidoff.