Darryl Buchanan: I don’t need on the job training. I am grateful to have been able to serve the public for over 25 years, dedicating myself to city service. Having served in various capacities of local government, I am ready to lead from day one. More importantly, I have lived here my entire life of 57 years and care about our city and residents.

It is apparent that solutions which have been unique to other geographical locations can be transferred and implemented here in Flint. It brought me great pride when I was a spokesperson for the Manufacturing Mayors Coalition, speaking on their behalf on the national television news program “C-Span-The Washington Journal” and behind the scenes with federal legislators. Those discussions resulted in important bridge loans for G.M., Ford, and Chrysler in America, literally saving the companies, and most importantly saving hundreds of thousands of jobs both here and across the country.

Darryl Buchanan: Our resilience has allowed us to survive in the worst of economic and social changes that this city, state and country have experienced. Our residents are truly committed to working with our businesses, academic, religious and health communities in a partnership to unlock our true potential. We are committed to working cooperatively to spend less than what comes in and show fiscal responsibility, which will allow us to hire more police and fire personnel, reducing our violent crime rate, resulting in us being able to attract business and create jobs.

State and Federal grants are available and we will ensure that Flint does not lose out on any grant money. We will secure and use Federal and State funds properly, timely, and in a way that promotes and brings in businesses and provides jobs for our residents.

Darryl Buchanan: Understanding how and where to redistribute economic resources is critical in this tough economic and violent crime juncture in Flint’s history. A Buchanan administration would do the following: reduce overtime in all city departments; increase volunteer days off after union discussion; restructure the 80 hour pay period, blending governmental services, i.e., snow removal, street repair, sewer repair, and others. Under my administration the State wouldn’t have had to come up with the idea to bring State troopers into Flint—the idea would have been mine. The above items will create financial savings and allow us to hire more police, reduce crime, attract business and reduce anxiety in all of Flints’ residents.

As we look at restructuring done by cities across America, cities are becoming viable again. Flints’ true story has not been written. I want to start the re-writing process with innovative ideas and programs that blend the best of what our city has to offer.

Dayne Walling: I currently have the privilege of serving the people of Flint as Mayor for the past two years. In spite of the very tough times, I have put a focus on jobs, safety, neighborhoods, and our youth. I’ve cut my own pay and reorganized the way city hall works. We just can’t operate the city with the old ways and spend energy attacking each other—and my record shows that we can work together. I have also achieved results. More than 2,000 jobs have been either created or retained since I took office. These jobs range from our traditional base in manufacturing to construction to high tech related health care jobs. A quarter of a billion dollars have been invested in Flint to support these jobs. Finally, I’ve raised over $6 million dollars to pay for 60 public safety positions and $50 million for neighborhood stabilization & brownfield clean up. I will continue to work hard for all of Flint and move our community toward a more sustainable 21st Century future.

Dayne Walling: Our greatest strength is our people. We have talented and skilled workforce, a growing group of entrepreneurial young people, and a network of neighborhood leaders who love Flint. Everyone who really knows Flint agrees that the negative headlines do not represent who we are as a community. This is why companies that really know Flint are investing: GM, Diplomat Pharmacy, and McLaren and Hurley. Our new entrepreneurs are leading advancements in alternative energy, advanced manufacturing, and the life sciences. With support from the University of Michigan-Flint, Kettering University, Baker College and Mott Community College, Flint’s entrepreneurs are moving their businesses forward. Flint’s skilled, talented, entrepreneurial and forward-looking people are the foundation for sustainability and success in the 21st Century. Despite our long-term challenges, this new economic growth and energy is attracting new residents, students, families and businesses who come to love Flint too.

Dayne Walling: I will continue to find creative new solutions and to bring people together from across our community in new partnerships. Just this summer, new partnerships with federal agencies and Michigan State Police are in place to make our neighborhoods and families safer. I will continue to bring grants to Flint as I promised. I’ve raised over $6 million dollars to pay for 60 public safety positions and $50 million for neighborhood stabilization and brownfield clean up. This immediate assistance is being combined with master planning and capital improvement planning so that we can secure a better future. I will also work with our city unions on new ways to provide services and update City Hall. New programs such as adopt-a-park are now working—with union support and without legal battles. I am committed to providing services in a smart and efficient manner and will continue to restructure departments to meet the needs of our community with the limited resources that we have available.