Six candidates, three winners.

In a close-knit community like East Lansing, council members have the power to make decisions that will alter the face of the city for years to come.

The new Ann Street Plaza is one example. A redevelopment project slated to revive the blighted corner of Grand River and Michigan avenues, a proposed cap on the number of patrons at downtown bars and the future of student housing all rest on council members’ judgment.

The State News editorial board spoke with each candidate (except for Joanna Bosse, who did not respond to multiple interview requests), reviewed their respective records of community service and considered the perspective they would bring to the council before carefully making endorsements.

With that in mind, we believe candidates Ruth Beier and Ben Eysselinck are best suited to step onto the council for full terms, and Kathleen Boyle is the best choice to continue her tenure on council for another partial term.

Ruth Beier

It is legal, yet unfair that so much of Beier’s donations came from her coworkers at the Michigan Education Association and not from the residents she hopes to serve. That fact still bothers us.

Still, her background as an economist, her experience serving on the city’s Downtown Development Authority and her beginnings working with the council as a resident to address neighborhood concerns puts her in a position to make educated decisions about the future of our city more so than other candidates. And unlike Eysselinck, reported her funds accurately and on time. We need someone who knows what they are talking about to shape the city budget and help businesses thrive.

Beier acknowledges that bringing more jobs to East Lansing is beyond the council’s control, but she has ideas for policies that could help make that happen. We hope she has the chance to serve on council and implement incentives to bring more sustainable businesses downtown, an idea she mentioned to the Editorial Board. We agree that incentives to diversify business downtown with more medical and technology companies, which could attract young families and keep students in town after they graduate, would be a positive step. We also agree that policies to help create housing for middle-income families or young professionals are necessary to support a diverse, thriving city life.

Still, her dedication to the people of East Lansing is questionable considering so much of her funding came from outside city limits. If elected, Beier must prove she is in this to support the best interests of students and residents.

Ben Eysselinck

Eysselinck struggled to raise more than $1,000 and was penalized for not filing his finance reports on time. While we are extremely concerned about how he will manage the budget of an entire city if he does not handle his own finances responsibly, compared to both Samantha Artley and Susan Woods, he is most qualified to serve on city council.

Although he has not served on council previously, he participated in the East Lansing Emerging Leaders Program, which teaches residents about the structure, functions and challenges of local government. He currently serves on the Historic District Commission, which often requires taking on difficult housing issues.

Eysselinck also is willing to go the extra mile to make decisions based on the good of the community. It was only after he walked downtown at 1 a.m. on a Saturday night and examined the bar scene for himself that he decided not to support a proposal to cap the number of patrons in East Lansing bars. We agree with Eysselinck’s conclusion: There is no need or overwhelming safety concern compelling enough to justify such an ordinance.

He’s been talking with other council members regarding the policy, and also attended a community discussion on the future of the Park District redevelopment project. We need a council member who is willing to personally go out into the community before making decisions on policies that will affect the city for years to come.

Still, Eysselinck must prove he is financially responsible if he is elected to council.

Kathleen Boyle

Boyle’s previous experience on council and in-depth knowledge of how to work together with other members make her the most qualified candidate running for office. Although her opponent Joanna Bosse’s work as an MSU assistant professor shows she has close ties with students and the university, multiple attempts to reach her for comment were unsuccessful. As a potential public official, Bosse’s lack of accessibility is troubling. Considering her opponent is unwilling or unable to communicate openly about her candidacy, Boyle is by default the better option for the partial term.