Meet Grand Rapids mayoral candidate Senita Lenear

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — News 8 is interviewing all of the candidates running to become the next mayor of Grand Rapids.

The primary election is set for Tuesday, Aug. 6. The top two vote-getters will move onto the November general election.

News 8 previously spoke with candidates Steve Owens, David LaGrand and Hailey Lynch-Bastion. This is our final interview with mayoral candidate Senita Lenear.

Lenear is no stranger to Grand Rapids leadership. She served as a Third Ward commissioner from 2014 through 2022. She has lived here since she was 9 years old and went to high school and college in the Grand Rapids area. She said this is where she wants to be.

“This is no joke,” Lenear said. “This isn’t a stepping stone. I don’t have my eye set on another elected office; I have my eye set on serving the citizens and the businesses that exist right here in Grand Rapids.”

The following interview with Lenear has been lightly edited for clarity and conciseness.

Q: Why are you running for mayor?

Lenear: “I’m running for mayor because I want to bring all of my experience with me to make the city better than what it currently is.”

Q:  If you’re elected mayor, what’s your biggest priority?

Lenear: “I have a number of things I have my eye on. I’ll start off by talking about the culture of the city. Everyone experiences Grand Rapids in a different way. We make national lists for doing some really great and amazing things, but we’ve also made a national list for not doing some amazing things, even just recently.

“What I would like to do is help us fulfill our vision by opening up what I’m calling the junk drawer and looking at the issues we’ve placed to the side and not fully addressed so culturally everyone is experiencing Grand Rapids to the fullest. It’s really making sure the experience of Grand Rapids culturally is embraced by all who live here.

Q: More specifically, what needs to change?

Lenear: “It’s tied to how Black people experience Grand Rapids. We’ve made the Forbes worst economical place for Black people to live. That was a while ago, and then just most recently there was another list where it talked about Black people and economics being poor in the city of Grand Rapids.

“The data is there. We need to address it, we need to talk about it, we need to find out why it exists. Instead of just talking about it, we need to put and implement some of the things in place that will reverse some of those issues so we can have a Grand Rapids where everybody thrives.”

Below, watch News 8’s full interview with Lenear:

Q: What is your opinion on the city supporting the amphitheater , proposed socce r stadium and potential aquarium ? Do you think this is a good use of resources?

Lenear: “I believe we need a vibrant downtown. I started working downtown in, I think, 2004. It was a different downtown than it is today. It’s thriving, it’s hustling, we have great entertainment happening downtown, we have sports teams now, we have concerts that are coming and places where people can thrive and live.

“Those are some really great things. I think these items are additions to what’s already amazing downtown, but what we’re also experiencing with downtown is some people don’t like to necessarily go downtown. I’m hearing frequently because of parking, congestion, they’re not feeling welcomed or they’re not feeling safe.”

“We can’t forget what’s happening in our local neighborhoods. Those business districts deserve to have just as booming a business district and thriving entertainment happening at the local level and those neighborhoods as well. What I’d like to do is continue some of the work to bridge what’s happening downtown into the neighborhood so they can be destination locations, too.”

Q: The cost of parking downtown is rising. How do you balance that need with the current projects aimed to expand our city and bring in more visitors?

Lenear: “Our parking and mobility department is an enterprise for the city. It’s a revenue generating arm of the city. That’s a really good thing in some ways. We also need to think about if we’re trying to attract people downtown, how do we attract them without turning them off? We probably need to take a closer look at where we’re placing parking, how many parking spots we want to have downtown and how do we use other modes of transportation to get people downtown so the congestion won’t be as challenging as it is today.

“We want to make sure the parking costs match what we want in people to come downtown and enjoy it. If we’re talking about creating a Grand Rapids for all to thrive, we want to make sure everyone can afford even parking to go downtown to some of the free entertainment that may exist.”

Q: In the August election, Kent County voters will decide whether to increase the county’s hotel/motel tax by 3% to help fund these projects. Do you support that proposal?

Lenear: “Absolutely. It’s not necessarily being paid for by the citizens. That’s a value add.”

Q: Crime and violence continue to be an issue in Grand Rapids, especially involving young people. How would you work to help address that issue?

Lenear: “While I served on the city commission, I was part of the SAFE (Safe Alliances for Everyone) Task Force. Our sole purpose was to come up with strategies to reduce violence in the city. What we know for sure is those who are experiencing violent acts and those who are perpetrating violent acts are doing it as a result of other issues. Some of our recommendations stemmed from making sure there are employment opportunities for our youth, making sure there are safe places for youth to go to after school. Our initiative was from 14 to 24 years old. What we know for sure is when you get to that age, when you can stay at home by yourself, it gives a lot of opportunity before parents arrive to do things that you may not necessarily want to do or should be doing. Having constructive things for youth to do helps to keep them from being involved in mischief.

“Education is another component. Children who act out in violent ways in schools, you can start peeling back and get to the root problem, and it really is tied to academics. I think making sure we’re instilling education in our youth, making sure that’s a value for us, making sure we’re hiring teachers, making sure the teachers are culturally competent, making sure they’re paid very well. It’s also about engaging with parents and making sure they have employment opportunities.

Q: Speaking of crime, the police department has talked about officer shortages over the last few years. Do you believe the police department needs more funding to help achieve its mission?

Lenear: “I don’t think it’s as simply whether they need more or less funding. What I do believe they need is to implement with integrity one of the initiatives that came out of their strategic plan. That’s the neighborhood policing model. What it provides this community is the same officers assigned to the same neighborhoods across the city, so then those officers are getting to know the people who live in those neighborhoods and the people living in those neighborhoods are getting to know the officers.

“What you find on the other side of it is people who are willing to engage with policing because they recognize this is someone who is in their community, they know who they are and they’ll trust them a lot better. I think it affords the police officers the same courtesy. They’ll begin to build relationships and they’ll be trusting. If they see someone involved in mischief, maybe the outcome of them having the interaction with that youth will be different because they know who that person is. That’s what I believe the police department needs to do is to build its staffing in order to implement that neighborhood policing with integrity.

“What we’ve done really well with the city at policing is we have diversified the police force with more women, we have seen there have been people of color who have applied, but we also know there are gaps there and we need to increase the number of people of color who are applying to the police force. Because it’s also important for people to see themselves in the people who are there to protect and serve their neighborhoods.”

Q: It was clear after the death of Patrick Lyoya : There remains a lot of pain in a good portion of the community when it comes to the police department. How do you hope to bridge the divide between part of the community and the police department?

Lenear: “It was happening prior to that. There had been so many cries for the police in the community to engage. I do believe this neighborhood policing model will help to address that. We need to continue to have engagement. We have the coffee with the captains, coffee with the chiefs that engages the community with GRPD. I think we should continue to do things of that nature. I think most importantly, it really is about having conversations, getting out of vehicles, walking beats, engaging with people, people engaging with officers.

“At the end of the day, people recognize there is a place for law enforcement in our city. Most people recognize that exists because when challenging times occur, the 911 buttons are pushed, right? Who are you expecting to come on the other side of that? It’s law enforcement. But people also want to be able to weigh in to how they’re policed, how their neighborhoods are policed.

“Sometimes I could be in the Third Ward sitting in a restaurant and I could see so many police cars passing by a window as I’m having a one-hour meeting. Then I’ll go into another neighborhood where the residents are saying, ‘We want to see the police more frequently.’ I think that’s what you get with neighborhood policing is policing that neighborhood the way they desire to be policed.

Q: What’s your final pitch to voters?

Lenear: “I’m Senita Lenear and I have served the city faithfully. What you get from Senita is someone who’s dedicated and committed.

“When I worked for the largest health care provider in the state of Michigan for 14 years, I could count on one hand how many times I’ve called in. I’m dedicated. When I commit to doing something, I show up, I show up prepared and I show up ready to embrace what others have to say to make whatever the solutions are the best.

“Commitment is key for me, it’s critical for me, and people who aren’t fully committed to serving this city should not be elected. Every term this city has elected me to I have finished even beyond the amount of time I would’ve had to serve because there were extensions added to my term.

“Anyone who wants to learn more about me and any policies, please visit my website senitaformayor.com or email at vote@senitaformayor.com .”

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