Hartland's Ella Nikitin announces run against Wes Nakagiri
HARTLAND — A Hartland resident who wants to improve transportation in Livingston County is running for a seat on the Livingston County Board of Commissioners in 2024.
Ella Nikitin has filed to run as a Democrat for District Four, according to a news release. She's the first openly trans woman to run for office in Livingston County.
“I want the county to actually improve, rather than pass meaningless resolutions about non-local issues that don’t do anything to improve the lives of our county residents,” Nikitin said.
Livingston County's District Four includes Hartland Township and portions of Oceola Township on the east side of the county. Republican Wes Nakagiri is the current District Four commissioner.
Nikitin, 22, holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from the University of Michigan - Flint and a minor in physics. She's a 2019 graduate of Hartland High School.
Expanding access to public transportation in Livingston County is a focal point of Nikitin’s campaign. She wants to see the board increase its contribution to the Livingston Essential Transportation Service (LETS) so it can capture a greater share of grant funding from the state.
Nikitin said she'll also push for a millage at the county level to give taxpayers a chance to vote on whether or not public transportation should be a priority. The board hasn’t brought the issue yet to voters, though there's been discussions. A transportation millage was approved in Oakland County in 2022.
“The county has the demand for better public transportation, but it seems like the current county board has no interest in improving it,” Nikitin said. “We have the second highest commute times in the state. Over 50% of us work outside the county in places like nearby Oakland or Washtenaw counties. A dial-a-ride service and a 9-5 commuter bus to Ann Arbor is not sufficient to meet the need. We need more.”
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Nikitin is also focused on seeing the county contribute its fair share to improvement projects like roads and sidewalks, without relying on townships to foot the bill, and to be an advocate for local and state policies that support more affordable and accessible housing in the county for working people.
— Contact reporter Evan Sasiela at esasiela@livingstondaily.com. Follow him on Twitter @SalsaEvan.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Hartland's Ella Nikitin announces run against Wes Nakagiri
