Alex Dewitt for Bay City Sixth Ward
Bridging Gaps
Bridging Gaps
The Sixth Ward of Bay City has gone on for decades as an often overlooked portion of town that spans the riverfront from Lafayette or Salzburg south, and encloses a portion of the southwest part of town and the Middlegrounds. The largest ward by size (2.5 square miles, about 20% of the total city area) and by population (4,344 as of the 2010 Census) you would think this ward would have major influence when it comes to City Hall. However, this has not been the case. Alex knows the Sixth Ward and will fight to get it the positive attention it deserves.
About Alex
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Alex has lived in the Sixth Ward for nearly all of his life. From the East Side on 29th to the West Side on Erie, he knows this ward and has seen it transform throughout his lifetime.
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A graduate of Bay City Central (2009) and Northwood University (BBA Accounting 2013), he currently works as Staff Accountant at RWC, INC. on S. Euclid, also in the Sixth Ward.
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He is an Eagle Scout from Scout Troop 119 of Bay City, (Formerly of Zion Lutheran, currently of Immanuel Lutheran) and serves as an Assistant Scoutmaster and Treasurer.
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Politically he started showing up to meetings around the 2016 election and has been a mainstay at the public input podium of City Commission Meetings since 2017 speaking out about pet projects that take funding away from major parts of town, unethical but legal procedures by the City Commission, and budget and policy red flags.
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He is also a member of the Charter Commission who pushed for transparency and modernization, including:
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Requiring appointed position applications to be in plain text to stop favoritism
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Changing attendance and pay rules for commissioners to tie salary to attendance and to provide for dismissal if they don't attend meetings
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Require the city to publish all appointment openings on all mediums available and have applications submitted in an identical manner to increase the opportunities for qualified members of the community to be involved
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Requiring future City Managers to have education or work experience to bring us in line with most municipalities and decrease the chance of a bureaucratic rubber stamper
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Requiring the City to post information online including city social media accounts
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Moving election years back to even years to increase voter participation and decrease taxpayer costs
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Increase Transparency
As a Charter Commissioner, Alex has live-streamed meetings to better allow public access and plans to do the same as a member of the City Commission. This will afford better access to meetings to those who are unable to attend and will provide for easy commenting, sharing and feedback on meetings.
"Good ol'Boy" Fighter
Alex wants to end Bay City's reputation of backdoor deals and unethical closed door meetings. Anything that concerns public interest requires open doors and public access.
Fight for the South End(s)
Most development in the past 20 years has centered on downtown with the understanding that a strong downtown brings people in. But it's time some of the improvements and development goes to the rest of Bay City, especially the Southwest and South End.
Major Goals
Speaking Out
Asking that the recently passed Social Media policy doesn't get diluted with exclusions.
Speaking about fees for City Utility bills. Asking to ensure the charges don't include a profit for the city.
Talking about still not getting answers easily about the budget
Speaking to clarify that costs related to bond issuance are not being charged against the general fund
Speaking about misconceptions on meeting procedure rules in the City and low housing discrepancies.
Explaining a complaint I received while walking the ward to the commission, while my competition idly sits by
Alex speaking in support of informing new residents about City policy via mailer packets.
Showing exact problems with the UBP bridge plan voted on by the commission
Pleading that the Commission get solid details from the only non-toll option for the bridges