Candidates vow to prioritize city building repairs, say deferred maintenance is urgent

Candidates and the mayor at the Ferndale seniors forum named deferred maintenance and building rehabs among the city’s top near-term priorities, citing aging fire stations, parks and other municipal properties and saying funds must be reallocated to preventive maintenance. Incumbent Councilmember Laura Michalski and candidate Quinn Ziegler emphasized that prior spending choices left visible gaps: Michalski called infrastructure investment “disgusting and disappointing” in its neglect, and Ziegler said “later has come home to roost” and urged immediate action. Mayor Raylon Leaksme described tours with state legislators to show the condition of the fire station and said outreach helped raise awareness of infrastructure needs.

Why it matters: Candidates tied building upkeep to public safety, workforce recruitment and long-term costs: continuing deferred maintenance increases future capital needs and could leave the city with fewer usable facilities.

Details discussed: The panel said facilities condition assessments exist and that the city has limited capital to replace or renovate buildings. Candidates proposed reviewing departmental budgets for nonessential spending, clarifying maintenance responsibilities on properties owned by other entities (schools), and seeking state or grant funding. Ziegler and Sabertini said an additional code or facilities staffer — or reallocating existing roles — might be required to keep up with inspections and repairs. Michalski suggested consolidating redundant subscriptions and improving documentation so residents understand the budget decisions.

Ending: All speakers committed to continuing audits of facilities, advocating for state support and presenting clearer, distilled budget information to residents; no formal council action was taken during the forum.