Policies and Priorities
For the Love of Muskegon
Mayor Johnson’s platform for re-election is focused on maintaining Muskegon’s current momentum and delivering tangible progress in areas that matter most to our residents, ensuring the city becomes “ever more magnificent”
Policies and Priorities
Building More Affordable Homes
Mayor Johnson is determined to keep building on our efforts to solve Muskegon’s housing shortage, ensuring that everyone can find a great place to live, no matter their budget. We already made big changes by getting rid of outdated single-family zoning and allowing duplexes and accessory dwelling units (ADUs) “by right” across the city. This flexibility creates more housing options and helps to lessen “that significant upward pressure on pricing”. Plus, these changes give current property owners a chance to create a new income stream. Even though we have over 1,600 units built or in progress, we know we still need nearly 3,000 new units by 2027. As the Mayor says, “We’ve made great progress in housing, but we got more progress to make.”
Strengthening All Our Neighborhoods
While downtown is thriving, the biggest goal for the next term is making sure that positive energy reaches every single part of Muskegon, because Mayor Johnson believes our surrounding neighborhoods are the essential “arteries” that must remain healthy for the whole city to succeed. We are committed to ensuring that growth and investment are “spreading throughout the city and extending into all the corners of our city and not just being concentrated downtown”. This includes a specific focus on areas he is personally passionate about, like youth development and education. Ultimately, he wants to “Invest in youth, neighborhoods, and public safety through stronger programs, improved infrastructure, and trusted community safety efforts.”
Supporting Local Businesses and Jobs
Mayor Johnson is focused on strengthening and diversifying Muskegon’s economy to avoid those old “booms and bust cycles tied to one particular sector”. We need a strong mix of manufacturing, tourism, and capital investment—which has already topped $400 million in the last three years. A core part of his strategy is building a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem where local folks who want to start a business feel “embraced and… supported”. This push for sustainable growth and environmental stewardship is all tied into Ken’s promise to “Promote inclusive economic growth and sustainability by supporting small businesses, local hiring, and environmental resilience to ensure long-term, equitable progress for all Muskegon residents.”
Keeping Parks Momentum Going
Muskegon’s parks and recreational spots are central to our quality of life, and Mayor Johnson is passionate about continuing that investment. We made huge strides in his first term, like bringing back the Parks and Recreation Department after it had been dissolved for nearly 15 years. Since then, we’ve been injecting millions annually into overdue capital improvements in parks across every corner of the city. We’ve also completed master planning and set up a citizen-led Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee to guide future work. The Mayor’s priority here is clear: “I want to keep that momentum going” so that residents continue to enjoy high quality parks and robust recreational opportunities.
Investing More in Public Safety
Nothing is more important than keeping our families and neighborhoods safe, which is why Mayor Johnson is pushing for continued and greater investment in our fire and police services. While we’ve already increased firefighter staffing and bought new equipment during this term, ensuring our departments are properly staffed and equipped is an ongoing effort. We are committed to making the necessary resources available for the men and women who protect us. Mayor Johnson is clear on his dedication: “I want to see further investment in our public safety… because public safety is paramount.”
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