In the race for Auburn City Council Position 2, Kate Baldwin, incumbent, is facing Adib Altallal in the Nov. 4 general election. Here’s a quick recap of the candidates.
Kate Baldwin
Education: BA in journalism, Michigan State University; project management certification (PMP) in small business development, Lansing Community College.
Occupation: Senior advisory architect, Milestone Technologies; former reporter.
Statement: I will fight to bring working families meaningful help – from increasing affordable childcare to making our neighborhoods safer. I will make sure that your needs are valued in City Hall, and your priorities guide our work here in Auburn. Nobody should be left out to struggle on their own. Together we can change lives and create a community where everyone can thrive.
Articulated at candidate forums: “A budget represents the values of your community, and one of the things I’m proud to say is that when we have needed to make investments, like increasing our head count for police, we’ve been able to do so by looking at what’s needed and making changes to put that into place. We do that as part of every cycle, and I expect that will continue going forward.”
“Kudos to our present administration and directors because we’ve been able to build our cumulative reserves, so when we have issues like potential recession, so when we see that coming, we’re going to be in a more stable position as we move forward.”
“As for increasing revenue, I see that as an opportunity to work with our local businesses and the powers that be at the county, state and national levels.”
Adib Altallal
Education: Master’s in public administration; BA in civil and environmental engineering; extensive professional and leadership training.
Occupation: Water and sewer engineer; soccer coach; union steward.
Statement: I’m running for Auburn City Council because I care deeply about the people who live here. I’m a water and sewer engineer who works with residents every day, solving problems, listening to concerns, and making sure essential services are running smoothly. I want to bring that same approach to city leadership that is practical, rooted in communication, and focused on getting things done. Auburn deserves transparent leadership. I’m proud to be endorsed by several sitting councilmembers, fellow council candidates, regional leaders, including our Mayor Nancy Backus. These relationships matter when we’re working across jurisdictions to solve shared issues. I’ll fight to keep our water clean and our sewer system reliable, no matter what deregulation happens at the federal level. I’ll also work to improve our road and protect the environment.
Articulated at candidate forums: Even to have a position on the budget, Altallal said, one needs first to understand what a budget is. As an engineer, he said, he’s worked on several budgets with local government, so he knows about the process. “We need to be proactive not reactive. So in those off years where we have amendments to adjust the budget, that’s where the work needs to happen. … And we don’t need to be elected officials to know what it says in the budget. All of that is in publicly-available documents that are updated every year, so it’s something that can be done together with the city.”
