The Lansing city council is expected to try to override the mayor’s budget vetoes tonight. But the council does not appear to have enough votes to do it.
The Lansing city council made many changes to Mayor Virg Bernero’s spending plan for next year when it passed the budget last month. A few days later, the mayor vetoed all the council’s changes. Now it’s the council's chance to respond.
Six of the council's eight members would need to vote to override the vetoes. That appears unlikely.
The council divided five to three on all the measures the mayor vetoed. And those three dissenting council members are not likely to change their votes.
Mayor Bernero has altered his budget plan in one area in response to complaints raised by the city council. Bernero dropped his plan for a new city utility fee to pay for fire hydrants and streetlights. Instead, the mayor’s asking the Lansing Board of Water & Light to hike water rates and increase the utility’s reimbursement to the city.
