Lansing mayor to deliver State of the City address tonight

Lansing’s mayor plans to celebrate the city’s recent growth in manufacturing in his State of the City address tonight night.   

But the city’s lingering financial problems will also be on the agenda.

Lansing mayor Virg Bernero has used his previous seven State of the City addresses to highlight positive economic news in the capitol city. He’ll do the same thing this year.

Bernero says he plans to talk about expanding auto production in the Lansing area as well as mention other downtown development projects.

But the mayor has also used State of the City speeches to talk about Lansing’s budget problems.

The capitol city has a projected nine million dollar budget shortfall next year.

Bernero admits balancing the budget will be difficult.

“We continue to reinvent city government,” says Bernero,  “And we have to do that. Can’t keep doing the same things the same way. That’s been the case for 8 years.”

Bernero will deliver his State of the City address at the site of the capitol city’s new co-generation power plant.