Lansing City Council chambers being renamed to honor Tony Benavides 

THURSDAY, May 2 — The public is invited to a reception at City Hall Monday to honor former Mayor and City Councilman Tony Benavides before the Council chambers are renamed after him. 

The reception, with light refreshments, is at 4:30 p.m., on the 9th floor, followed by a ceremony at 5:30 in the Council chambers, on the 10th floor. The public is asked to RSVP for the reception by emailing RSVP@lansingmi.gov. 

Benavides, who turns 82 on Sunday, became mayor in February 2003. Benavides, who was the Council president, was elevated to mayor under the City Charter when David Hollister resigned for a cabinet post in the administration of Gov. Jennifer Granholm. 

 That fall, Benavides nearly beat then state Sen. Virg Bernero in a special election to serve out the remaining two years of Hollister’s term. But two years later, Bernero came back to beat Benavides. 

 Benavides was the first Hispanic member of the City Council, on which he served for more than 20 years.