KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) —
What will be the new priorities for the City of Kalamazoo looking beyond the COVID-19 pandemic? Commissioners met over the weekend to start work on their next budget. They discussed four of nine identified priorities which include low-income housing, civil rights, economic development, and public safety. They created six specific goals for each of those four priorities. Mayor Dave Anderson says they had to make a lot of tough choices.
“Resources on the human side and the financial side are limited in time. And you have to make hard choices sometimes.”
The most challenging of the priorities may be eliminating discrimination in city government by applying an “equity lens”.
“Every function of this city has to have that lens, and that’s something that is just critical. And we’ve made that a priority.” – Vice Mayor Patrice Griffin
Commissioners were only able to scratch the surface of these new priorities during the meeting. More sessions are planned as they continue to work on their next spending plan.
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