A Message from Mayor Raylon Leaks May:

The local results of yesterday’s election are in, and the Headlee Override General Operating Proposals—Proposals 1 and 2—have been voted down.

Obviously, this was not the result that City Council and I hoped for. The five of us supported and championed these proposals, which were developed to provide critical funding and ongoing support for City services and facilities. We are, however, grateful for the incredible voter turnout: 11,655 of you showed up and spoke out, and we acknowledge and honor the community’s voice on such important issues.

I also want to give credit to the 2022 Facilities Task Force, the 2023 Finance Review Committee, and the 2024 YES Ferndale Campaign. Though supported by staff and Council, these groups were led by residents—real people who invested an enormous amount of time and skill into researching and understanding our City’s challenges and proposing smart solutions.

Ferndale prides itself on being an inclusive and supportive community. In that vein, I’d like to remind us all that the City’s challenges won’t disappear because the election is behind us. In fact, these issues become even more urgent as we move into union contract negotiations, facility repair requests, and our final year of the 2015 Headlee override funding.

• Our public safety facilities remain woefully outdated, undersized, and inequitable to our female employees.
• Contract negotiations will begin soon with our union employees—comprising 80% of our workforce—and our ability to negotiate just got tougher.
• We remain without a community center for our seniors, young families, and residents.

With this in mind, I call on City Council to come together over the next several months, to put in the time and work to truly understand this community’s needs. These proposals didn’t work for the majority of our residents, and it’s our job to find out why. Council and I will commit to holding a series of community roundtables between now and March 2025—in person, face to face, with candor and transparency. And we’ll use these conversations to draft a new proposal so we can support and continue the services our community relies on.

If you have questions or would like to join the conversation, please feel free to reach out to me directly at rleaksmay@ferndalemi.gov.