My first order of business at Flint City Hall was to declare a “State of Emergency” for Flint residents because of lead levels in the water. I recognized that this was the RIGHT THING to do for Flint residents, so I did it.
While members of the Flint City Council recognized that something was wrong with the water, many of them lacked the courage and political will to do the RIGHT THING for the residents of Flint. Why would you trust your public health and safety to someone who lacks the courage to do the RIGHT THING for Flint?
I recognize that more than 5,000 Flint residents shared their vision for the City of Flint through the Imagine Flint Master Plan. As a result of that loud vote for the future of Flint, my administration continues to work closely with the Genesee County Land Bank and the City of Flint Planning Department to implement that plan because it’s the RIGHT THING to do for the residents of Flint.
I appointed a Fire Chief who is committed to doing the RIGHT THING for Flint. Upon being sworn in to his new role, he immediately started to write a SAFER Grant that would allow Flint to hire 33 new Fire Fighters. In July of this year, 41 new Fire Fighters graduated from the Academy with 24 of them being Flint residents. The Fire Chief moved on these items because he understood that it was the RIGHT THING to do for Flint.
My Police Chief re-established the Crime Area Target Team (CATT) because we were not taking a pro-active approach to public safety. Since that time, Flint is no longer one of America’s most dangerous cities. My Police Chief re-established and empowered CATT because it was the RIGHT THING to do to reduce crime.
My track record is clear, I’ve done and will continue to do the RIGHT THING for Flint. I am fighting for clean, safe drinking water; I am making public safety a priority; and I am stimulating economic development. My administration worked closely with the Flint Genesee County Chamber of Commerce to attract the LEAR Corporation to Flint and that means more than 600 jobs in the City of Flint. Our economic development efforts are grounded in coordination, collaboration, and cooperation because it’s the RIGHT THING to do.
As you prepare to go to the polls on Tuesday, August 6th, remember the candidate that has done the RIGHT THING for you and the City of Flint.
Dr. Karen W. Weaver, Mayor of the City of Flint