Mike James, a Lincoln native with an interest in local politics, has announced he is running for the District 2 Lincoln City Council seat, which largely represents southeast Lincoln.
James, who has two daughters, says he is running “to make Lincoln a place my daughters want to live when they grow up.â€
His campaign theme is “raise the bar." The city has enough tax revenue to fund city services, but needs to focus on improving quality and delivery of those services, he says.
“We need to make incremental improvement in how we deliver city services. There is always room for improvement. Quality and delivery issues are hidden taxes,†James said.
He would partner with city workers to eliminate the non-value-added work so they can focus on purpose and making an impact. An example of non-value-added work is excessive levels of bureaucracy and reporting requirements, he said.
People are also reading…
He will also focus on improving the quality of the installation of roads: “We have a quality issue with our roads. They are not lasting as long as they should,†he said in an email. "A short life and frequent repairs increases the cost of providing good roads to Lincoln."
James graduated from Lincoln Northeast High School and is a senior manufacturing engineer at Bosch.ÌýHe ran for Airport Authority in 2011.
“I am a wonky nuts and bolts guy who wants to go to City Hall to drive process improvements in the quality and delivery of city services,†he said. “That is my passion and that has been my modus operandi in my career.â€
James says he wants to continue investing in the city’s infrastructure, public safety, parks, libraries, swimming pools and trails.
He also wants to support continuing education for first responders as another way to improve quality and delivery of “the most vital city service."
The 42-year-old Republican will officially file for the spring election this week.Ìý
James is the third person to announce his candidacy for the District 2 council seat. Megan Stock, a Democrat, has been endorsed by Mayor Chris Beutler. Richard Meginnis, a Lincoln Realtor and Republican, has also said he will be a candidate for the seat.
Jon Camp, who has represented southeast Lincoln for almost 20 years, recently announced he will not seek another term.
While the office is nonpartisan, with no party labels on the ballot, the two parties are involved in recruiting and supporting candidates.
Voters will select representatives from four council districts in the spring election. Three council members are elected from the city as a whole. Those seats will be part of the 2021 city election.
James’ campaign website is