Lansing charter commission approves voter-education plan; vote 5-2

The Lansing Charter Commission voted 5-2 on Sept. 11 to approve a proposed voter-education plan that includes mailings, social-media geofencing, local newspaper ads and possible robocalls to inform voters about a pending charter revision.

The motion passed on a roll call vote: Commissioner Cui — yes; Commissioner Washington — no; Commissioner Adam Simon — yes; Commissioner Anderson — no; Commissioner Boyd — yes; Commissioner Dowd — yes; Commissioner Jeffreys — yes. The commission did not adopt a separate ordinance or change to the charter at the meeting; the action authorized the outreach work described to the commission.

The plan presented to commissioners included a first mailing aimed at roughly 21,000 households identified from voter history and the permanent mail ballot list, social media targeting for Lansing residents, and placement of local newspaper advertisements. Chris (staff) said the 21,000 figure came from combining recent city-election voters and households on permanent mail ballot lists. The clerk told commissioners, “of the $500,000 allocated in the budget, roughly 55% has been spent, leaving an available balance of $225,000 roughly.”

Commissioners and members of the public pressed for financial clarity and questioned the effectiveness of some outreach tactics. Commissioner Boyd asked whether the printing and postage figures include design and development; staff said creative work is covered under the contracted firm Truscott Rossman and the printing/postage figures were separate. Commissioner Boyd also asked whether the budgeted postage was first-class or nonprofit mail and was told the mailings would be sent via a presorted nonprofit permit.

Commissioner Washington, who voted against the measure, said she opposed the proposal because “I don't think we need 3 mailers and I'm not sure that robocalls and newspaper ads are good financial decisions.” Other commissioners raised related concerns: the number of mailings (one commissioner suggested two would suffice), the relative effectiveness of robocalls, and whether the proposed ad buys were necessary in addition to mailers and social media. Several commissioners asked that any final materials be reviewed by the commission’s attorney to ensure they remain informational rather than advocacy.

Commissioners reviewed the contract and billing for the firm Truscott Rossman during the discussion. Commissioners were told the contract with Truscott Rossman is billed at $5,000 per month for its retained services; staff said an invoice for a $5,000 monthly fee had already been submitted and included in the commission’s expenditures.

Supporters of the outreach plan argued the spending is necessary to reach likely voters. Staff said the first mailer cost estimate was based on a union printer quote and municipal mailing house pricing, and that later mailings would likely cost less because many voters would have already returned ballots.

The commission also discussed implementation details in public session: using QR codes on printed materials to link to the charter information page, timing mailers to reduce waste (not sending subsequent mailers to households that already returned ballots), and aiming to have messaging reviewed by counsel to remain educational. Commissioners asked staff for clearer breakout estimates of current and projected spending should additional outreach be approved.

The commission’s vote authorizes staff to proceed with the outreach plan as presented and discussed; it did not change the charter text itself. The clerk’s financial update and staff’s outreach estimates were entered into the record; any further appropriations or changes to the outreach plan will require additional commission action or staff follow-up.