Mayor· 2024-11 - 2026-11 (month-level start: November 2024 per Nov 5, 2024 election and city roster '2024-2026 Term'; month-level end: November 2026 per city roster and next election Nov 2026)
Mark Behnke
Battle Creek
No biography on file yet.
Contact
Voice
- Meetings spoken in
- 12
- Total speaking time
- 1:28:25
- Avg per meeting
- 7:22
- Segments
- 1936
Want every word Behnke has said?
The OpenCity MCP for Claude.ai answers questions like “what has Behnke said about housing this year” with one prompt — full speaking history, with YouTube timestamps.
Top issues during term (19)(Public Safety)
Flock camera oversight and privacy
Public comment cited roughly $39,000 per year in program costs.
Former officer investigation accountability
Unknown; an independent investigation could carry significant cost.
Abandoned properties and code enforcement
The speaker advocated slashing the Code Compliance budget.
FOIA transparency and Resolution 457
A $500,000 estimated rehabilitation project with a property tax exemption component.
Administrative Hearings Bureau proposal
The city would keep 100% of blight fines instead of splitting them with the county; hearing officer contracts are an added cost.
Electric bike and scooter safety
Police Taser equipment modernization
About $604,956 over five years, budgeted through the police department.
Community Oversight Board appointment transparency
Taxpayers could see new costs for oversight, training, and compliance—or savings if the review prevents costly lawsuits.
Neighborhood speeding on Fox Avenue
Open Meetings Act compliance and reenactment votes
None identified.
Police officer liaison with Battle Creek Public Schools
Four-way stop at LaVista Blvd & Territorial Rd made permanent
Minimal direct cost — signage is already in place — but future studies or a traffic light could cost more.
Project Connect and VA Stand Down for homelessness
Storm siren reliability
Up to $61,200.
BCPD juvenile stop and alleged FBI investigation
SAVE Act voting rights resolution request
The SAVE Act would add unfunded paperwork burdens for local election clerks, per the League.
police chief retirement
Taxpayers could see costs for a chief search, recruitment, and possible interim leadership, though the retirement itself doesn’t automatically change the police budget.
Workers' Compensation Lawsuit Settlements
Settlement amounts were not disclosed publicly.
drinking water safety
Taxpayers could eventually foot the bill for extra testing or treatment upgrades, though no cost estimate has been announced.
Decisions during term (0)
Recorded while Behnke was in office — not necessarily decisions they moved, spoke to, or voted on.
No decisions found matching Public Safety.
Voting record (0)(Public Safety)
No votes found matching Public Safety.