Plan Your Vote
Coffee with Clawson Candidates
I joined the Coffee with Clawson Candidates podcast to share my vision for a stronger, more connected community. From supporting small businesses to keeping our neighborhoods safe, I’m focused on practical solutions that help all of us move forward together.
Meet Meredith
From Clawson. For Clawson.
Hi, I’m Meredith.
My roots run deep in Clawson. When the Peltonen family migrated down from the U.P. in 1964, they moved into a house on Walper where my grandma stayed until her passing in 2016. My dad, Bill (class of 1970), along with all five of his sisters are Clawson grads. The youngest, my Aunt Debbie, still lives in town today.
My mom, Cyndi, moved to Clawson from Ohio in 1976, and when she found her house on Broadacre, she knew it was the perfect place to raise her family. When I started preschool at Baker in 1986, my mom had already founded the Early Childhood PTA. She was then elected to the Clawson School Board where she proudly, and honorably, served for over 21 years.
My siblings (Rebecca – class of ’00, Will – class of ’04, and Mikey – class of ’07) and I were lucky enough to benefit from excellent public schools. I was a Schalm Shark, a CMS Mustang, and graduated in the top of my class as a Clawson Trojan in 2002. I was a class officer, an honors student, a dancer, a singer, and the captain of the 2001 State Championship winning soccer team.
I was baptized at the Clawson United Methodist Church and was actively involved there for my entire childhood. Additionally, I was a Sunbeam at the Salvation Army, and occasionally joined my sister at Awana Club. I have some of my favorite summer memories from numerous church camps, including Camp Concordia with my best friends.
I grew up with the Keystone Cops, I remember when the brand-new Burger King was built, and attended countless birthday parties at Caesarland. I loved going to Pizza Hut for my “free” Book-It pizza and going to Hardee’s on half-days. I spent Friday nights at Ambassador, Saturdays playing travel soccer, and Sundays singing or ringing bells at church. I used to go to open swim nights at the pool, and I vaguely remember jumping off the high-dive! I loved going to Safety Town, helping our parents with road rally clues, and hanging out in garages and backyards while Clawson families got together to create elaborate floats for the 4th of July parade.
After graduating high school, I attended Michigan State University. I’ve spent most of my adult life between Clawson (home) and the Lansing area (home away from home). I moved back into my childhood home in 2021 and have since resumed classes at Michigan State where I will graduate this May with an Interdisciplinary Studies degree focused on Law, Justice, and Public Policy.
Clawson is my home and this community is my family. I will do my best to represent my city with respect and integrity.
Donate to Elect Meredith for Clawson
Why I'm Running for City Council
Clawson residents voted to expand the city council, so this historical election will include: the two seats already up for re-election, the two seats just added, plus one more to fill a vacant seat due to a resignation. I am running for one of the four open seats.
The addition of two council members will ensure that more of our diverse community is better represented and a wider range of viewpoints are expressed. As your councilperson, I will continuously advocate for transparency, inclusion, and accountability.
I believe there is a way things ought to be done and the charter should be respected. I do not support picking and choosing when to follow the charter and when not to adhere to “obligations” just because it isn’t “at all detrimental to our community.” Consistency is key to any well-run institution and when the rules are unjust or outdated, the proper routes must be taken to make amendments.
I believe taking an optimistic approach through multiple lenses is the most common sense way to find common ground for the common good.
I strongly believe that good public service is intertwined with community involvement. Upon asking my friends and neighbors, researching city council matters, and attending various meetings, I have come up with my top priorities.
1. Raise in-person attendance at meetings. When people ask me why I choose to drive to East Lansing twice a week to finish my degree, I mention how different an experience you get when you show up. It’s the same thing with meetings. We are fortunate to have online access to the livestream video and recordings which is extremely helpful to many people, however, there are plenty of community members who could benefit from showing up sometimes. Not only will this help council members to visualize the community they’re making decisions on behalf of, but it also simultaneously gives the residents more perspective on how such decisions are reached.
Most importantly, showing up matters in an age when social media allows for dehumanization of one another. Being there in person re-humanizes us all.
2. Consistent communication is key, and everyone wants transparency. My plan for this is to address ongoing projects publicly and continuously to keep the public in the loop. Furthermore, when someone raises a concern to the council, it is very likely they are not alone. If the issue is not addressed in the same manner it was brought up, it can appear unresolved and leaves residents to speculate.
Additionally, there are many forms of electronic communication that work perfectly for some and are irrelevant for others. I believe we can come up with a plan of action that considers residents’ various preferred forms of communication in a consistent and inexpensive way.
3. Boards and commissions are pivotal in shaping our community. I aim to give these positions the appreciation and consideration they deserve by keeping myself informed on high-importance issues and expanding the search for interested community members to apply for consideration to serve on these influential boards and commissions.
City Council Meeting
August 19, 2025