The original written resolution, which was not passed by council, cited negative campaign mailers and said that membership provided no "discernible benefit" to the city.

Annual membership dues for the city are $850, City Manager George Lahanas said.

“We felt that there really were no benefits to becoming a member of the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce and that it would not hurt us, but that we do support businesses that are a part of the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce and our business community in East Lansing," Council member Susan Woods said.

Woods said the reason the city joined the commerce in 1993 was to show support for East Lansing businesses that were also members, but that negative campaign mailers have no place in East Lansing elections.

"This won’t have any effect on our relationship with the business community," Council member Erik Altmann said in an email. "East Lansing is open for business, we’re just not for sale."

Steve Japinga, director of government relations for the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce said it is important to keep in mind that the Greater Lansing Area has to work together to retain and attract talent such as students from MSU and Lansing Community College.

He also said the public and private sectors need to be working together to create the "right buzz" and keep moving forward.

"The message that the resolution (sends) is that businesses are not welcome in a time when the private and public sector all needs to be working together on an agenda that supports economic growth, development, jobs and investment," Japinga said.

Japinga said in the past government bodies and the private sector have all worked together on an agenda to make the Greater Lansing Area a place where people of all ages want to live, work and play and that it has been important to partner with different groups in the region.