At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Aaron Stephens spent his days as the youngest mayor in East Lansing history, passing resolutions to help guide the city through the health crisis and urging Michigan State University students to follow safety precautions. But at night, he was just Aaron, shelf stocker at the South Lansing Meijer.
“I got maybe three or four hours of sleep most nights. I’d be mayor during the day, and I’d go stock shelves at Meijer during night. And that’s how I paid rent,” Stephens said. “That’s a pretty large issue, considering that what I wanted to do was just fully commit myself to serving the city.”
Today, the East Lansing mayor is paid $11,000 annually and the other four members of City Council are each paid just under $9,500 per year…