Schor proposes a way to settle city elections in the primary

(Because of an editing error, an earlier version of this story inaccurately described Lansing Mayor Andy Schor's election proposal. It also misstated how many opponents he faced in the 2017 primary election.)

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 9 — Mayor Andy Schor would like to eliminate General Election races for city positions when the winner in a primary race with more than two candidates surpasses 50% of the vote. 

"When I first ran for mayor, I got 68% in the primary and 72% in the general election. If I had that extra month and a half to set up an administration, that would have been gold. So, I do think someone winning a majority of the votes in a primary should be looked at as the winner," Schor said. 

In 2017, Schor faced four in the primary. He won again in 2021 when he faced five challengers. He is expected to run for a third term next year.

Schor proposed his idea last night to the Lansing Charter Commission. The commission is considering what changes, if any, it would like to see in the charter. Both the governor and voters would have to approve them.

Schor suggested implementing a provision, used in other Michigan cities like Grand Rapids, that would declare candidates for municipal positions who receive more than 50% of the vote in an August primary the outright winner. 

Overall, Schor declared himself "fairly happy with the charter. I think it works pretty well."

Schor noted a few additional "tweaks" he'd like to be considered.

One was asking for more time for the mayor to be able to deliver a veto of City Council actions. Right now, the charter allows three days. He wants seven.

"Having more time is important because the mayor needs the ability to review things that pass. I would recommend giving a full week before a veto has to be issued," he said. 

He would also like the commission to examine changing a provision that prohibits city employees from serving on boards and commissions.

"I understand the concept because we don't want a mayor or a Council to be putting their own employees on a board or commission and then telling them what to do," Schor said. As a result, "We are missing out on a lot of talent on our boards and commissions."

He added that the Public Service and Parks and Recreation department staffers could bring a lot of knowledge to those discussions, though he acknowledged that the provision should probably stay in place for his own administrative staff and City Council. 

He opposed giving advisory boards more authority or imposing term limits on their members.

"One of the things that I struggle with is having an advisory board of volunteers who may want to manage a department," he said. "We have professional staff for that," he said.

As for term limits, "We have a good combination of folks with experience and folks that are new and fresh."

Schor also expressed a dim view of altering Lansing's strong mayor system in favor of a city manager form.

"We have a president and a Congress, we have a governor and a legislature, and I do believe in having a mayor and a council — a separation of powers," he said. "The Council is the legislative body, and the mayor is the CEO and administrator. I believe in those roles very strongly."

What about a hybrid system in which the city would have both a strong mayor and a city manager, as Ann Arbor does? Commissioner Joan Bauer asked him.

"It would be a conflic, because you'd have two people who think they're in charge," Schor said.

Another issue the commission is exploring is what City Council's right size. It has eight members, four elected in wards and four citywide.

To prevent deadlock, commission members and residents have proposed moving to an odd number of members while also potentially adding one or more wards to the mix.

Schor was receptive. "It's a bit awkward to have an even number of members."

The mayor suggested a bigger role for the mayor in City Council decisions, though short of a vote.

"The mayor or their representative has to attend meetings but doesn't really have a role," he said. "There should be language that the mayor has the ability to discuss and debate things that come up, providing information from the administration's perspective." 

Commission Chair Brian Jeffries proposed shifting responsibility for the city's stormwater management system from the Public Service Department to the Board of Water & Light. 

"That's interesting," Schor said. "I have not given that a minute's thought until just now. I'd have to think about that." 

Council veteran Carol Wood also met with the commission, calling in remotely to outline some changes she wanted to see. 

Having served on Council for over two decades, she had "mixed feelings" about the body's makeup. But she cautioned against moving toward a system that is entirely ward-based.

"As a former at-large Council member, I see this position as valuable," Wood said. "You could consider electing two at-large members from the First and Fourth Wards who would have to live in one of those wards. Two other at-large members could be elected from the Second and Third Wards," she said. 

Wood also noted that the appointment process for department heads, which lies with the mayor, could use an additional check to allow the Council to do an annual review of each department head's contract. 

"It should be done by Dec. 1 of each year. No new contract should be let until the review is complete," she said. 

Wood also believes the commission should look at adding a provision allowing the Council to "get outside legal advice when they feel the information they receive from the City Attorney's Office is inadequate."

Wood and Schor both said the procedure in place for when a mayor is "temporarily absent" should be tweaked, albeit for different reWhenmes when he's out, Schor said of town hoften e could attend meetings and hold discussions virtually. The charter "should reflect our technology of the day."

"Now, I do think there should be language in there on incapacitation of a mayor. I, God forbid, I have a stroke,e and I am not able to perform my duties, then you need someone else. Right now, it would be the Council president for statutory reasons," he said. 

Wood saw it a bit differently. 

"Several incidents have occurred when the mayor has been temporarily absent from the city and has not notified Council," she said. 

Rewritten language could ensure more accountability in that regard, she said. 

With the meeting stretching well past the two-hour mark, commissioners opted to shelve their scheduled discussion on the organization of the City Council, including the number of seats and wards, until the next meeting on Oct. 22. Another presentation, an overview of municipal government by Michigan State University Professor Mark Skidmore, is also on the next agenda.