Historical Election
On November 3rd, 2019, I won my first bid for a council seat, and I did it on my first try – with just a 3 vote margin. I was the first person in the history of my city to win a seat on my first try, and my only strategy was using data analytics and social media to connect and engage with my neighbors. I did not canvas door to door, and I did not mail literature to one single resident. I found the process of finding my neighbors online, and engaging them on a daily basis, was a much better use of my time, and allowed me to engage tens of thousands of residents throughout my campaign.
For years before deciding to run, I used my experience in analyzing data to identify and discover the needs and disparity gaps within my community, and set out to address them by creating community groups online, that would motivate my neighbors to get involved. Together, we were able to show that we don’t have to wait for our government to come ‘save’ us, that we could turn towards each other and begin to rebuild the infrastructure that brings our community closer together. We accomplished this through volunteer based action.
After winning my election, the incumbent I beat submitted a request for a recount of just the absentee ballots, hoping that the 3 vote margin would be impacted by recounting the votes. I then submitted my own request for a recount of ALL of the ballots, and set to use the opportunity to educate the residents of Madison Heights on how a re-count takes place, and all of the procedures in between. I filmed the recount live on Facebook.
You can view these LIVE results here: https://fb.watch/8Nxii0I4zG/
Continued Community Engagement
Throughout my term in office I would frequently hold ‘Open Hours’ sessions, LIVE on Facebook to update and engage the city residents on what was happening within their city government, and address community concerns in real time.
You can view one of these sessions here: https://fb.watch/8NEECWXfgN/
Meetings, typically attended by just a handful of residents were now being attended by dozens, and hundreds, or sometimes even thousands of residents were engaging by watching videos of council meetings live and after they had been posted.
Electroplating Services
The first two months into my election I was thrown into the deep end when it was announced that Hexavalent Chromium, which was being stored illegally in a local business, had spilled out onto 696. Our mayor, at the time, announced that the city would not be commenting, due to ongoing litigation. I watched the community forums explode with fear and anger as everyone tried to piece together whether or not this spill was an immanent threat to their wellbeing. I began collecting these concerns and questions and promised the residents I would find answers.
When EGLE (Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy) and GLWA Great Lakes Water Authority began holding weekly updates, I asked that they address our residents concerns in their subsequent press releases. Every week these state organizations met my request. In doing so, these organizations were able to gain the trust within our community necessary for them to be able to remediate the crisis.
At my suggestion, EGLE hosted a public townhall that also streamed LIVE to our Facebook community forums. Tens of thousands of people viewed the townhall in real time, more than 500 showed up to ask questions in person.
As a former resident of Flint, MI, whos family still cannot use the water there, I fully understood the fears and frustrations expressed by our residents. I also knew that if we refused to comment, or remain transparent to keep the public informed, we would likely be looking at several more opportunities for litigation, as residents tried to create timelines of evidence into the city’s mishandling of the Electroplating Services company for decades. Instead, resident led community groups were able to work with state agencies and elected officials to disseminate information regarding the crisis, in real time as the remediation process began. Had we not addressed the manner in the way that I directed, we surely would have seen our city’s resources used to fight continued litigation.
Today, the site is still undergoing remediation, and has received millions in state funding to assist with the clean up. The buildings will be removed, and the site eventually excavated, ridding the ground of this contaminate.
You can view my coverage of the Town Hall Event here: https://fb.watch/8NFbhuj94D/
Human Rights and Equity Commission
At the height of the Black Lives Matter / George Floyd Protests, I proposed to council that we create a Human Rights and Equity Commission, that would look into our city’s current policies and determine whether or not they were inequitable to any of our residents, and to make recommendations for changes. In September of 2020 council voted to create the Human Resources and Equity Commission, that would not just focus on local policies, but also seek to provide educational opportunities and community engagement around the concept of building a more equitable future. Our first major accomplishment was to raise the Juneteenth Flag, Declare Juneteenth a City Holiday, and host the areas first ever Juneteenth Celebration. Today the HREC awaits councils approval to sign on to a fair housing resolution that would provide resources for families within our community.
PRIDE
For two years prior to running for City Council, I worked with members of the LGBTQ+ Community to ask the city to show official support during PRIDE month, by raising the Pride Progress Flag. Once in office, I was able to persuade my colleagues to support the cause, and raise the flag annually for the month of June. In celebration I worked with our local LGBTQ+ online forum to create the city’s first annual PRIDE Picnic, where hundreds of families, friends, and allies attended.
See quick video of the event here: https://www.tiktok.com/@kymmburleigh/video/6978645876604472582