Christen Mitchell is one of three candidates running to serve on Saline City Council. Three seats are up for election on the upcoming November 6 ballot. [1]
Earlier this month, Saline Journal invited each individual to share their thoughts with our readers on a specific series of questions. Responses from Ms Mitchell appear below. Responses from Janet Dillon and Dean Girbach ran in Saline Journal earlier this week. [2]
Saline Journal: “What would you list as your top five priorities for Saline City Council in 2019?” [3]
Christen Mitchell: “It’s interesting that this question speaks to me personally, but I cannot effect change by myself. So I hope to work with other city councilors to:
- Increase accountability for the city manager
- Develop a modest budget prioritizing debt repayment, retirement obligations, roads
- Encourage commissions such as Planning to review best practices
- Begin a discussion about affordable and accessible housing
- Help expand our historic district
Saline Journal: “In what year were you first elected to Council? Since that time, what decision do you most regret? Why?”
Christen Mitchell: “I was elected in November of 2016 and began my term in January of 2017.
I did vote for a decision I regret: The parking changes on Monroe Street that were made before seeking residents’ input. I apologized at the next meeting and have made efforts to resolve that issue. I’m hopeful for more support from my colleagues on city council to better serve that area.”
Saline Journal: “If you were to choose one issue with which you’d like your name associated as a Council champion twenty years from now, what would that be? How did you, personally, advance that cause?”
Christen Mitchell: “I’m most proud of the non-discrimination ordinance passed earlier this year. [4]
As one who researched and helped write that policy, it’s personally gratifying that all residents of Saline are valued and protected here. The protections extend to all contractors’ workers, and because we partnered with Saline Area Schools for a resource officer, the protections extend there as well.
Several townships have mentioned that they were keeping an eye on our progress with that ordinance. I’m grateful to have worked with Linda TerHaar and Dean Girbach on that task force. I’m grateful to Jack Ceo, Janet Dillon, Heidi McClelland, and Brian Marl for supporting it unanimously.
It has affected a tremendous number of people in our community and region. It remains one of the achievements of my life that I’m most proud of.”
Saline Journal: “How important is it for any given member of Council to be ‘in sync’ with the voters? local businesses? Explain.”
Christen Mitchell: “Extraordinarily important. As a representative, I must be accessible and willing to dialog with all residents and business owners.
That means I live here; work here; shop here; dine at restaurants here. My daughter attends Saline High School. I attend the same church where I was baptized. Serving on City Council means being willing to hear opinions that are different than mine, advocating for government transparency, and sensible spending. I get tired, I get frustrated — but nothing beats the feeling when I’m able to be helpful to a resident or business owner.
I grew up in Saline. I love my hometown and I’m very grateful to be able to serve it.
Saline Journal: “Please describe your view of ‘history’ in terms of the future of Saline.”
Christen Mitchell: “History is extraordinarily important to our future. Saline was founded upon our proud agricultural roots. In some ways that agricultural foundation is still here, but alongside it the city has grown jobs of all kinds, from skilled labor to tech to a bedroom community for our great academic institutions. We have a special combination of talents here.
That being said, there is an intrinsic value to preserving our history, which is why I so enjoy serving on the historic district commission. That commission is in the early stages of exploring expansion to protect a greater number of important buildings in town. Can you imagine Saline without the Davenport-Curtiss mansion? Can we protect our beautiful cemetery? These buildings and many others would be preserved for future generations by expanding the district. [5]
Saline Journal: “With more than a dozen scarecrow creations once again adorning local store fronts, with which do you most personally identify? How So? [6]
Christen Mitchell: “I strive to be a Yoda but humbly admit to being a Stormtrooper sometimes!” [7,8]
Additionally, each candidate was offered the opportunity to put forth a question of their own and then answer it for publication here.
Christen Mitchell: “Regarding affordable and accessible housing: Right now, our newer developments are beautiful, but large and higher end.
I’ve had feedback from residents my age whose adult children can’t afford to live here even though they wish to. I’ve also had interesting discussions with older adults who wish to have homes that support aging in place. Our city is fortunate to have more older adults than the average Michigan city! Saline’s active adults wish to be involved with their community and live close to their families.
We need to consider these needs when looking at housing because communities are better when they have diverse, inclusive housing.
Regarding the city budget: I consider myself a fiscal conservative. As we grow we will have more income but also increased demand for services. It is a fine line to expand our city while meeting the need to update and expand infrastructure as well. I’m generally a pro-expansion, pro-business candidate, but mindful that the expansion must be sensible.
Examples of my recent votes that illustrate this philosophy are:
- “The only Council member to vote against the current budget: City staff discussed modest growth and adding one staff member to Department of Public Works. When the budget was released, several departments showed increased spending that I wasn’t ready to support. I’m hoping to grow consensus towards practical spending that fulfills our promises to retirees and supports repairing roads and paying down debt without an additional tax burden to residents.
- “The sale of Sauk Trail lot 20A to a commercial developer over a medical office. I greatly support a medical office coming to Saline. That area wasn’t a good fit and the offer didn’t support enough sacrifices on the city’s part. Part of serving on city council is being a good steward of public monies.
- “My ‘nay’ vote to repair the road of a cul-de-sac in our industrial park: I suggested using those funds to serve a greater number of residents. That idea became the West Woodland Drive repair project.”
References
- “City of Saline Departments and Elected Officials: Saline City Council” Saline.
- “Major Political Party Candidates Have Answered Questions In Races Of Local Interest To Saline Michigan” Dell Deaton (October 12, 2018) Saline Journal.
- Candidates were requested to limit their responses to ten words or less per item.
- “New Non-Discrimination Ordinance Can Further Enhance the Value of Saline” Dell Deaton (April 3, 2018) Saline Journal.
- “Saline Local Historic Districts” Saline.
- “Saline Scarecrow Contest” Borer Family Chiropractic.
- “Yoda” Star Wars.
- “Stormtroopers” Star Wars.
