To help our community members make informed choices in the upcoming election, we asked candidates running for important local, state, and national seats to participate in our Forum to help you get to know them better. Today, meet Zac Bauer.

Zac Bauer’s motivation for running to represent District 2 as County Commissioner is based on his love for the place he lives. “Kalamazoo County is a great place to live; I love it here. However, our local government needs to focus on issues that impact our residents’ quality of life. We need leaders committed to the role and not the next opportunity.” In this role, Zac’s top priorities would include COVID-19 economic recovery, increased access to affordable housing, the development of long-term solutions to flooding, and addressing flooding issues in downtown Kalamazoo. In addition to the policy-focused questions, Zac also shared with us that his favorite food is anything off the grill and his go-to campaign song is “Under Pressure” by Queen. Meet Zac Bauer.

NAME
Zac Bauer

POSITION SEEKING
Kalamazoo County Commissioner

DISTRICT POSITION REPRESENTS
District 2

AFFILIATION
Democrat

EMAIL
zac.d.bauer@gmail.com

WHAT IS YOUR MOTIVATION FOR RUNNING FOR OFFICE?
Kalamazoo County is a great place to live; I love it here. However, our local government needs to focus on issues that impact our residents’ quality of life. We need leaders committed to the role and not the next opportunity.

PLEASE LIST YOUR TOP PRIORITIES WITHIN THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THIS ELECTED OFFICE.

• COVID-19 economic recovery.
• Increase access to affordable housing.
• Develop a long-term solution to the flooding.
• Address the flooding issues in downtown Kalamazoo.

HOW DO YOU PLAN TO ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS WITHIN THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND RESTRICTIONS OF THE OFFICE?
A growing tax base is required for our community to thrive. We need to keep families in their homes and increase new homeownership. By leveraging federal and state funds, with local philanthropy, Kalamazoo County can help support small business development. Additionally, we need a county-wide workforce training plan for workers who lost their jobs due to COVID-19. To increase access to affordable housing, we need more affordable single-family housing and multiple family rentals. We must reauthorize and increase the homelessness millage to help support LIHTC (Low-Income Housing Tax Credits) development and explore low equity co-ops, collective housing models, and mixed-use development.

HOW DO YOU PLAN TO SUPPORT THE GROWTH OF THE ECONOMY IF ELECTED?

• Support workforce training programs, affordable single-family housing construction in the City of Kalamazoo’s core neighborhoods, and affordable multi-family rental construction with gap funding to support LIHTC projects.
• Seek and support construction and infrastructure projects.

FAVORITE CAMPAIGN SONGS
“Under Pressure” by Queen.

FAVORITE BOOK
“A Farewell to Arms.”

FAVORITE MOVIE
“All the President’s Men.”

FAVORITE FOOD
Anything off the grill.

The Primary will be held on August 4. The General Election will be held on November 3. Zac Bauer is seeking this seat as a Democrat.