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Bitter Rivals Face Off In Lansing ANN ARBOR, MI (MPRN) -

On Tuesday, one of Michigan's most bitter political campaigns will come to an end. The race for Lansing mayor pits two political foes who make no pretense of concealing their animosity.

Sometimes it seems all Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero and his challenger councilwoman Carol Wood do is argue. Bernero and Wood have clashed frequently during the mayor's first term.

Lansing's budget has been a frequent point of contention.

Carol Wood says Mayor Bernero has focused too much on Lansing's downtown core, at the expense of neighborhoods. Wood also complains that Bernero ignores opinions that he disagrees with. Wood says that will change if she's elected next week..

"Our employees at the city of Lansing have a number of ideas that will help with reducing expenditures and increasing revenues that's the first thing we have to look at," says Wood, "We have to look at redundancies. We have to look at whether we have multiple buildings that we need to take a look at."

Bernero says as a councilwoman, Wood has been too willing to tap the city's financial reserves to pay for programs, when it's been more important to make painful spending cuts.

"I've balanced four budgets in a row, with virtually no help. Certainly no help from Carol Wood. And very little help from the city council," says Bernero, "I've cut 28 million dollars from the budget. We're 20% smaller, the city bureaucracy. We did all this without laying off one police officer. Without losing one firefighter. In fact we added seven police officers. So we made public safety a priority. But we've made cuts."

Both candidates will not make any promises about raising taxes.


For most of the campaign, the issues of local government; sidewalks, city parks, municipal golf courses have been front and center.

But in the final days of the campaign, a new issue has arisen.

Virg Bernero's use of a personal tax-exempt account has raised some eyebrows. Bernero's 527 account has collected tens of thousands of dollars in donations during his four years in office. The mayor has repeatedly tapped the fund. Bernero insists it's all completely above board.

"My 527 account which is completely legal," says Bernero, "and not unlike the one the governor has, and the Attorney General Mike Cox."

"It pays for things like this pin," says Bernero, as he points to a lapel pin, "This pin, which we give to visitors in the city. It wouldn't surprise me if Carol wears one herself. It was paid for by my 527. I make no apologies for raising private dollars to pay for things like this. These are tough times. I've saved a lot of taxpayer dollars. I've used that account to pay for my trips to Washington, when I went to advocate for this community. It's entirely legal and above board."

Carol Wood questions whether the mayor has tried to conceal the funds true nature to raise money for his personal use.

"One of the things the mayor did was disguise it with the title. Instead of saying this is 'Virg Bernero's Support Lansing'....it's a 'City Administrative Account'. It makes it seem that those checks are being written to the city of Lansing," says Wood.

"When you turn around and see where some of those dollars have gone. They have gone for travel...entertainment," says Wood, "Things that should have been paid for out of his own salary."

Bernero dismisses the suggestion that he could have afforded to travel as frequently on his own salary.

Lansing voters will get the final word next Tuesday. © Copyright 2012, MPRN