Twenty candidates for political office attended a forum hosted by the Arts Alliance on July 23, held at the Michigan Theater in downtown Ann Arbor and focused on the creative sector.

Arts Alliance executive director Deb Polich. (Photos by Dave Askins.)

The event included presentations by each candidate as well as opportunities for questions from the audience, and drew out policy positions related to the arts.

County-level candidates shared their thoughts on the possibility of a countywide arts millage.

And mayoral candidate Sally Petersen took the occasion to float the idea of an Ann Arbor city income tax as an approach that would generate more revenue, at the same time shifting some of the burden of local government funding to those who work in Ann Arbor but do not live here.

Bryan Kelly, independent candidate for mayor of Ann Arbor in the Nov. 4 general election, made his first public appearance since qualifying for the ballot. “I can say firsthand that being an artist is the toughest damn job in the world. I’d rather run for mayor than keep writing novels,” he quipped.

Ypsilanti mayoral candidate Tyrone Bridges shared an example of his daughter’s artwork with forum attendees.

Favorite public art named by the candidates included the mosaic adorning the Fourth and Washington parking structure, as well as the half-mile of daffodils planted in The Arb.

And Ann Arbor Ward 5 incumbent Chuck Warpehoski delivered his opening statement in the form of a rap.

In her remarks at the end of the forum, Arts Alliance executive director Deb Polich urged candidates and elected officials to tap into the experts who know the creative sector. She encouraged candidates to touch base with ArtServe Michigan and the Arts Alliance to get accurate information. Ann Arbor is losing ground to other communities like Grand Rapids and Detroit, she said, and that’s why public funding and investment in the arts is important. “Private funding is absolutely here in this county, but it’s not enough – there’s not enough.”

It’s not just about funding, however. Polich stressed the importance of public policy to make the city a fertile ground for the creative sector.

Polich reported that the Arts Alliance will be holding a statewide conference called Creative Convergence on March 19, 2015. Thought leaders from across the country, state and Washtenaw County will be coming to speak about these issues, she said.

This report focuses on state and local candidates, including the Ann Arbor mayoral and city council races, Washtenaw County commissioners, and state legislators. It also includes responses to a candidate survey distributed by the Arts Alliance prior to the forum. Not included here are statements by the two Congressional candidates who attended the forum: Democrat Debbie Dingell, who’s running in the primary against Raymond Mullins of Ypsilanti for the District 12 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives; and Republican Douglas Radcliffe North, who’s running against incumbent Republican Tim Walberg for the District 7 seat in the U.S. House.

The outcomes of many of the local races will be determined in the Aug. 5, 2014 Democratic primary elections, if no Republicans or independent candidates are running. More information about candidates can be found on the Washtenaw County elections division website. Check the Michigan Votes website to find out your polling location and view a sample ballot.

Ann Arbor Mayor

Three of the four Democrats running for Ann Arbor mayor attended the July 23 forum: Sabra Briere, Sally Petersen and Christopher Taylor. Not attending the 8:30 a.m. event was Stephen Kunselman. All candidates completed the Arts Alliance survey. [.pdf of Briere survey response] [.pdf of Kunselman survey response] [.pdf of Petersen survey response] [.pdf of Taylor survey response]

There are no Republicans in this race. In November, one independent candidate – Bryan Kelly – will face the winner of the Democratic primary. Kelly attended the Arts Alliance forum, but did not complete the survey.

Ann Arbor Mayor: Opening Statement – Sabra Briere

Sabra Briere said it had been interesting to sit in the audience and listen to what other candidates had to say, as well as being “part of the show.”

Ann Arbor mayoral candidate Sabra Briere.

Art is both passive and active, she said. One person can create a score, a play or a piece of visual art. Some people can work with that one person – as a crew, as a band, as a cast – to create something bigger. But many people enjoy art in a passive way, by going to a lecture or a gallery. She’d like to see more people in the second type of group, rather than the passive group.

There’s no doubt that public art, private art and creativity all create an opportunity for economic development, and that’s important, she said. But what’s more important to her is community development. “I want to see people engaged in creativity, because the more people who are engaged in this, the greater the opportunity they have to enrich their lives.” Being a passive audience is good, but being a participant in art is better, she said.

A decade ago, an artist envisioned a bright yellow line across an uneven surface, Briere recalled. And dozens of community members showed up at The Arb to plant over 10,000 daffodils. It was work, and it was wet, she said. “But it was an act of anticipation.” There wasn’t immediate gratification – you had to spend months waiting for those daffodils to bloom. She’d bet that many of the people who planted those daffodils go back every year to see how that line has changed. They go back to see where it’s gotten fuzzy, because the daffodils have spread, and where it’s nearly disappeared because it was too shady. “This is what I want to see happen in our community – more community building, strengthening our relationships with each other.”

Ann Arbor Mayor: Opening Statement – Bryan Kelly

Bryan Kelly told the audience that this was the first time he’s addressed an audience as a mayoral candidate. He’s a novelist, having studied writing at the University of Michigan.

Ann Arbor mayoral candidate (November general election) Bryan Kelly.

“I can say firsthand that being an artist is the toughest damn job in the world. I’d rather run for mayor than keep writing novels.” He joked that he might drop out of the race and move to Ypsilanti to vote for Tyrone Bridges, because he liked everything that Bridges had to say. [Bridges, an Ypsilanti mayoral candidate, spoke earlier in the event.]

Kelly liked the idea of an art auction, saying that’s a reasonable application of what the city government can do. There’s a long history of scholarship that calls into question whether the public sector should support the arts, he said, based on the idea that the public would be subsidizing one artist over another.

“And it’s not always the case that politicians are the best determiners of what is good art,” he said. “I think the public is, and the people are.” He said he might have some uncomfortable responses to questions that were posed at this forum.

He said that “art begins with the individual and not with funding. You can have all the funding in the world, but if you don’t have artists, you don’t have art.”

Ann Arbor Mayor: Opening Statement – Sally Petersen

Sally Petersen began by talking about her family’s commitment to art. She and her husband, Tim Petersen, have supported FestiFools since it started, she said – “Mark Tucker had us at ‘hello.’” Her husband is a board member of the University Musical Society, and she’s a past board member of the Ann Arbor Art Center, and she’s about to begin her third term on the board of the Neutral Zone, a nonprofit for teens.

Ann Arbor mayoral candidate Sally Petersen.

Petersen had three points. The first related to economic development. When she started on city council, she quickly learned that even though the council had made economic development a budget priority, the city has no economic development staff and only makes a $75,000 allocation to Ann Arbor SPARK for job creation.

And SPARK is very focused on technology jobs, she noted. As mayor, Petersen would focus on job creation in all sectors that do well in Ann Arbor, including arts and culture. She reported that the Americans for the Arts have said that nationally, 4.4% of the companies in the country are in the arts and creative sector. In Washtenaw County, that number is higher – at 5.3%, she said. But nationally, 2.1% of jobs are in that sector, compared to only 1.8% in Washtenaw County. So there’s room to grow here in terms of jobs in the arts sector, she said.

Her second point related to public-private partnerships. Grand Rapids has ArtPrize. So Ann Arbor gets compared to Grand Rapids all the time, she noted, but it’s important to remember that ArtPrize is privately funded. She spent the first five years of her business career in Columbus, Indiana, working for Cummins Engine, which made significant investments in public art in that community. [As one example of public art in that southern Indiana city of about 45,000 people is the sculpture by Henry Moore that stands in front of the public library, which was designed by I.M. Pei.] In Ann Arbor, there’s Sonic Lunch that’s supported by the Bank of Ann Arbor, she said. Neutral Zone’s annual Live on Washington event has lots of private-sector donations. “To me, it feels like the appetite for public expression of art through private donations is pretty healthy in Ann Arbor. We just need to leverage that more as the economy improves.”

Finally, Petersen said it’s important to keep a pulse on the public attitude toward art. The city’s Percent for Art program didn’t resonate with the majority of citizens in Ann Arbor, she said, “and we saw that in 2012 when the public art millage failed.” She said she had supported that millage. As the economy improves, if the city leverages public-private partnerships and creates more jobs in the arts, “we can change the public attitudes towards art so that perhaps in the future, a millage will actually work.”

Petersen concluded by reminding the audience of Ann Arbor Art Center’s motto: “Where creativity and community meet.” This inclusive nature about art is what she’d promote as mayor, Petersen said.

Ann Arbor Mayor: Opening Statement – Christopher Taylor

Art and the arts are important to him as an individual, Christopher Taylor said. Ever since his seventh grade teacher realized that he could carry a tune, arts have been a part of his daily life. He attended the University of Michigan on a music scholarship, and he has a degree in vocal performance. “And like of course many aspiring opera singers, I’m now a lawyer,” he joked. He works at the law firm of Hooper Hathaway on Main Street in Ann Arbor.

Ann Arbor mayoral candidate Christopher Taylor.

He noted that the arts play an important role in economic development, as others have mentioned. Several candidates have also mentioned the importance of the arts to children, and it’s true that the arts couldn’t be more effective in “helping raise good little people.” But he said he wanted to expand on something that Briere had mentioned – the role of arts in the community. The creation of art by the people of Ann Arbor is important to people’s quality of life and sense of being and place, he said, and to their engagement with one another.

With “all profound respect” to the city’s professional arts organizations like the Arts Alliance, Michigan Theater and UMS, Taylor said, people’s day-to-day lives are most profoundly affected by things like the Water Hill Music Fest, the Burns Park Players and Thurston Community Players. These are events where people come together with common purpose to create something that’s meaningful and personal, that creates connections among neighbors, Taylor said.

They create lifelong friendships, and a “third place” where people can come when they’re not at work or home. As mayor, he’d love to help propagate and expand these kinds of things. If he were mayor, people in the arts would know that they had a true friend and ally and advocate in the mayor’s office, he said. “What you needed, what you could dream of, what you can imagine a mayor could do – ask, and I’ll do everything I can to get it done.”

Ann Arbor Mayor Q&A: What is your position on public art in Ann Arbor? What elements are necessary to make a public art program successful?

Bryan Kelly: Public art in Ann Arbor could be better, he said. Some of it makes him scratch his head. As a novelist, “I don’t understand physical art….it needs to have words on it.” But if a painting or other type of physical art has words on it, he added, “it usually undermines its purpose.”

Sabra Briere: Briere said she supports public art in Ann Arbor in a lot of different ways. She supports art that’s a physical manifestation – a sculpture or fountain – but she also supports public art that’s a performance. That includes band performances, plays in The Arb and West Park, and “the mimes that occasionally show up at my table.” Art challenges her and makes her think, “and thinking is always a wonderful thing.”

A successful public art program comes from a combination of resources at the governmental level, and creativity bubbling up from the people, Briere said. She supports opening city hall to temporary exhibits of art, and opening up the city parks to temporary exhibits of art. Other ideas include holding a plein air painting contest for amateurs in the park, or closing Main Street for a play to be performed. “I think you can do lots of creative things with art in public, without it becoming something where the public feels bad art is forced on them.” As mayor, she’d do her best to make sure many of these things happen, and she’s open to other creative ideas that include a small amount of financial or staff support, opening up the creative world to a large number of people. She noted that there’s never been a single piece of art displayed in public that someone doesn’t think is bad.

Christopher Taylor: “I support public art – full stop.” It’s important for the city to invest in and advocate for the arts, he said. Public art programs are most successful when residents believe – and when it is factually true – that their other needs are being addressed, he added. “Being satisfied? Who’s ever satisfied? But when the city is making an earnest and consistent effort, that is appreciated and understood by the residents.” This is what allows a public art program to thrive in a political culture and political environment, he said.

The city failed in its initial effort to support public art through the Percent for Art program, Taylor said. It was insufficiently resourced from the staff side, and the public art commission was given a set of tasks with insufficient tools, he said, so it didn’t work out. Integrating public art design into city capital projects on a project-by-project basis is the best way to move forward. If elected mayor, his votes will reflect the fact that he believes public art to be a value. If a new play structure in a park will cost X without art and enhanced design, but will cost X plus Y – “where Y is reasonable” – with art or expanded design, then he’d support that.

Sally Petersen: Regarding her attitude toward public art, it’s really about priorities, Petersen said. “I’m still kind of shrugging my shoulders over a discussion we had at the council table on Monday night.” The council voted 8-2 to inquire about acquiring two more pieces of property for the parks system. She reported that she and mayor John Hieftje were on the losing side. There are 158 parks – does the city need two more? She characterized one property as swampland, and the other parcel as unbuildable. So the question is about priorities.

The city has only $57,000 allocated for community events, and she’d rather double that budget so that the city could support events like FestiFools. The economic development allocation is only for $75,000 – and that’s for technology jobs, she noted. [That amount is for the contract the city has with Ann Arbor SPARK.] She’d like to double that as well, so that the city could support job creation in other sectors, including the creative sector. “So again, it’s a matter of priorities,” she said.

Ann Arbor Mayor Q&A: What’s your favorite public art in Ann Arbor?

Bryan Kelly: There’s some decent graffiti in town – under the train bridge at Argo Pond, for example.

Sabra Briere: Her favorite piece of public art is the sculpture in Hanover Square, at the corner of Packard and Division. It’s a set of cascading books. [The piece by Ronald Bauer is titled "Arbor Sapientiae."] Briere said she likes it when it’s wet – it makes noise when it’s raining, and it’s fascinating to see what the artist did. “A lot of people don’t get it, but being a book person, I like it.” Her second favorite piece of public art is on the University of Michigan campus – a fountain at the Kellogg Eye Center that was locally designed.

Christopher Taylor: He works on Main Street and has affection for the artwork on the Fourth & Washington parking structure. [The structure includes "Urban Configurations" by Irina Koukhanova and untitled stoneware panels by Barron Naegel and Yiu-Keung Lee.] Taylor said he loves the “big sculpture with the swing” in front of the UM Museum of Art. [Mark di Suvero's "Shang."] His kids love the sound of it and love interacting with it.

Sally Petersen: Her definition of art is broad, and she’s a huge fan of FestiFools. “It is where community and creativity meet,” she said, so that’s her favorite expression of art in Ann Arbor. She values its inclusive nature. Petersen said she also likes art that’s functional, like the mosaic tile on the Fourth & Washington parking structure [a mural by Michael Hall]. She also spends a lot of time running through Gallup Park, and there’s a playground with a climbing structure in the shape of a frog. Art that’s functional makes a lot of sense to her, Petersen said.

Ann Arbor Mayor Q&A: Comment on the notion that Ann Arbor is being surpassed by other Michigan communities as a creative destination in Michigan.

Sally Petersen: Grand Rapids is probably one of those communities that has surpassed Ann Arbor, Petersen said. They have a lot of private funding for the arts. That city also has a city income tax, she noted. In Ann Arbor, about 68,000 people come into the city each day for work, she said, so the population of Ann Arbor increases by a third during the workweek. If Ann Arbor had an income tax, the state sets the level, she said – a half percent for out-of-towners, and one percent for people who live and work here. For Ann Arbor residents, the current city operations millage would be eliminated, she noted.

When the city looked at a possible income tax in 2009, the net gain was $12 million. Petersen thought the first priority would be repairing the roads, but it might free up other areas of the budget to invest in the arts. “It’s kind of a crazy thing to say – I’m running for mayor, and I want to consider a city income tax? What a crazy thing to run on! But at the same time, it lessens the tax burden for all of Ann Arbor.” It would shift part of the tax burden onto people who are coming from out of town, who are also using the city’s resources, she said.

Sabra Briere: Ann Arbor is best known for performance art – music and vocal art – and is less known for visual art, she said. In the past five years, a lot of people have asked why the city needs to put money into visual art, she added, because the university does that already. As a mechanism for becoming economically healthier, other communities are turning to art and to the expression of the human soul – while Ann Arbor is getting just a little bit more pragmatic and saying “Just fix the roads.” In order to be healthy, to be a growing, vibrant, exciting community, Ann Arbor needs to do both, Briere said. We need to figure out what an expression of the city’s artistic soul may be, she added, and she’d like to see that expression as a community that works together to create art.

Christopher Taylor: Taylor said he didn’t think it was necessarily true that other communities are surpassing Ann Arbor. Grand Rapids receives a great deal of notoriety for ArtPrize. “If any of the local billionaires in the audience are interested helping out in this regard, I think we could certainly move the bar a little bit on that one,” he joked. But it’s true that there’s a competitive environment, he said, and Ann Arbor needs to move forward and be better at what it does, and to advocate for the creative sector.

He’d like to see the community propagate and support organizations that want to put on events throughout the city, whether it’s in neighborhoods or downtown. The city has a role there. Also, the city owns a lot of land, including some land that city officials are considering selling. Taylor said he’d be interested in entertaining the possibility of workspace for artists, where appropriate, if a practical proposal is brought forward. It’s a community value, and would help move any misconception about Ann Arbor’s friendliness for arts to the side, he said.

Bryan Kelly: “This is easy,” Kelly said. “Over my dead body. I’d dare any city to be more artistic.” Being more artistic comes down to the individuals that a city attracts, and he takes very seriously the part of the city charter that defines the mayor as the ceremonial head of the city. That’s part of the reason why he was attracted to run for mayor. He intends to be symbolic, as a candidate “who has not found success in their creative life,” but who is able to apply his talents to running for mayor and share a commonality with the artistic experience. “And I’m not going to Grand Rapids to buy any art,” he quipped. “I’ll buy from a neighbor first.”

Ann Arbor Mayor Q&A: It sounds as if candidates don’t see a significant role for city government funding for the arts via the city’s general fund. Why is that?

Bryan Kelly: The public arts millage wasn’t approved by voters, he noted. And as Briere had pointed out, there will always be people who hate a public presentation of art. So what the city is dealing with is the fallout from the millage. Personally, Kelly said, he’s dealing with the question of whether the public sphere should take the primary role in supporting the arts – or should it be individuals and the private sector.

Christopher Taylor: Taylor said he’s very much in favor of public support of art. At the council table, he said, he’s been a strong supporter for funding public art, and he’s supporting the new public art program that integrates art into enhanced design of city capital projects. The city needs to expand its support of community events, and many of those events are arts-based. The city provides support to the original Street Art Fair, he said, through a direct subsidy. The city also supports the Ann Arbor Summer Festival, Taylor said. He didn’t know whether the city has a role at this point in directly supporting performing arts organizations. The city needs to continue to support the infrastructure and underlying environment where these programs can prosper, he said.

Sabra Briere: Briere noted that she, Petersen and Taylor had all helped rewrite the public art ordinance and removed the Percent for Art concept. Now, the ordinance includes the concept of “baking in” art into capital improvement projects. That allows the city to designate some types of capital improvement to be enhanced by more architectural design, or including art in the design of the project from the beginning – not slapped on as an afterthought. “If you don’t hear a dedication to spending money on public art, it’s not that we aren’t dedicated,” she said. It’s something they might not talk about explicitly because they’ve already thought about it and committed to supporting public art. “We give money to cultural events, though not enough. But we all care about public art.”

Sally Petersen: Petersen addressed the issue of why the city’s general fund doesn’t have a larger line item for public art. “I think it comes back to the current appetite for public dollars for public art.” For a variety of reasons, the Percent for Art approach didn’t work in Ann Arbor, she said. The councilmembers who are running for mayor worked on a task force to transition the program to become part of capital improvements, and to crowdfund public art projects as well, she noted. She thinks there’s an appetite for crowdfunding from the private sector for public art. “I think we need to see some examples of positive art – positive public art that’s privately funded.” If the private sector gets on board, that might “water the soil” for the public coming forward. She’d like to see another try at a public art millage. The time might not be now, but it might be four years from now, she said. “If we can rely on private-sector partners first, maybe we can sow the seeds for that in the future.”

Ann Arbor City Council

Four candidates for Ann Arbor city council attended the July 23 forum: Don Adams, Kirk Westphal, Julie Grand and Chuck Warpehoski.

Ann Arbor City Council: Opening Statements – Don Adams

Don Adams is running for a seat in Ward 1 currently held by Sumi Kailasapathy, who is seeking re-election. Both are Democrats. Kailasapathy did not attend the forum, but did complete the candidate survey. [.pdf of Kailasapathy survey response] Adams did not turn in the survey.

Ann Arbor Ward 1 city council candidate Don Adams.

Adams said that if elected, he’d like to see the council work with the creative sector more to improve art. Art is something that’s close to his heart. The council can help attract and retain talent to the city. Artists can bring a vibrant community together. Some people say it would attract young talent, but Adams noted that older people love art as well. He pointed out that Debbie Dingell, in her remarks earlier in the forum, had mentioned the STEM (science technology engineering math) approach to education. At Northside Elementary, which his two daughters attend, the program is STEAM – adding art into the mix.

Adams also talked about how art can work with rehab. He’s on the board of directors at the Eisenhower Center, where they work with people who have traumatic brain injuries, including veterans. There’s a music therapist who works with the patients and gets good results, he said. They had an art therapist student too, but she recently finished her degree and moved on. At their Manchester campus, there’s an art therapy program with ceramics, drawing and painting, and a woodshop. Art and rehab is something he holds dear to his heart.

In conclusion, Adams noted that his seven-year-old daughter’s artwork was hung at the Ann Arbor District Library. “So she is now officially a published artist.”

Ann Arbor City Council: Opening Statements – Kirk Westphal

Kirk Westphal is running against Nancy Kaplan in Ward 2. There’s no incumbent in this race. Both candidates are Democrats, and no Republicans are running this year. Kaplan did not attend the forum, but both candidates completed the Arts Alliance survey. [.pdf of Westphal survey response] [.pdf of Kaplan survey response]

Ann Arbor Ward 2 city council candidate Kirk Westphal.

When his family talks about the arts, Westphal said, his wife literally and figuratively steals the show – she was a Broadway music director who’s now a professor with the University of Michigan musical theater department. He encouraged people to attend the department’s productions, saying “it’s the best value ticket in town.”

Westphal told the audience that he’s an urban planner. His job includes creating educational documentaries about cities and different aspects of urban life. His latest one is based in Ann Arbor, called “Ride ‘Round A2.” It focuses on bus and bike commuting.

The role of the creative sector in this community is absolutely about art objects and entertainment venues, Westphal said. But in the bigger picture, it has to do with creative problem-solving and creativity in different industries. It’s a core competency in today’s economy – whether you’re an artist or an engineer or an architect, creative problem-solving is important, and the arts play a major role in that.

Last year, the Knight Foundation completed a major study, interviewing more than 40,000 people over a three-year period in small to mid-sized cities nationwide. The purpose was to find out what the drivers are for growing people’s affection for their community, he said – what makes people love a city and stay there. The three major drivers were the city’s aesthetics, its social offerings, and its openness. “Now if the creative industry can’t tackle these items, I don’t know who can.”

So how can Ann Arbor leverage and strengthen the talent and organizations that the city has now? First, the city needs an arts and culture master plan, Westphal said. Unless the community can describe what it wants and where – and come up with something that can be measured, documented, and inventoried – it’s much less likely to happen. Creating a master plan would be a great opportunity to talk about what the community values. Another strategy is to empower people to make creativity happen now, he said. There are tens of thousands of people in this community who voted to tax themselves to make public art happen, he noted. [This was a reference to those who voted for the unsuccessful 2012 millage proposal.] “So where are they now, and where’s their money?” Let them envision where they’d like to invest and then let them build it, he said.

This is a conversation that needs to keep happening – and not just during an election, Westphal said. As a city councilmember, he’d help facilitate an ongoing dialogue with the community and artists.

[Regarding the master plan, five years ago the Arts Alliance had developed a cultural master plan for Washtenaw County, with customized "working plans" for several local population centers, including Ann Arbor. Deb Polich, the Arts Alliance executive director, reported that "we're ready to dust it off" and refresh it next spring.]

Ann Arbor City Council: Opening Statements – Julie Grand

Julie Grand is one of three Democrats running for Ward 3 city council. There is no incumbent for this seat. Other candidates are Samuel McMullen and Bob Dascola, who did not attend the forum or complete the Arts Alliance survey. [.pdf of Grand survey response]

Ann Arbor Ward 3 city council candidate Julie Grand.

As a parent, Grand sees how her own kids get out their emotions through art – “even if it’s sometimes an X over my face when they don’t like what they hear.” She shared a personal anecdote that she said reflected the community’s relationship with art. She was a dancer from kindergarten through college, and taught dance in high school. Her last performances were in Philadelphia. When she came to Ann Arbor for grad school, she thought she’d keep dancing. She went to the dance department and was told that she wasn’t in the right kind of shape. “So since I was too fat to dance, I stopped.” Grand said she wasn’t trying to engender sympathy, but wanted to point out that it takes a lot of courage to participate in the creative sector. “You have to be willing to put yourself out there to an often anonymous and unkind public.” It’s really easy to abandon a focus on the arts and turn to other priorities, she said.

Similarly, it takes a lot of courage to stand up for public funding of the arts, Grand said. There’s that unkind and anonymous public out there, who would rather see the city spend its money elsewhere. It’s really easy to use the small amount of funding that’s spent on arts as a scapegoat, instead of coming up with real solutions to things like roads and sewers, “which have nothing to do with the arts.”

Grand said she didn’t want to preach to the choir, but from her perspective, the city council can take several actions to help bring the community back to an appreciation and support of the arts. Residents want projects that are smaller in scale, she said, so that’s important. The city also needs to have projects that are unrestricted in theme. “The site should dictate the art, not the funding source.” Residents also really want to support local artists, Grand said. The city needs to do a better job of reaching out to the creative sector. She’d also like to see more opportunities for temporary art that can provide exposure for lots of local artists. The city should promote and provide funding for festivals so that everyone in the community can get exposure to the arts. It contributes to the unique character of this community. Ann Arborites also want to see projects that are accessible, Grand said – not just in the downtown, but in parks, libraries, along the Huron River and elsewhere. The city needs to think about public-private partnerships, as well as partnerships with educational institutions and nonprofits.

Grand pointed out that John Kotarski, vice chair of the city’s public art commission, was in the audience. He has lots of wonderful ideas, she said. Six months was not enough time for the art commission to “turn that process around,” and she’d like to see it reversed. [Responding to a follow-up query from The Chronicle, Grand said she was referring to the defunding of public art and lack of staff support for the public art commission.]

Ann Arbor City Council: Opening Statements – Chuck Warpehoski

Democrat Chuck Warpehoski is running for a second term representing Ward 5. [.pdf of Warpehoski survey response] Leon Bryson will appear on the Ward 5 Democratic primary ballot, but is not campaigning and announced his intent to withdraw from that race.

Warpehoski delivered his statement in verse:

I’m a politician
I’m not a poet
And here with the Arts Alliance
I don’t wanna blow it

When I think of about the role of arts
Here in our city
It’s about more than just trying
to make things pretty

While we wring our hands 
talking about economic health
the creative sector's a source
of true community wealth

As we rebuild
this great Great Lakes state
we can't do the old things
we have to innovate

And create places
where people want to be
sounds like a job for the arts
if you ask me

Nobody chooses a city
about our sewer drains
Or the miles and miles of
new water mains

Those are important
we have to get them right
but curb and gutter work
doesn’t bring anybody delight

And the kids, man, the kids
Tyrone said it – the kids
corporate culture has them tuning out
watching YouTube vids

Better to nurture
Their creative expression
that's a much more healthy
fulfilling lifelong obsession

You don’t just have to receive
and passively watch
You can create – to do so
is our most fundamental human trait

The arts here in town
They have some challenges
That’s no lie
Studio rents are too damn high

Maybe you wait tables
and do art on the side
I want Ann Arbor to be a place
where you can reside

So whether you sculpt
or dance or sing
We need more 
and affordable workforce housing

So what can you expect
If I'm re-elected?
Funding for the arts
will be protected

From Top of the Park
to FoolMoon in the dark
or that great new mural
Down in Allmendinger Park

But there’s a limit
To what the government can do
That’s why to succeed 
We need all of you

You keep creating
We’ll keep debating
Let’s hope the outcome
invigorating

Hey, I’m a politician
I’m not a poet
But Ann Arbor is art town
I want you to know it.

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Ann Arbor City Council Q&A: The public art commission is taking a hiatus as the program goes through some restructuring. What message do you have for the art commission and the broader arts community in terms of next steps for the program?

Chuck Warpehoski: There was a fight to get funding to hire an arts administrator to help move to the next stage, he said. The city had put a lot of responsibility on the public art commission without giving them the support they need.

Ann Arbor Ward 5 city council incumbent Chuck Warpehoski.

Now, the city has lined up funds to get a professional arts coordinator to provide that support. “Where that’s gonna go? I don’t know – we’re still figuring that out.” But having institutional support will be vital, he said.

The public art commission has done great work, but if residents want this to be a priority for the city, they need to be involved, and encourage their friends and neighbors to get involved too. That’s important to build support for the arts, he noted, “because the fight to get the funding for the arts administrator was a real fight, and without your support, it’s going to get harder and harder.”

Kirk Westphal: Westphal said he’d echo Warpehoski’s sentiments. “This is a bottom-up fight for culture in our community. We cannot just offload it onto our politicians and our commissioners.” People need to communicate with their elected leaders about what they want. People love Ann Arbor for the culture it has, and “we have to keep infusing it with more.” It takes being proactive action from the bottom up – from citizens asking for it. We need to support the existing institutions and public art commissioners, “and we need more people under the tent.” There are a lot of different tastes in town, and different tolerances for how the city spends money – “so let’s get those ideas together, and expand the people in charge of this process.”

Julie Grand: With due respect to the councilmembers who worked on restructuring the Percent for Art program, Grand said, the public art commission had some really innovative ideas and she was profoundly disappointed when their funding and staff support was taken away. This process can’t happen in six months, she said. The commission was looking to incorporate best practices, and to go through a stronger community input process – which she supports whenever the city is dealing with complex issues. “We can’t expect that private donors are just going to fall out of the sky,” she said. It takes time to build those relationships. She’d be in favor of allowing the public art commission to do its work, and would like to be supportive of their recommendations.

Don Adams: Adams agreed with the other candidates, telling the creative sector that “you’ll always have a seat at my table.” He’s willing to work with the arts community to see how they can make things better. It won’t happy overnight, he said, but he’s willing to work on it.

Ypsilanti Mayor

Tyrone Bridges was the only Democratic mayoral candidate for the city of Ypsilanti who attended the July 23 forum. The other candidates are Amanda Edmonds and Peter Murdock. None of the candidates filled out the Arts Alliance survey. There are no Republicans in this race.

Ypsilanti Mayor: Opening Statement

Tyrone Bridges told the audience that he’s a 45-year-old single parent who’s been an artist for many years.

Tyrone Bridges is running for mayor of Ypsilanti. He brought a piece of artwork drawn by his son.

It started in the late 1970s when he was a breakdance artist. He joked that if there was more room, “I’d cut a little rug for you.” As an African American growing up in a home with abuse, he used art to escape. “Art was the closest thing that I had as a friend,” he said. Most people didn’t think he had artistic abilities, “but I can pretty much draw anything I can see.” God gives us artist ability and energy, he said.

As a single parent with a 15-year-old child, Bridges said he taught his son how to draw. His son was selected out of a group of 40 students to present his art to the public for an auction, he reported.

He’d brought the drawing to the July 23 forum, and showed it to the audience – a colorful Celtic knot. “My son took colors and made beauty.” This is what makes Washtenaw County powerful, he said – our colorful community, and our ability to share beauty. “We are some beautiful people created by God,” he said. He thanked God for giving him the ability to show his child how to be creative instead of being destructive.

As mayor of Ypsilanti, he’d work with the Arts Alliance on a countywide art competition for all students.

Ypsilanti Mayor Q&A: What’s your favorite piece of public art in Ypsilanti?

Bridges said he didn’t have a favorite piece of public art, but he always creates art in his spare time. God is always reaching down for you when you fall, just like parents picking up their children when they fall, he said. “Our communities should reach down and pick up our youth.” As mayor, Bridges said he would inspire more youth to be creative instead of destructive.

Ypsilanti Mayor Q&A: What would be your top public policy change as mayor, to support the creative sector?

Bridges said he didn’t know much about the policies in Ypsilanti, but as mayor, he’d have leverage to do some things. He’d love to bring all artists in the county together. In Ypsilanti, he’d like to do an art challenge for students. The city could do fundraisers and find matching grants, he said. Elected officials need to eliminate the word “can’t” from their vocabulary.

Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners

Five candidates for the Washtenaw County board of commissioners attended the July 23 forum: Felicia Brabec, Wilma Gold-Jones, Ruth Ann Jamnick, Andy LaBarre and Yousef Rabhi.

Washtenaw County Commissioners: Opening Statements – Felicia Brabec

Felicia Brabec, a Democrat from Pittsfield Township, is the incumbent representing District 4 on the county board. She is unchallenged in the primary, and faces Republican Stanley Watson on Nov. 4. [.pdf of Brabec survey response] Watson did not attend the forum or complete the Arts Alliance survey.

Democrat Felicia Brabec, a Democrat from Pittsfield Township, is the incumbent representing District 4 on the Washtenaw County board of commissioners.

Brabec said she’s lucky that she grew up as an arts lover because of her parents. Her mom was an educator, and during many summers there was always one day a week when her family would go on excursions – to places like museums or concerts. Brabec and her husband try to encourage an appreciation of arts in their own children. She brought her son to the forum, and on the way over he asked what she planned to talk about. She reminded him of how they look for Sluggo and Philomena – characters by chalk artist David Zinn. “That’s part of our family culture,” she said.

At the county, there are some opportunities to support arts and culture. They can hang work by local artists and children in the county buildings, she said. The county also runs camps for kids, and being able to support arts education is a way to make a difference. It’s an important connection to make between arts and the community. Brabec also mentioned the revenue raised by levying a countywide Act 88 millage – a portion of that is used to invest in cultural preservation. She would continue to support that endeavor. The county also partners with local municipalities, she noted. District 4 includes Pittsfield Township, which recently installed its first public art piece at the township hall. She encouraged people to come out and see it.

Brabec concluded by reading a quote attributed to John F. Kennedy: “If arts is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him.” Her hope is to support all local artists, to see where our community can go.

Washtenaw County Commissioners: Opening Statements – Wilma Gold-Jones

Wilma Gold-Jones is one of four Democrats running for District 5, which covers Augusta Township and part of Ypsilanti Township south of I-94.

Wilma Gold-Jones is one of four Democrats running for District 5, which covers Augusta Township and part of Ypsilanti Township south of I-94.

Other Democratic candidates are Ruth Ann Jamnick, Victor Dobrin and Keith Jason. The winner of the primary will face Republican Timothy King in November. The current commissioner from that district, Democrat Rolland Sizemore Jr., is not seeking re-election. Gold-Jones did not complete the Arts Alliance survey.

Art is an educational tool, Gold-Jones said. Kids learn their creativity in school and are energized when they’re allowed to express themselves – through poetry, dance, music or other artistic ways. When she was a child, as an African American, she learned about her rich cultural heritage.

Learning about other cultures helps to dissipate fears and teaches people to appreciate each other. She said she’s not an artist, but she loves to dance.

Music is her way of expressing herself. She also likes to go to festivals and other arts and cultural events.

Washtenaw County Commissioners: Opening Statements – Ruth Ann Jamnick

Ruth Ann Jamnick is another Democrat running for the District 5 seat. [.pdf of Jamnick survey response]

Ruth Ann Jamnick is another Democrat running for the District 5 seat.

Jamnick began by saying she was born and raised in Ypsilanti, but graduated from St. Thomas school in Ann Arbor. In Ypsilanti Township, there’s a company called Sensitile that asked for a tax abatement to refurbish an old building. They do unique lighting for businesses and homes, she said. The township gave them a tax abatement, she reported.

So that’s one way that government can support businesses that are oriented “in a little bit of a different nuance than what most people think is art.”

Jamnick said she was probably the least “artist-type person” in the room. “My doodles are squares.” She’s been a volunteer for various organizations over the years, including the Heritage Festival and the Festival of Lights.

She would work with leaders in other communities to preserve historic buildings. In Augusta Township, for example, there are two hamlets that could be helped, she said. Funding is still tight, but she’s heartened that the state might be bringing back some deductions for the state income tax.

Washtenaw County Commissioners: Opening Statements – Andy LaBarre

Incumbent Democrat Andy LaBarre is running for a second two-year term to represent District 7 in Ann Arbor. [.pdf of LaBarre survey response] He’s unopposed in the primary, and faces Republican Joe Miriani in November. Miriani did not attend the forum or complete the Arts Alliance survey.

Incumbent Democrat Andy LaBarre is running for a second two-year term on the county board to represent District 7 in Ann Arbor.

LaBarre reported that on Monday night he was weeding his garden, and his mom came over to help. “As moms are wont to do, she was telling me a lot of things.” One of those things was a report that friends are coming to visit from London. His mom is meeting them in Chicago and on their way back to Ann Arbor, they’ll be stopping in Grand Rapids for an art festival. She told him that periodic interaction with the arts “recharges my soul.” And it does, he said. Brabec had done a good job in describing some of the ways that the county can support the arts, and he agrees with those. Sometimes people describe art as frivolous or not a basic function of government. “My pledge is that you’re not going to hear that from me.”

There are times when public money has to be spent on other things, but art itself is never a frivolous use of money or a waste of money. It connects you to who you are as a community, he said. To be honest, he added, the most he can do is to be open and receptive to ideas on how to expand the access to arts, and “how we can recharge souls.” That’s the job – don’t denigrate art, and try to promote it when they can, and be receptive to ways in which the arts affect people’s lives.

Washtenaw County Commissioners: Opening Statements – Yousef Rabhi

Yousef Rabhi is the incumbent Democrat in District 8, who current serves as chair of the county board of commissioners. The Ann Arbor resident is unopposed in the primary, and faces Republican Jeffrey Gallatin in November. Neither Rabhi nor Gallatin completed the Arts Alliance survey.

Ann Arbor resident Yousef Rabhi is the incumbent Democrat in District 8, who currently serves as chair of the county board of commissioners.

Rabhi said that for him, the definition of art is “the organic expression of the human spirit.” He feels that it’s essential to who we are as humans, and to who we are as a community. The founding of this country included the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, he noted. “What is the pursuit of happiness if you don’t have art?” So as a fundamental value for government, for communities and for our very being, he said, the importance of art should go without saying. He agreed with the things that Brabec and LaBarre had highlighted, but he wanted to highlight a couple of things that deserve “a little bit more watering of the roots.”

The county invests in the Washtenaw Area Teens for Tomorrow and other youth alliances, he said, to facilitate artistic expression like music, painting and sculpture. Every year, there’s a showcase of youth art and it’s a phenomenal event, he said. Access to art is an important thing, and investment is needed. Art shouldn’t be just for the wealthy – it should be for everyone. That’s why the investments on the east side of the county are important, Rabhi said.

Everyone should be able to be an artist, if that’s their calling. Part of this is a public campaign, he added, to convince the public that art is important. People should be reminded that everyone is an artist, and the role of government should be to create a community canvas where everyone can paint their expression of the human spirit.

Washtenaw County Commissioners Q&A: What are the advantages and disadvantages of a countywide arts millage. Would you support it?

Yousef Rabhi: Rabhi joked that he always likes to talk about taxes. More revenue for art is a good thing. However, when thinking about a millage, it’s something the community has to support. A lot of effort and money would be spent on getting it passed, and that’s a challenge. “But if an arts millage is the way we want to go, then fine. I think that being strategic is important.” Rabhi said he’d advocate more strongly for finding new ways of funding local government in general, including art. “We’re being pinched at every corner.” It’s ridiculous that property taxes are the only way to fund local government in Michigan, and it’s limiting the ability to provide even basic services. Options might be a local sales tax, or a tax on special events – but those changes would need to happen at the state level, he noted. It’s important that state legislators understand that local government can’t continue by relying solely on millages.

Andy LaBarre: He wouldn’t support putting a countywide public art millage on the ballot in the next two to four years. He didn’t think it would pass, and it would be detrimental to efforts to pass possible millages for public safety or human services. But if it were on the ballot, “I’d vote for it,” he said. If the community wants to fund art locally, they need to look at what other tools exist or ask for new tools. He wished he would say that he absolutely supports a public arts millage, “but I think the ‘No’ crowd and the anti-government crowd is still strong.”

Ruth Ann Jamnick: She’d support a public arts millage, with the caveat that there should be a very clear distribution of funds. The county would need to tell people in each community how they’d get a share, and how it could be spent. Every community would want to know what’s going to come to their community, in terms of funding to enhance their quality of life. Ann Arbor is obviously the cultural center of Washtenaw County, she said, but outside of that, people would want to know what their community would get. So they’d need to be very careful about that.

Wilma Gold-Jones: She agreed with LaBarre about the need to convince the public that an arts millage would be for the greater good, when funding in general is very tight. Most creative energy comes through the schools, and through grants that leverage county funds. With that approach, it spills over into the community, she said. Gold-Jones agreed with Jamnick that each community would want to know what its share would be, and what it could fund. It’s important to look at this possibility and do their homework ahead of time, to make sure such a millage would provide the community with the best bang for their buck.

Felicia Brabec: Theoretically, she’d be in favor of an arts millage. However, she’d balance that with the reality of the county’s situation now. Other issues are on the table, including public safety and human services. It was helpful to hear some of the data in ArtServe’s Creative State report, Brabec said, but there are some other pressing needs. She’d try to balance those and ask constituents what they want. But in general, she agreed with Rabhi that more funding tools are needed.

Dexter Township Supervisor

Only one candidate from the townships attended the Arts Alliance forum – Democrat Michael Kundak-Cowall, who’s running for Dexter Township supervisor. [.pdf of Kundak-Cowall survey response] He is unchallenged in the primary, and in November will face the winner of the Republican primary – either Mark Wojno or Harley Rider. They did not attend the forum or complete the Arts Alliance survey.

Dexter Township Supervisor: Opening Statement

Michael Kundak-Cowall described Dexter Township “solidly rural,” located between Chelsea and Dexter but not including the village of Dexter.

Dexter Township supervisor candidate Michael Kundak-Cowall.

It has a population of about 6,000. The township budget currently has no money appropriated for the arts, he said. However, the township is home to a significant number of artists. Why? “First off, it’s just plain beautiful out there.” The township is at the edge of the Pinckney State Recreation Area, and there are several parks in the area. The infrastructure includes broadband access through Charter Communications, he noted. His neighbor is an oil painter, and the vocal music director for the Chelsea School District lives nearby.

To bring in more people, the township needs to improve its quality of life, Kundak-Cowall said. The township is on the edge of Detroit Edison’s energy grid, he said, so when power goes out, the township is usually among the last to get its power back. The vast majority of roads are unpaved, so whenever it rains there’s massive erosion and flooding, which sometimes makes the dirt roads impassable. A new substation is being built, which hopefully will improve the reliability of power, he said. The township is also doing what it can to help improve the roads, so you won’t have to renavigate the back roads when “part of the road is just kind of mysteriously washed away.”

So by spending less time taking care of your generator and less time trying to make sure the wheels of your car haven’t fallen off because of hitting a pothole, Kundak-Cowall said, you have more time to do what you want to do – whether it’s making art, or spending time with local artists.

Dexter Township Supervisor Q&A: As supervisor, are there concrete ways to support the local artists living in Dexter Township?

The township is currently running a budget surplus of about $200,000, Kundak-Cowall said. Some of that could be used for appropriations and grants, if the rest of the board agrees. That would be the most direct form. Right now the township hall is being renovated, and he’d appreciate art contributions for that. Most galleries in the area are in Dexter and Chelsea, outside of the township. The township appreciates all artists who contribute to the community, he said.

State Level Candidates

Three candidates at the state level attended the July 23 forum: Shari Pollesch, Gretchen Driskell and Jeff Irwin.

State Level Candidates: Opening Statement – Shari Pollesch

Democrat Shari Pollesch is running for a state Senate seat in District 22. The Livingston County resident is unchallenged in the August primary, and faces incumbent Republican Joe Hune on Nov. 4. Hune did not attend the July 23 forum.

Democrat Shari Pollesch is running for a state Senate seat in District 22.

The district covers Livingston County and western Washtenaw County, including the townships of Lyndon, Dexter, Webster, Northfield, Sylvan, Lima, Scio, Sharon, Freedom, Lodi, Manchester, Bridgewater, and Saline, as well as the villages of Dexter and Manchester, and the city of Chelsea. [.pdf of Pollesch survey responses] [.pdf of Hune survey responses]

Pollesch said she’s a strong believer in the arts in terms of education. Especially for at-risk kids, it’s one of the ways to keep them energized and interested in their education. She serves on the board of the Livingston County Concert Band, and they’ve talked about whether millages should be levied to help with the arts.

Any community that’s thriving is doing so in part because it has a thriving arts culture, she said. It’s the hallmark for quality of life. If elected, Pollesch said she’d support the arts and will continue to participate in the arts. “I’m much better at enjoying the arts than participation,” she joked, “but they let me play every week anyway.”

State Level Candidates: Opening Statement – Gretchen Driskell

Gretchen Driskell, a Saline resident, is the incumbent Democrat state Representative for District 52. She is unopposed in the Aug. 5 primary, and faces Republican John Hochstetler of Manchester in November.

Democrat Gretchen Driskell, state Representative for District 52, is seeking re-election.

Hochstetler did not attend the Arts Alliance forum or complete the candidate survey. District 52 covers the northern and western portions of Washtenaw County, including: the townships of Bridgewater, Dexter, Freedom, Lima, Lodi, Lyndon, Manchester, Northfield, Salem, Saline, Sharon, Sylvan and Webster; the cities of Chelsea and Saline; and portions of the city of Ann Arbor, Pittsfield Township and Scio Township. [.pdf of Driskell survey responses]

Driskell noted that she’s a freshman legislator and a former mayor of Saline. While serving as mayor, she started an arts & culture committee. She’s lived in this area for 26 years, and has served on various board and commissions that recognize the importance of arts and culture, including the economic importance. The creative sector attracts and retains people, she said. In the state legislature, she’s been working on two initiatives related to the arts. One is a bipartisan talent task force, and ArtServe had spoken to the group. It’s important to educate legislature about the importance of arts and culture. “There seems to be a huge disconnect,” she said, so that’s one thing she’s been working on.

The other effort Driskell cited is to increase investment in public education. Several school systems in District 52 are struggling, she noted, so more funding is needed. “Because as we all know, when education gets cut, they cut the things that they think are the soft things, which I strongly disagree with.”

State Level Candidates: Opening Statement – Jeff Irwin

Democrat Jeff Irwin is the incumbent state Representative for District 53, which covers the city of Ann Arbor. He is unopposed in the primary and will run against John Spisak in November. Neither Irwin or Spisak completed the Arts Alliance candidate survey.

District 53 state representative Jeff Irwin, an Ann Arbor Democrat, is seeking re-election.

Irwin focused on three priorities: money, marketing and education. He said that Driskell had done a good job identifying pressures on the education system. Ann Arbor has felt its fair share of those cuts, though the situation isn’t as bad here as elsewhere. The Lansing public schools cut all of their elementary school art teachers, he said, due to a lack of funding. The state needs to do a better job so that schools can focus on things like arts and culture that inspire kids to learn.

The second piece is marketing. The state spends a lot of money marketing economic development, Irwin said, but very little money marketing the economic development opportunities around the creative sector. If the Michigan Economic Development Corp. spent 10% of what they spent on marketing golf, and instead used that to market theaters and galleries, “I think our citizens would know a lot more about the excellent cultural offerings we have here in Michigan, and I think we’d get more bang for our buck.”

The final priority is money. At the end of former Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s administration and the depths of Michigan’s economic recession in 2008-2009, funding for the Michigan Council for the Arts was “beaten down to zero,” Irwin said. There’s been more support for the council in the past couple of state budgets, and if that trend continues, the funding will return to its former level and hopefully beyond, he said.

State Level Candidates Q&A: How would you make an argument for resources to support arts and culture, given that there are so many other pressing needs – from roads to education to social services?

Shari Pollesch: Arts and a thriving cultural community is the hallmark of our lifestyle, Pollesch said. “We can improve the roads – and god knows we need to improve the roads,” she added, “but people want more than roads.” We need to find a way to fund roads and education and the arts – it’s all one equation. “I would argue to find funding for all of it.” A millage might be one approach. She noted that other candidates – including Debbie Dingell and Jeff Irwin – touched on the fact that we don’t do a good job of promoting the arts as the reason why we’re living here, she said. “If we do a better job of selling these great amenities in our communities, people would be willing to fund it, if they know that the funding is being used responsibly.”

Gretchen Driskell: Part of attracting and retaining talent is quality of life, Driskell said, and that includes arts and culture at the top of the list. It’s important to educate state legislators about what quality of life means and how Michigan compares to other states, and why it’s an important investment at the state level. A recent report came out by Michigan Future Inc. that’s focused on prosperity, and compares Michigan to Minnesota. It specifically examines state policies, Driskell reported, and is very enlightening. The report looks at how investments are made for the public good – and arts and culture is a public good, she said. It’s an investment in quality of life, and helps attract and retain talent.

Jeff Irwin: When he advocates for these things in Lansing, he focuses mostly on what Driskell described – partially because that’s what Gov. Rick Snyder is saying and it’s an opportunity to work together and get something done. The argument for talent and economic development is a strong one. Irwin said he also makes arguments based on leveraging and proportionality. These types of investments bring a lot of bang for your buck. It’s something that people love and want to support in their community, so sometimes just a little public investment can be the foundation that private giving and volunteering can be built on. The argument of proportionality relates to spending in other areas, like education and roads. The state spends $15 billion each year on schools, and a little over $3 billion a year on roads – while the Michigan Council for the Arts struggles to reach $10 million in funding. Even if that funding were to increase by 50% or 100% to arts and cultural organizations, “it still would be pushing even a percent of what we’re putting into some of these bigger priorities.”

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The Delonis Center on W. Huron Street is, for many, the face of Ann Arbor’s effort to shelter the homeless.

Competition for the Democratic Party’s mayoral nomination is a four-way race: Stephen Kunselman, Sabra Briere, Christopher Taylor, and Sally Petersen. All candidates currently serve on the Ann Arbor city council. Kunselman and Briere are in the middle of their two-year terms, while Taylor and Petersen have chosen to run for mayor instead of seeking re-election to their Ward 3 and Ward 2 council seats, respectively.

The topics of homelessness and affordable housing have come up at previous mayoral forums – such as those hosted by Literati Bookstore, the League of Women Voters and the Ann Arbor Democratic Party. Here’s an .mp3 file from the Dems forum that includes just candidates’ responses to a question about affordable housing: [.mp3 of responses on affordable housing]

Tonight’s forum will be moderated by Julie Steiner, former executive director of the Washtenaw Housing Alliance. Candidates will have five minutes to talk about addressing homelessness and increasing affordable housing in Ann Arbor. Candidates will then respond to questions prepared by local advocacy groups, service providers, and faith communities. Questions from the audience will then be answered.

Listen to the forum live in the embedded audio player below.

Under the audio player are two text boxes with identical content, which The Chronicle will use to provide notes to listeners. The first box scrolls automatically to the bottom of the file, while the second box requires manual scrolling. After the forum, we will replace the embedded audio player with an .mp3 recording of the event.

[July 15, 2014 Genesis Homelessness Forum Part 1]

[July 15, 2014 Genesis Homelessness Forum Part 2]

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Group photo of candidates in Ward 1, Ward 2 and Ward 3 at the Ann Arbor Democratic Party forum held on Saturday, July 12, 2014. From right: Ward 1 candidates Don Adams and Sumi Kailasapathy; Ward 2 candidates Nancy Kaplan and Kirk Westphal; and Ward 3 candidates Julie Grand, Samuel McMullen and Bob Dascola.

The forum will be held at the Traverwood branch of the Ann Arbor District Library.

The Ward 2 city council race features Kirk Westphal, current chair of the city planning commission, and Nancy Kaplan, current trustee on the Ann Arbor District Library board.

There’s no incumbent in this race, because Ward 2 city councilmember Sally Petersen is running for mayor instead of re-election.

The Chronicle plans to broadcast live audio of the event. The live audio player is embedded below. After the event, it will be replaced with an .mp3 recording. Update: Several .mp3 files broken down by question are now included in the article in place of the live-stream player.

Previous Chronicle coverage of the Ward 2 city council race includes: “Ward 2 Candidate Forum: CTN Broadcast” (embedded video with transcript in a scrolling text box) and “Council Candidates Live: Ann Arbor Dems” (.mp3 audio files).

Community Television Network has pre-recorded some comments from candidates in all races. [link to CTN video-on-demand for council candidate comments ]

And the League of Women Voters provides written candidate profiles with responses to questions on its Vote411.org website. [Ward 2 Vote411.org profiles]

Listen below to the live broadcast from the Traverwood branch of the Ann Arbor District Library.

Under the audio player are two text boxes with identical content. They’re used to provide notes to the listener about what’s happening during the live broadcast. The first box forces the view to the bottom of the file so that a reader is always offered a view of the most recent notes. The second box does not force the view to the bottom of the file.

[.mp3 of Ward 2 Traverwood forum]

• Traverwood-01-Intro
• Traverwood-02-Public-Safety-Staffing
• Traverwood-03-Nixon-Dhu-Varren-Dev
• Traverwood-04-NHoods-vs-Downtown
• Traverwood-05-Public-Schools
• Traverwood-06-Nixon-Plymouth-Corridor
• Traverwood-07-Train-Station-Location
• Traverwood-08-Social-Justice-Issues
• Traverwood-09-Big-Small-Small-Big
• Traverwood-10-Response-Times-Medical
• Traverwood-11-50-Story-High-Rise
• Traverwood-12-Crosswalk-Ordinance
• Traverwood-13-Streams-Watersheds
• Traverwood-14-Budget-Cuts-Revenue
• Traverwood-15-Chains-Downtown-Vitality
• Traverwood-16-Current-Mayor-Legacy-Mayoral-Campaign
• Traverwood-17-Revitalization-of-N-Main
• Traverwood-18-Closing

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From left: Ann Arbor mayoral candidate Sabra Briere, Ypsilanti mayoral candidate Amanda Edmonds, and Debbie Dingell, who is running for Congress in District 12, a seat currently held by her husband, John Dingell. All three candidates are Democrats and attended the June 26 A2Y Regional Chamber event at the Ann Arbor Regent Hotel on Carpenter Road.

The four Ann Arbor Democratic candidates for mayor attended: Sabra Briere (Ward 1), Sally Petersen (Ward 2), Stephen Kunselman (Ward 3), and Christopher Taylor (Ward 3). They all currently serve on the city council. Both the mayor and city councilmembers serve two-year terms.

There are three Ypsilanti mayoral candidates: Tyrone Bridges, Amanda Edmonds, and Peter Murdock. All are Democrats, but only Murdock currently serves on the city council. Bridges did not attend the June 26 event.

No Republicans are running for mayor in either city for the Aug. 5 primary. More candidates than usual have entered the race at least in part because the incumbent mayors – Democrats John Hieftje of Ann Arbor and Paul Schreiber of Ypsilanti – are not seeking re-election.

This report focuses on the Ann Arbor mayoral race. Each candidate was given five minutes to make a statement and spent another five minutes answering questions from the audience. Questions covered a variety of topics, including regionalism, public transportation, road repair, the possibility of a city income tax, downtown parks, and the regulation of drivers for hire. Taylor was asked specifically about his job as an attorney, and whether he’d continue working in that capacity as mayor. He indicated that he would.

This report includes written summaries of the Ann Arbor candidates’ responses, as well as audio clips from The Chronicle’s live broadcast of the event. (Remarks by the two Ypsilanti mayoral candidates will be reported in a separate article.) Several other forums are planned in the coming weeks, leading up to the Aug. 5 primary.

The June 26 event was held at the Ann Arbor Regent Hotel and moderated by chamber president Diane Keller, with audience questions moderated by Andy LaBarre, the chamber’s vice president of government affairs and administration – who also serves in elected office as a Washtenaw County commissioner. It was followed by a mixer for chamber members and other candidates for local, state and federal offices.

Opening Statement: Sally Petersen

Sally Petersen introduced herself as a current city councilmember representing Ward 2. When Mary Sue Coleman took the job as president at the University of Michigan 10 years ago, she said she didn’t come to the university to maintain the status quo, Petersen noted. Coleman wanted the university to continue to find ways to excel. Petersen said this statement epitomizes her own campaign. She’s running for mayor to bring new leadership, skills, knowledge and abilities that the city needs now, in order to find new ways to excel.

Sally Petersen.

As mayor, Petersen hopes to transform three things for the city – the economy, the city’s relationship with UM, and the quality of civic engagement.

Regarding the transformation of Ann Arbor’s economy, Petersen noted that she’s the only candidate with an MBA. Her years of leadership in the private sector – including work in senior-level positions at CFI Group, ABN AMRO Mortgage Group and HealthMedia – have prepared her well to lead an economic strategy that leverages future growth into revenue that will pay for the city’s priorities, she said. Those priorities include better roads, more police, and safer mobility for motorists, pedestrians, cyclists and runners. “We cannot expect to restore our infrastructure without an economic strategy.”

When Petersen was elected to city council two years ago, she quickly realized that while economic development is a budget priority, the city has no economic development staff and only a $75,000 contract with Ann Arbor SPARK to support economic development. “I was astounded at the city’s lack of leadership in this regard.” So she proposed an economic development collaborative task force, which included SPARK and the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority.

The task force took inventory of several economic development activities, Petersen said, and realized there were major gaps. While the DDA focuses on downtown Ann Arbor and SPARK’s focus is countywide, no entity is solely focused on economic development throughout the city, outside of the downtown. For example, she noted, the city recognizes the need to encourage redevelopment of areas like the North Main corridor and South State Street, which are major gateways to the downtown.

The task force recommended continuing its work after a new mayor is elected, with additional stakeholders including UM, Washtenaw County, and potentially the chamber of commerce. [.pdf of economic collaborative task force report] This expanded task force would have the power to transform Ann Arbor’s economy as it evaluates the policies and tools available to leverage new revenue to pay for the city’s priorities. New approaches might include public, private and civic partnerships, Petersen said.

As leaders in the business community, Petersen hoped that chamber members would recognize the opportunity to demonstrate corporate responsibility by thinking critically about ways to work with all stakeholders, to improve the local economy for all citizens, customers, employees, the community and the environment.

Regarding UM, the university is an engine for Ann Arbor’s economic success and a natural strategic partner, Petersen said, “but they do not fill our potholes.” Ann Arbor is electing a new mayor at the same time the university is getting a new president, she noted. “It’s time for a new attitude toward town-gown relationships.” A more equitable relationship through collaboration in areas of mutual interest would benefit both campus and the community. Those areas include transportation, job creation and quality of life, she said.

Petersen also stressed the “need to repair relationships and get beyond the polarization that currently saddles our city governance.” The polarization is characterized as those who want a vibrant downtown against those who want better services for neighborhoods. It’s a barrier to achieving both of those desirable goals, she said – a vibrant downtown that belongs to everyone, and better prosperity for the neighborhoods. “I am the mayoral candidate in the best position to unify these goals, because I’m not exclusively associated with either faction.”

She said her voting record shows that she votes for what’s best for Ann Arbor as a whole. Her leadership in the private, public and nonprofit sectors brings new knowledge, new skills and critical thinking, and new resources to bring people together to achieve a common vision, Petersen said. She closed by answering a question that she’s been asked frequently over the last several months: Why does she want to run for mayor? “I want to be mayor because I want to lead the city away from the status quo, and achieve new ways for the city to excel in the long term.” It’s an ambitious agenda, she added, but she’s confident that through better collaboration, Ann Arbor can be transformed in these important ways.

As she’s knocked on doors and spoken to other community leaders, she’s heard that people want a mayor who’s open and inclusive, who stands for the homeless and the housed, regardless of ability or political party. They want a mayor who’s unencumbered by bias, who is fair-minded and trustworthy, she said. “I will be that mayor.”

Q&A with Sally Petersen

Three questions asked of Sally Petersen touched on issues of regionalism and transportation.

Question: What are some better ways that the city can promote collaboration between itself and other municipalities?

Petersen: The notion of regionalization is becoming more popular. Ann Arbor is the center of Washtenaw County, in terms of being the county seat. Finding ways to collaborate beyond our business borders into the next town is obviously something that benefits everyone, she said. Petersen likes the idea of having the economic development task force to include members of the local chamber of commerce – to include representatives from Ypsilanti and hopefully Pittsfield Township. “What benefits outside of Ann Arbor also benefits downtown Ann Arbor,” she said.

Sally Petersen, left, talks with Ann Arbor SPARK CEO Paul Krutko and fellow Ward 2 councilmember Jane Lumm.

Petersen noted that Ann Arbor SPARK is agnostic about where companies locate, as long as it’s within Washtenaw County. But she’d like companies to be taxpayers in Ann Arbor. Petersen said that Paul Krutko, SPARK’s CEO, tells her that even if companies are located outside of Ann Arbor, the employees still shop, dine and use resources in the city. Petersen recognizes that development outside of the city benefits Ann Arbor as well.

In particular, she’s watching with “cautious optimism” the redevelopment of Detroit. People talk about improved train service from Chicago to Ann Arbor, but she’d like to see more connectivity to Detroit as well. “I think we can benefit along that I-94 corridor – not just within Ann Arbor, but from the outskirts as well.”

Question: Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti voters overwhelmingly said that public transit is important. How should the city council and the next mayor help the southeast Michigan Regional Transit Authority (RTA), especially since it seemed like the city was reluctant to join?

By way of background, on May 6, 2014, voters in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township passed an 0.7 mill tax to increase public transit service of the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority. The millage, which was put on the ballot by the AAATA board, passed with 70.6% approval.

Separately, Washtenaw County is part of the RTA. The four-county area of the RTA includes the counties of Washtenaw, Wayne, Macomb and Oakland as well as the city of Detroit. It was established by the Michigan legislature in December 2012. That same month – at a Dec. 10, 2012 special meeting – the Ann Arbor city council voted unanimously to ask that the RTA legislation be amended to exclude Washtenaw County. The Washtenaw County board of commissioners had passed a similar resolution, but neither body had any authority over that decision, and the county was included in the RTA. The chair of the county board of commissioners is allowed to appoint each county’s two members to the RTA board. Currently, the RTA board members for Washtenaw County are University of Michigan professor Liz Gerber and former state legislator Alma Wheeler, who is also the mother of county commissioner Conan Smith.

In addition, the AAATA’s CEO, Michael Ford, was recently offered the job as CEO of the RTA. Ford has not yet confirmed whether he has decided to accept that offer, however.

Petersen: The city was initially reluctant to join the RTA, Petersen said. This community will see the benefits of the RTA in five or 10 years, and right now, the city is focused on the recently passed AAATA millage. She said she was grateful that the millage had passed, to focus on improved transit along the urban core, “which is something I was very much in favor of.” Beyond that, a light rail or commuter rail between Ann Arbor and Detroit should be taken one step at a time. The city should encourage good analysis to be done, she said, and certainly shouldn’t be a barrier to its development.

Question: Roads in other states – from the mid-Atlantic up to New Hampshire – are so much better than in Michigan. With no hope from Lansing at this point, how is the city going to address this? It looks like the possibility of a local road millage has been shelved at the county level. What are we going to do about this?

Petersen: Roads are one of the key pieces of infrastructure that the city needs to improve. The city has a revenue problem, and without an economic strategy, “I don’t know how we’re going to solve that revenue problem.” The city can use general fund dollars to fix the roads, but the staff and council need to figure out where those dollars will come from. UM economists are forecasting that 12,500 new jobs will be coming to the county. Property values are going up 6.5% in Ann Arbor. “I’m encouraged that there’s economic prosperity out there, but we need a mayor who’s going to intentionally lead the effort to develop a strategy to transform that growth into more revenue for the city.”

She said she doesn’t have a quick or easy answer as to where those revenues will come from, but the city needs to start thinking about it strategically, and that hasn’t happened yet. “We’ve sort of relied on UM to be our economic engine, but they don’t fill our potholes.” The city needs to work with all of its stakeholders to make the most of this improving economy and turn that into more dollars that the city can then spend on infrastructure, like roads.

[.mp3 of Sally Petersen's remarks and answers]

Opening Statement: Sabra Briere

Since she began serving on city council in 2007, many of the things she’s focused on have been the small, iterative changes that make big differences in people’s lives. Those issues include traffic calming, getting snow plowed, filling sidewalk gaps and getting sidewalks repaired in an equitable and reasonable fashion. “Those are quality of life issues that help move us toward a future that really improves the life of everyone living in Ann Arbor today and the lives of all the people who come visit tomorrow – and for that matter, the lives of the people who will be living there in the future.”

Sabra Briere.

Briere said she plans long-term. It doesn’t make sense to talk just about a two-year plan or a five-year plan, because just doing a street project can take five years of planning. It doesn’t make sense to talk about how much difference one person is going to make in a two-year term, because it can take two years to get an ordinance passed – from the time that you think about it, until it’s approved by city council and implemented. That doesn’t even factor in evaluating it to see if it’s been done correctly, she noted.

Briere believes in long-term goals, with iterative changes to achieve those goals. So as the city works toward safe streets, for her that means not just paving them but also coming up with a plan to repair the potholes before they happen. It means not just improving sidewalks, but also thinking about how people use those sidewalks – where they’re going and why they’re going there, and what are the destinations that the city wants them to reach, or destinations that they want to reach but can’t.

If there’s a park that people can’t reach because there’s no sidewalk, that’s a problem in the city’s planning. If there’s no sidewalk to reach a school, that’s a planning problem. Her goal is to plan properly and make the changes that are needed.

All of this leads to stronger neighborhoods and a more resilient community. A strong neighborhood is one where people talk to each other. For example, someone can borrow a chainsaw from a neighbor to deal with a branch that fell on their sidewalk. Strong neighborhoods are also places where people know who to call to get city services, she said, “and they know that they’re going to get a response from city hall. Neighborhoods and neighborhood leaders are city hall’s partners.” It’s the responsibility of the city’s employees and elected officials to respond to those requests.

As Ann Arbor changes – and Ann Arbor will change, she said – it’s important to talk about retaining things that make Ann Arbor special, “the things that made us stay here.” But it’s also important to become a community that can meet the challenges of the future. Those challenges include changes in technology and changes in the economy, from improving the transit system to dealing with where cars should park. As the city talks about increased jobs, it’s also important to talk about increased traffic and increased wear-and-tear on the city’s infrastructure. All of that requires better long-term planning, Briere said.

“If there’s one thing besides my ability to work with everyone on council and my record of true independent thinking and of not being part of any clique or group, one thing that I bring to this race that is unique to me is my ability to see a future, and to look at the ways and steps it will take for us to get there,” Briere concluded.

Q&A with Briere

The two questions to Sabra Briere covered a city income tax and downtown parks.

Question: Regarding tax revenues, the city has occasionally talked about the idea of a city income tax. What are your thoughts on that? Would it be beneficial to the city, or detrimental – in terms of regionalism and for the city itself.

The question was posed by local attorney Scott Munzel, who serves on the chamber’s public policy committee. Before answering the question, Briere laughed: “Oh, really, Scott – are you going to bring that up?”

Steve Kwasny, a volunteer for Sabra Briere’s mayoral campaign, is interviewed by WEMU’s Andrew Cluley.

Briere: For people who didn’t know how income taxes work, she said, if the city were to ask voters to approve an income tax, the revenue from that tax would be offset by a decrease in the base property tax rate. The goal is to keep the impact to the property owners neutral. But there are always barriers to an income tax, she said, and there are reasons why the city hasn’t pursued it.

One reason is that the city hasn’t figured out a way to impact the people who make the most and live away from the city, Briere said, in a fashion that doesn’t discourage them from working in the city. There’s no way to guarantee that businesses won’t move five feet outside the city’s borders. In addition, “we haven’t figured out a way to ensure that the people who get paid the least, suffer the least. If they’re commuting to the city, what is the economic impact on their lives if we try to institute a portion of a percent of a mill.”

These issues haven’t been discussed in a way that leads to the decision to put an income tax proposal on the ballot, Briere said. If councilmembers aren’t convinced that an income tax would benefit the city’s bottom line and the citizens who live here, “then it becomes harder for us to sell.”

The reason that this idea keeps coming up is that people want to make certain that “if the university won’t pay its fair share, as it were, of the cost of doing business in Ann Arbor, then the people who work at the university should be forced to pay. And that is a barrier that none of us have quite been able to overcome. It hasn’t gone on the ballot. Anything can happen in the future.”

Question: The city has about 158 parks and 15 parks facilities. Can you talk about why there’s a need for another park, specifically in the downtown area?

Briere: People in Ann Arbor are fortunate that the city embraces the idea of as much natural area and recreational area and community gathering area as possible. One of the challenges that any downtown faces – anywhere in the country – is that there needs to be respite from construction and hardscape, she said. While it’s not always possible to guarantee, as Ann Arbor creates a dense downtown, the city will confront the need of people who live and work and visit downtown to have a break from the buildings and hardscape. That’s the purpose of a downtown gathering space or park.

The truth is that there are several places downtown, which are all small pocket parks, Briere continued. But there’s no coherent plan yet for how to use space on the Library Lane lot. The top of that underground parking garage was intended to hold a park, but not a building, in certain areas, she said. The city needs to address the needs of the community, how that park is designed, and what it does – and that can’t be done in isolation, she added. Ann Arbor embraces its open space, and when people come to visit Ann Arbor or decide to live here, part of the reason is because of its parks. “I wouldn’t give up a single one, but we’ll always have a challenge of paying for the ones we have.”

[.mp3 of Sabra Briere's remarks and answers]

Opening Statement: Stephen Kunselman

Stephen Kunselman began by thanking the audience for considering his candidacy, saying he was honored that they were interested in his policy positions and his record as an elected official.

Stephen Kunselman.

As a three-term councilmember representing Ward 3, he said he’s held a position of dignity, respect and honor, and he’d continue to do so as mayor. He’s been a strong and effective voice for all Ann Arbor residents, using common sense and fiscal responsibility as the basis for governing. “I believe in fairness and equity in the distribution of the city’s limited financial and staff resources, and have been a consistent advocate for investment in our infrastructure, funding of our parks system, and the rebuilding of our public safety department.”

Kunselman described how he grew up in Ann Arbor, and attended Ann Arbor public schools beginning with kindergarten at Pittsfield Elementary. He also attended King Elementary, Wines Elementary, Forsythe Middle School, Community High and graduated from Pioneer High in 1981. He got a bachelor of science degree in natural sciences with a major in forestry from the University of Michigan, and went on to obtain a masters degree in urban planning and landscape architecture, also from UM.

His career has been primarily in the public sector. He was an intern with the city of Ann Arbor’s forestry department, and a driver for Recycle Ann Arbor. He worked in local government for over 10 years, serving as an environmental planner in a nearby township and eventually as the township administrator. His responsibilities during that time included duties in environmental planning, solid waste operations, water distribution systems, development review, public works projects, recreation programs and planning, senior programs, and public safety.

Currently, Kunselman is employed at UM as an energy conservation liaison. He’s been in that position for the past 10 years. He’s married to Letitia Kunselman, a public school teacher, “and together we have helped raise our now young adult children – Shane, Sabrina, Sophia and Hannah.”

As a councilmember, he said he helped lead the successful community-based effort to prevent the dissolution of the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority for an “ill-conceived” countywide transit authority. Today, there’s an expanded Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority “just as I’d advocated for from the very beginning,” he said. “That is what I call common-sense governance – because anybody with common sense could have easily predicted that the western, wealthy Washtenaw County communities were never going to participate in a countywide transit taxing authority.”

Kunselman said he also helped defeat the “very questionable” transfer of restricted utility and millage funds to the public art fund. “I was the greatest critic of the Percent for Art program, and today we can confidently state that it’s been dismantled. You and I want our utility dollars to repair water mains and maintain fire hydrants – not to construct a fountain in front of city hall.”

But what he’s most proud of in his six years on city council was championing reform of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority, “which entailed perseverance, courage and compromise to legislate the most significant amendments to the city’s DDA ordinance, which passed overwhelmingly.” The DDA tax capture is now restricted to a reasonable rate of increase, he said, providing all taxing authorities with their fair share of revenues. In addition, he continued, the DDA budget now requires funds to be allocated to affordable housing, and there are term limits for board members.

Due to his advocacy, Kunselman said, the former city-owned Y lot was sold, ending a “10-year speculative development venture.” Also, the Valiant proposal to put the full faith and credit of the city behind a “questionable” hotel/conference center venture for the Library Lot site was halted, he said, “and I was the first elected official, in 2006, to say ‘Support the skatepark’ and in 2009 to say ‘Save Argo Pond’ – and today, we have both.”

If elected mayor, Kunselman said he’d continue to work cooperatively and graciously with his council colleagues, “with an emphasis on open and vigorous debate of all issues facing our great city.” He’s proud and humbled to have the trust, support and endorsement of current city councilmembers Sumi Kailasapathy (Ward 1), Jane Lumm (Ward 2), Jack Eaton (Ward 4) and Mike Anglin (Ward 5). “As your mayor, I’m confident that city council will prioritize public health, safety and welfare, as we all expect.”

Q&A with Kunselman

There were two questions for Kunselman, focused on transportation and roads.

Question: There are a lot of ride-sharing apps and transportation companies that are coming into Ann Arbor, and it’s not clear whether they’re following the rules that the city put in place. What would you do as mayor to try to curtail those somewhat dangerous companies that are out there transporting people?

The question was asked by Sean Duval, founder and CEO of Golden Limousine International and chair of the chamber’s executive board. Duval was referring to the entry into the Ann Arbor market of Uber and Lyft. Those two companies, which coordinate drivers and passengers through software applications, have been sent cease-and-desist letters by the Ann Arbor city attorney’s office – for aiding and abetting the violation of a state statute regulating limousines.

Kunselman: It doesn’t require being mayor to take action, he said – it requires being on city council. He serves on the city’s taxicab board, and at a meeting of the board that morning, they reviewed a rough draft of amendments to the city’s taxicab ordinance regarding taxicabs and non-metered vehicles for hire. The basic premise for public safety purposes is to know who the drivers are, he said.

Stephen Kunselman at the A2Y Regional Chamber mixer.

Currently, two regulations address vehicles for hire – the state limousine act, and the local taxicab ordinance, he explained. The state limousine act doesn’t regulate drivers – it regulates vehicles, and requires insurance. The city’s possible taxicab ordinance amendments would regulate drivers. For Uber and Lyft, the city has no idea who those drivers are, he said. So if the city can at least require that the drivers register with the city, “we’ll know who the drivers are.”

If the city also has a way of identifying these drivers as registered, that would be great, Kunselman said. That way, if the police see a driver who doesn’t have a registration, the police officer would have authority to use that as a primary offense to pull over the vehicle. “So if they see that pink moustache on a car [Lyft's logo] without a registered driver in it, then that’s going to get pulled over.” Right now, police can’t pull over a vehicle just based on a suspicion that it’s a driver for hire. “So we are addressing it.”

Question: The city is spending money to repair roads. Where does that funding come from, and when will the roads be repaired?

Kunselman: When the city council approved its budget for fiscal 2015, which begins on July 1, Kunselman said he was one of the few councilmembers who didn’t put forward any amendments – because the budget was pretty tight and everything he’d wanted was already in it. Staffing for the police and fire departments was increased, and the city allocated $1 million from the general fund reserves for street tree maintenance. That’s the only way that the city can catch up on a huge backlog of tree maintenance issues, he noted. He thought in the next budget cycle, the city might look at whether they can take money out of the general fund reserve – knowing that they’re spending very prudently.

Given the downsizing of local government in recent years, Kunselman said, the city can’t spend money on “all kinds of things for all people.” There seems to be an expectation, he added, that the city can continue to provide services outside the realm of public health, safety and welfare – such as pursuing transportation initiatives that are outside the city’s jurisdiction. While it might be great that the city is thinking forward, he said, they still have to take care of their needs today. “That’s been one of the problems I have with what I will term the progressive elitist agenda – always wanting more of something else, but never taking care of what they have.”

That’s been seen in the last few years in local government, he said, “pursuing public art, and letting our roads fall apart.” As mayor, he’d push back on that kind of agenda and start a new agenda focused on public health, safety and welfare. “I’ve been the most consistent councilmember, the most consistent politician focusing on those things because of my work history, and because of the community that I grew up in. I remember when our roads were in great shape, because I was a skateboarder and didn’t have to worry about any potholes.”

[.mp3 of Stephen Kunselman's remarks and answers]

Opening Statement: Christopher Taylor

Christopher Taylor began by saying he was running for the city of Ann Arbor – then realized he’d misspoken, and joked that he knows the chief executive embodies the city, “but I think that’s getting a little grand.”

Christopher Taylor.

Taylor has been on city council for about six years, but he came to Ann Arbor in 1985. Like many, he came here for college and has a degree from the University of Michigan music school. “And like many folks with a degree from the music school, I’m now a lawyer,” he quipped. He works at Ann Arbor law firm of Hooper Hathaway on Main Street, where his practice focuses mostly on corporate commercial clients. He represents local businesses, individuals and nonprofits.

Both of his kids are in public schools – at Tappan Middle School and Pioneer High. In the community, he’s been involved in several theatrical production and choirs, as well as nonprofits. He’s been on the board of 826 Michigan, which does work in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, and he’s on the board for FestiFools.

He thinks Ann Arbor is going in the right direction. The city isn’t perfect, but it’s doing all right. “We can improve, but we’re on the right track.” If elected mayor, he’d like to work on two major things. The first is basic services – neighborhood safety, streets, sidewalks, snow removal, “all of the pipes underneath the ground.” These are things that the city has to work on day in and day out, and that are fundamental to the city, he said.

Taylor was proud to say that he’s a progressive, and Ann Arbor is a progressive place. So without attention to other things, “I think we would cheapen ourselves in this city.” And with respect to the business community, the city wouldn’t be as effective a place and wouldn’t attract people to come here if the only thing that the city focused on were the basics. As mayor, he’d like to work on a few discrete areas.

The city needs to do all it can with respect to affordability and affordable housing. Taylor said he’s also sat on the parks advisory commission for six years, and Ann Arbor’s parks are crucial to its quality of life. They need to be kept well-maintained and beautiful at all times. Ann Arbor also is an environmental leader. The city can’t stop climate change, “but we ought to do our part.” The city should work with residents and businesses to help them do their part as well. It’s a real opportunity to move the city’s climate action plan goals forward, he said.

The city also needs to focus on transportation, both public transit and non-motorized and pedestrian safety. These are fundamental to quality of life for residents in Ann Arbor, Taylor said, and fundamental to employees and customers for local businesses. Finally, it’s important for Ann Arbor to have a vibrant, active downtown that still maintains its essential character, he said. “Finding this balance between the growth that has to happen downtown, and a maintenance of the character – this is a tension that we all have to keep working on.” Finding that balance is part of the city’s charge going forward, “and part of my pleasure if I were to be elected as mayor.”

Fundamentally, Taylor said, he has the temperament, experience and judgment to serve as mayor, and he’d be delighted to have the individual and collective support of chamber members.

Q&A with Taylor

There was a lull before the first question was asked, so Taylor quipped, “I’m 6-6, for those of you who want to know.”

Question: There are only 24 hours in a day, and lawyers probably work more than eight hours a day. How would you balance your job as mayor, if you’re elected, and your real job? If you represent a corporation that presents a conflict of interest with your work as mayor, how would you handle that?

Taylor: Fundamentally, Ann Arbor deserves a mayor who works every day to maintain and improve the quality of life for everyone. “If I am elected mayor, I will absolutely do that.” He has a small commercial practice downtown. He doesn’t go to court, so “my schedule is my own.” His clients don’t care if he types their contracts before his kids wake up, or during the business day, or after his kids are in bed. He’s 100% confident that he could do everything necessary as mayor, and still maintain his practice.

Julie Grand, a Democratic candidate for Ann Arbor city council in Ward 3, talks with mayoral candidate Sally Petersen. Grand is running to fill the seat that’s currently held by Christopher Taylor, who’s also running for mayor. Other candidates in the Ward 3 Democratic primary are Bob Dascola and Samuel McMullen.

Taylor also thinks it’s a benefit to have a mayor who is engaged in the local community as a lawyer, working with businesses and people. “I think it gives that person a special understanding of the challenges and opportunities that are before folks.” Someone who still has to pay their mortgage, to pay for kids’ college, to pay their own student loans – this gives him an additional perspective on the challenges that confront Ann Arborites, Taylor said.

Regarding potential conflict of interest, Taylor said he represents clients now who have business that comes before the city council. What he does is make an announcement at the council table that he represents a petitioner, and he asks his council colleagues permission to sit out of that vote. In that way, he doesn’t participate in the conversation, deliberations or vote with respect to that issue, he said.

Question: Ann Arbor is a beacon in the state and the Midwest in terms of job creation, and how well local businesses are doing. How would you be an ambassador and tell the Ann Arbor story, and get other communities rolling?

Taylor: Ann Arbor is a community that values entrepreneurship. It’s open, diverse and welcoming to all faiths, origins and orientations. It’s focused on creating its own quality of life, and is open to education – it’s the seat of a global university. “We are a community that cares for ourselves – not in a selfish way, but that we care about ourselves and we strive to treat ourselves well.” Ann Arbor has a wonderful quality of life. Ann Arbor values sustainability and the environment, and progress. “Telling the story is an easy one,” he said.

As businesses come to Ann Arbor, they are keen to see where their employees would like to live. “You could talk all day about why Ann Arbor is awesome, and I’d be delighted to do so.”

Question: As a follow-up, when you look around Washtenaw County, not all communities are doing as well as Ann Arbor. The city has a brand that works and a model that works. How do we get the other communities in Washtenaw County to do as well? The business community wants people throughout Washtenaw County to come to Ann Arbor, and they do that when there’s good transit, and when other communities are doing well.

Taylor: “I would not presume to tell other folks what they should be doing and why they should be doing it.” Other communities “know their own lights best, and I wouldn’t want to play a role in advocating one way or the other on how they do their particular business.” Regional cooperation is vital, he added, and the success of Ann Arbor’s neighbors builds the success of Ann Arbor. So to the extent that other jurisdictions felt that Ann Arbor had the opportunity to be a successful partner, to help lift both communities, he’d be behind it 100%.

Transportation is an obvious example, Taylor said, as is the Washtenaw Avenue corridor. These are areas “where I think that we can and we ought to work together openly and zealously and with some cheer.”

[.mp3 of Christopher Taylor's remarks and answers]

Other Candidates

In addition to mayoral candidates, the chamber’s June 26 event drew several other candidates for local, state and federal office. Here are some photos of a few of the other candidates who attended.

Gretchen Driskell, a Democrat from Saline, is running for re-election in District 52 of the Michigan House of Representatives. She was first elected in 2012.

Jane Lumm, a Ward 2 Ann Arbor city council member who was elected as an independent, greets Republican Dan Smith, a Washtenaw County commissioner who represents District 2, which includes a small portion of northern Ann Arbor. Smith is running for re-election. Lumm is in the middle of her two-year term, which runs through November 2015.

David Rutledge, a Democrat from Superior Township, is running for re-election for District 54 in the Michigan House of Representatives. He was first elected to that seat in 2010.

Kirk Westphal is running in the Ann Arbor city council Ward 2 Democratic primary against Nancy Kaplan.

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From left: Democratic mayoral candidates Christopher Taylor, Sabra Briere and Sally Petersen at a May 1 forum. The event was held at Sweetwaters and moderated by the Main Street Area Association. (Photos by the writer.)

The mayoral candidate forum, held by the Main Street Area Association, featured Sabra Briere, Sally Petersen and Christopher Taylor. The fourth Democrat who’s vying for the seat, Stephen Kunselman, was unable to attend. All four candidates in the Aug. 5 primary election currently serve on the city council. There are no Republicans running this year.

In addition to their opening and closing statements, candidates responded to three questions posed by Tom Murray, president of the MSAA board and owner of Conor O’Neill’s, an Irish pub located on Main Street. Candidates were asked for their views on density and open space downtown, as well as their opinion of the DDA. The third question focused on the tension between support for local business and the growing interest from national chains in locating downtown.

All three candidates talked about the need for downtown development, with Briere and Taylor saying that density and open space aren’t mutually exclusive. Briere talked about the importance of walkability, and noted that urban parks provided “punctuation points” for the community. However, she said that for Ann Arbor’s relatively small downtown, it wasn’t logical to insist on a really large downtown park.

Petersen answered the question by focusing on the development aspect, including the need for large floor-plate office space, redevelopment of the North Main/Huron River corridor, and infrastructure like public transportation. She announced her support for the transit tax proposal that’s on the May 6 ballot. All other candidates had previously endorsed the proposal, which is being put forward by the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority. Mary Stasiak, AAATA’s manager of community relations, attended the May 1 forum.

The candidates all expressed unequivocal support for the DDA, with Taylor in particular lamenting the political culture that he says has “scapegoated” the DDA. That was likely a reference to criticism of the DDA by Kunselman, among others. Russ Collins, a DDA board member, attended the meeting in his capacity as executive director of the Michigan Theater to promote the upcoming Cinetopia International Film Festival.

And while praising the unique character of downtown Ann Arbor and the need to support local businesses, candidates noted that it’s not possible to prevent national chains from locating downtown. Taylor said he was excited that the downtown is attractive to businesses from outside this area, though he didn’t want to see national chains come in to the exclusion of locally-owned retailers. Briere described herself as a firm advocate for local businesses, saying that the downtown should focus on specialty items that can’t be found elsewhere. Petersen said she likes the whimsy of local businesses that inspire the phrase “Keep Ann Arbor Funky,” but noted that certain national retailers – like Apple – would be a perk to downtown.

There is no incumbent in this race. Mayor John Hieftje announced last year that he would not be seeking re-election. The deadline has passed for entry into the partisan primary on Aug. 5, but it’s still possible for an independent candidate to get on the Nov. 4 general election ballot.

For additional Chronicle coverage of the mayoral race, see: “Council, Mayor Primary Election Lineups Set” and “Town Hall: Four Mayoral Candidates.”

Opening Statements

Each candidate had two minutes to make an opening statement. They drew straws – in the form of plastic stirring sticks – to determine the speaking order.

TAYLOR: I’m delighted to be here and to have the opportunity to chat with you. I’m Christopher Taylor, and I’m running for mayor. I am a lifelong Democrat.

Christopher Taylor.

I am running because I think it’s important that the next mayor have the experience, the temperament and judgment to really work every day to maintain and improve the quality of life for everyone in Ann Arbor. That’s my main thrust. By way of a little background, I’m a lawyer. I work at Hooper Hathaway, right around the corner over there on Main Street. Honestly, do not do anything in front of Mongolian Barbeque that you don’t want me to see, because that’s where my window overlooks and I will see it.

You know, I think city council and the city in general is for the most part on the right track. We need to focus on two things – these are big, broad things. The first thing naturally is that we need to focus on basic services. Public safety and the streets, of course, and water, solid waste – these are things the city needs to focus on and we need to constantly improve.

But Ann Arbor’s not just a basic place. It leads, and I think we need to always act like that. So the city has a role to play in affordable housing, has a role to play in transit, has a role to play in expanding walkability, in maintaining our beautiful parks. But also, and particularly with respect to this meeting, it has an important and vital role to play in maintaining and increasing an active, exciting downtown. The downtown if vital for Ann Arbor, and for our neighborhoods. It’s crucial that the downtown be an open, welcoming, thriving place where folks can come and enjoy themselves to work and to engage in all the awesome aspects here.

BRIERE: I’m Sabra Briere, and I’m also running for mayor. I also sit on council. I’ve been there a year longer than Christopher – this is not a major benefit to you all, but I do know what goes on at the city.

Sabra Briere.

When Christopher speaks about temperament, he’s quite correct. The temperament to be a mayor, to work with people of disparate viewpoints and bring them together is a really valuable asset. It’s something that I possess. I’ve collaborated with every councilmember on one or another item that has come before the council. Not to say that I agree with everyone on the council – only to say that there are things about which each of us agrees and we can work together.

One of those things that we agree on is how to make Ann Arbor better. We put different percentages of effort into those things. For me, I put a significant effort to talk about walkability, bikeability, alternative transportation – because I’m one of those people who isn’t in love with a car. I like my car, but I don’t need to park it everywhere I go. To a great extent, what I respond to is the community’s request for an increased walkable community. A community with a downtown they can enjoy. For me, that also means thriving local businesses.

As we talk about downtown, we really need to emphasize local businesses and local qualities. Because you’re the character of our community. When people leave our community, what they remember is what you bring into it, more than what I do. And since we thrive on the people who live downtown and work downtown and come to visit downtown, it’s your work that makes all the difference to me.

PETERSEN: I’m Sally Hart Petersen, and I would love to be your next mayor. I’ve lived in Ann Arbor for 18 years. I have a BA in psychology from Williams College and an MBA from Harvard. My time in Ann Arbor is characterized by diverse leadership experience in the private, public and nonprofit sectors.

Sally Petersen.

One reason why I’m running for mayor is, like everyone in this room, I love Ann Arbor. But it takes much more than just a love of Ann Arbor to be an effective mayor of this city. It takes financial acumen, collaboration and a commitment to relentless civic engagement.

Financial acumen means anticipating the consequences of our policy-making. I realized early on when I was on council that economic health is a budget priority, but the city has no staff or funding dedicated to economic development, except for a $75,000 contract with Ann Arbor SPARK. This status quo thinking on economic development is very limiting. For this reason, I sponsored a resolution to form an economic development collaborative task force with the DDA and SPARK. The key outcome was the recognition that there are major gaps in the delivery of economic incentives to ensure jobs and prosperity throughout the city.

Genuine collaboration means going beyond working together with like-minded people. It means actively seeking out and working with people whose perspectives are different from your own. Councilmember [Jane] Lumm and I don’t always agree on the issues, but we’ve been able to put that aside and together we’ve co-hosted six Ward 2 town hall meetings. I think we’re the only ward pairing on council to collaborate in that way. Our next mayor needs to be a champion of civic engagement. As a city councilmember, I have prioritized the voice of our citizens, surveying residents’ views and communicating regularly through Ward 2 emails and a Ward 2 website.

Our residents have higher expectations than ever from the public sector and private sector accountability. Through my experiences, I’ve developed skills in critical thinking and strategic planning and sound judgment, which are necessary in leading Ann Arbor forward.

Downtown Density & Parks

There has been great discussion about the need for downtown density and development, versus the need for downtown parks and open space. What is your position on this, and as mayor, what specific actions would you take to support your position?

BRIERE: I don’t think the two are mutually exclusive. I think we need both. Good design for an urban space is going to result in increased density. Good design for open space includes places where people can slow down and calm down. A certain amount of open space allows us to gather casually to talk with each other, to engage in people-watching. All of those things are important for a community to thrive. It’s not logical, in a very small downtown – and frankly, what we face is a very small downtown – to insist on a really large downtown park. But urban parks create punctuation points in a community. And the more people who come downtown to live, to work, to play, the more we need those punctuation points in order to have a good, walkable community.

As mayor, I’ll continue to do what I have been doing – advocating for good design downtown, good urban design, good streetscape design, and excellent maintenance of the downtown infrastructure. But I’ll also be working with the Main Street BIZ [business improvement zone] as it continues to expand its services. I’ll be encouraging State Street and South University to establish their own BIZes. A business improvement zone is an excellent tool for a downtown association to use to really make a character for the downtown, so it doesn’t become all the same. The Main Street character is well known. It’s something that works really well for us.

As mayor, I’ll also be encouraging the consistent application of rules. I know that a lot of people think Ann Arbor has onerous development rules. I’m not in a good position to judge whether they’re onerous on a developer, and I’ve never dealt with those rules anywhere else. What I do know is that rules should be consistent, logical, easy to understand, written in such a way that anybody can follow them. And that when you walk into a project – whether it’s a renovation on an existing space or a new space – you should know exactly what you’re getting into when you’re working with the city. But city services go both ways, and the community also has an investment. And if you have good urban design, that community investment is reflected and the community feels comfortable with the change, and understands the benefits that good development brings.

PETERSEN: I’ve heard it said that the math dictates density downtown. But my perspective is that if we had better math, we’d have better buildings. The city has exorbitant upfront costs in terms of utility hook-up fees that force developers to go to the maximum density in terms of height and width. I think if the city had an economic policy, we’d be able to inspire reasonable growth by removing the barriers to desirable development.

Mary Stasiak, manager of community relations for the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority.

As mayor, there are several priorities that I would have for our downtown to support development downtown that is reasonable. Large floor-plate office space – there’s not a lot of it in the downtown area. The plan would be to inspire growth to create that, and maybe that involves our business partners. There’s a vision of North Main Street from Depot to M-14, where we would redevelop the riverfront area. I was at a conference last week [the State of the Huron] where John Austin spoke about the “Blue Economy” and how communities can achieve a three-to-one to six-to-one return on investments along the river. I’ve spoken to Laura Rubin of the Huron River Watershed Council, and it’s good to know we have a shared vision about how that might happen. If we have a vibrant North Main Street, we have more people coming downtown, more people to work, shop and play in the downtown area. I think that benefits everybody.

Also, I think about what are the other infrastructure elements that we need. I mentioned large floor-plate office space. Other infrastructure elements include transportation. How can we sustain economic growth and development downtown through better transportation. I’m glad Mary Stasiak is here. [Stasiak is manager of community relations for the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority. The AAATA has a millage proposal on the May 6 ballot to fund increased transportation services.] We’ve had lots of debate this week about the millage. I co-hosted a Ward 2 meeting on Tuesday night with Jane [Lumm]. We invited people from the AAATA to present and they took some very, very incisive questions from Ward 2 residents. A lot of the opposition actually resides in Ward 2, and I invited them because I wanted to have a public airing, a fair question-and-answer session.

I am happy to say that I am supporting the millage on May 6 and will vote yes. We need better public transportation to alleviate parking issues downtown.

Finally, I think we really need – and also I’m encouraged to hear – that the DDA is considering an ambassador program. I think we need to look at ways to increase the perception of safety downtown. Partly we can do that through alleviating vagrancy and highlighting the perception of safety downtown.

TAYLOR: The question is essentially to compare and contrast and provide balance for downtown density and downtown open space. I don’t think that these concepts are in conflict. These things are both necessities for a vital, active downtown. The open space, however, needs to be prudent and successful.

I’ve sat on the parks advisory commission for years, making sure that our parks remain beautiful and that the parks we have are well-maintained. The parks?? advisory commission had put together a long, eight-month process identifying what makes a successful downtown park. They looked at experts, talked to and received input from hundreds, thousands of residents. They put together a set of proposals, a set of principles as to what makes a successful downtown park. They presented these things to city council. City council accepted them.

Recently, however, the city council has put these principles to the side – these successful, I think wise, principles to the side – and designated a large portion of the Library Lot to open space. I think we need open space downtown. Open space is critical for residents, for visitors, for workers. It needs to be smart. It needs to be well-thought-through. It needs to be planned in context.

Downtown density and open space only work together if they are conceived of at the same time, and if they are complementary. If you drive with one without considering the other, then you’re setting yourself up for failure. You’re setting yourself up to replicate the problems of Liberty Plaza. So how do I think these issues are at play? I think they are both absolutely critical to the success of the downtown, but they need to be thought through together, at the same time, so that they can work together to mutually include each other.

Downtown Development Authority

Over the past few years, the public had perceived there to be growing tensions between city council and the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority. What do you see as the DDA’s most important contributions, and do you see the DDA’s role changing over the next five years?

PETERSEN: I love the DDA. I love the work that they’ve done downtown. Their most important contribution is the work they’ve done and are continuing to do in activating our sidewalks. The other piece that they’ve done, which goes above and beyond the DDAs in other communities, is that we’ve sort of strapped them with our parking situation. Cities usually self-manage their own parking. The DDA is doing that for us, and I think that’s another one of their most significant contributions that goes above and beyond what DDAs are reasonably expected to do.

Russ Collins, executive director of the Michigan Theater, is also a member of the Ann Arbor DDA board. He was on hand to talk to the MSAA about Cinetopia, but began by thanking the mayoral candidates for running: “You know, my son keeps asking me why I don’t run for mayor. I tell him that I don’t want half the city to hate me immediately upon election.”

I had the good fortune of traveling with the DDA to the International Downtown Association meeting in October – actually, Christopher [Taylor] was there with me. It was really refreshing how we’re able to reach out and get great ideas from New York City and cities from around the country and bring them back to Ann Arbor.

How is their role changing? I don’t think it’s changing. I want them to continue to do what they’ve been doing. They’ve done an excellent job. Christopher and I were also both members of the DDA-city council partnership task force, where we evaluated the future contributions, the projects going forward with the DDA. There was a decision made – we achieved a consensus on it, though that doesn’t mean we were unanimous on it – but there was consensus that beginning in 2016, there would be a cap on the DDA’s take of the TIF [tax increment financing revenues]. To a certain extent, I am in favor of that.

Going back to the concept of DDAs, in good times, the income and the benefit is supposed to be shared. Because the DDA has been managing our parking system for us, the DDA has paid for the [parking system's] debt on the city’s behalf. They haven’t been sharing the wealth when they’ve beaten their TIF plan??, because of the parking debt. And I think that’s OK. But going forward, the economic climate is improving and I think it’s time for the DDA to start sharing that wealth. But they’ll still have plenty of money to continue to do the kinds of things that fits their mission in downtown Ann Arbor.

TAYLOR: The city-DDA conflict, in my view, is a tremendously unfortunate part of what’s been going on in the political culture over the past couple of years. I think it hurts us all. It hurts the downtown. I think it’s just bad for Ann Arbor. The DDA has done, I think, quite good work throughout the city. They provide tremendous infrastructure support, whether it’s the creation of the go!pass program, whether it’s assisting with conduit, whether it’s assisting with street and sidewalk infrastructure changes, whether it is alley repairs. The DDA is there when the downtown needs it – and the downtown needs it.

The move on council to pull money out of the DDA and send it to the county, to the community college – Sally says there was consensus, and it was certainly well-supported on council. I voted against it. I think it is a bad move to take money out of the downtown and send it outside of the city of Ann Arbor. I think the DDA provides high-quality services to folks in the city. I think it is a partner with the city to support the downtown and to keep the infrastructure thriving, which is good.

What can it do going forward? Going forward, I see the role as being largely unchanged as well. The DDA will continue to invest in parking. They’ll continue to invest in streetscapes. They’ll continue to invest in below-ground infrastructure, when asked. They’ll continue to provide grants to businesses for a variety of purposes. They’ll continue to provide the go!pass program. [The DDA helps fund the go!pass, but it is administered by getDowntown, a unit of the AAATA.] They will continue, I believe, to be proper stewards of taxpayer money used for the benefit of the downtown, used to promote the economy of the downtown, to bring people downtown. That’s their mission, and I think they do it effectively.

Stepping back to the conflict between the city and the DDA, I think they’ve been in part scapegoated. The political culture in our city is not immune to the reflexive anger and tensions that gave rise to these sorts of concerns and issues on a national level. The occurrence particularly in, in …. I won’t go there. The short of it is, I think the DDA is comprised of people of good faith who are doing their level best to work on behalf of the city. I think they do an excellent job, and it’s a shame that that is not recognized and honored.

BRIERE: I was elected to council not really understanding the DDA. And to be completely frank, the only way for me to learn about how the DDA functioned was to start meeting with people. I met with members of the DDA to understand what they thought was going on, what they saw as their mission. But I began also attending DDA meetings.

I find the people on the DDA are absolutely 100% working to please council and to please the community. Note the order in which I put that. The council, as it shifts its verbal priorities, pushes the DDA in different directions. From my position, that makes the DDA not an independent organization working on behalf of the downtown, but an extension of city government. I don’t think that’s what any of us want to happen. Certainly the talk on council is the desirability of an independent DDA. But the fact of the matter is that the DDA responds to council demands. And the council does make demands, because a lot of the growth in the tax base and in the community has been in the downtown, and therefore the DDA has access to the flexible funds that the city council finds uses for.

I think that the DDA’s new project on streetscapes is going to be really exciting for the city. I’m so glad they’re doing that. I think their focus on infrastructure – when they’re allowed to focus on infrastructure – is an excellent asset for the city as a whole. I also think that we push them in different directions. We say: Well, what about more office space – how can you incentivize that? How can you use your money to spend on affordable housing? How can you maintain the various things that we see as priorities this year? And an unfortunate aspect of that is that an organization that plans long-term, 10 years at a time, is trying to respond to immediate demands. And they have this conflict, within themselves and their roles, to respond to the council’s immediate demands and their own vision for the downtown.

I became a DDA supporter, with no problem, the more I realized that not only were they well-intentioned as individuals, but their mission and goals were a significant asset. Do I think they have more money than they need? No. Do I think they always spend it as wisely as they would like to? None of us do.

Local Business Versus Chains

Main Street Ann Arbor has received many accolades as one of the best Main Streets in America. A significant component of its success is our unique mix of independent small businesses. The growth and success of our downtown is attracting interest from national chains, which many feel will adversely affect the overall unique experience of our downtown. How do you feel about this?

TAYLOR: That is a leading question! There are very few ways to answer that. I am excited that our downtown is attractive to people. You know, I think downtown is amazing. I think Main Street is amazing. I work there. I see it every day. I love it there, and I’m not surprised that other people do too. Do I want there to be national chains downtown, to the exclusion of local businesses? Absolutely not. We need to do all we can to encourage people who own buildings downtown to bear that in mind as they decide to whom they wish to lease or sell their properties.

Elmo Morales owns Elmo’s Main Street T-Shirts in downtown Ann Arbor. Sitting next to Morales is local attorney Rob Boonin.

It’s not a controlled economy. We can’t say: Multinationals, do not apply. But we can do our part to advocate for a local, active and unique downtown and Main Street, and make sure that the people who do hold the purse strings – who do hold the lease strings, if you will – that they know how important it is that we have a vital and unique mix. You know, I think there’s room for all sorts of things. There’s been some conversations about restaurants versus not restaurants. Again, you can’t fight the market. If the market is there, then that’s the way the businesses will trend. It’s not a demand economy. We can’t legislate that.

But I think what we can do is acknowledge that change occurs, and we need to do what we can to channel change. Whereas there may be restaurants growing in one area of the downtown, retail grows in another area. I think we have so much going for us, and I’m delighted that we do. I’m delighted that it attracts the interest of folks from the outside.

BRIERE: I’m a firm advocate for local business. I’m not nearly as excited as some people might expect me to be at having retail chains come downtown. Part of the reason for that is that national retail chains – a Target, a Crate & Barrel – while it sort of fits into the mood downtown and would work in an old building, it doesn’t bring the kind of foot traffic that I want to see downtown. It’s destination shopping. And destination shopping benefits that destination – it doesn’t benefit the adjoining stores.

One of the things I love about walking downtown is looking at all the various window displays. I love it because I can find myself attracted by something going on in that store and I go in, though it was not my destination. If I were coming downtown to go to a large national retail chain, I might not find myself looking sideways nearly as much. To me, it’s that serendipity of discovery that makes downtown desirable.

But there is no way that we can demand that no one from outside the community establishes a store, and we really have no business talking about it. We don’t have any business [talking about it] because we want local businesses to thrive and they can’t thrive unless other people come downtown to shop. Downtown is not going to provide the daily needs the way it might have in the 1960s – because there are so many other opportunities for people to shop.

Downtown should focus on providing the wants, the things that we really want to buy, the specialty items, the more exotic items. And frankly, that’s what it does already. That’s not what’s provided by national chains. If I want to eat out, eating out at an Ethiopian restaurant is much more interesting than eating out at yet another spaghetti restaurant that you find at the mall. To me, that’s an important value. We can do a lot of things to change the rules to make it possible for people to be innovative in space in order to really capitalize on the asset of our local creativity and local ownership.

PETERSEN: It’s not unprecedented to have a national chain downtown. We had Borders here. I think that having Borders here, the appetite for a national chain, because it was homegrown, was a fit. Unfortunately, they were in an industry that was declining, and they closed.

I will also say that not all national chains are alike. One of the perks of national chains is that they bring people downtown – but sometimes at the expense of local shops and retailers. I look at other national chains, like Starbucks. We have a number of Starbucks downtown and that sort of fits with our community. Am I going to say there should be no Starbucks downtown? I don’t think so.

Tom Murray, president of the MSAA board, moderated the May 1 forum. He is also owner of Conor O’Neill’s, an Irish pub located on Main Street.

Then I look at Apple. Some of the Apple stores are amazing national chains. Not only are they a national chain, but they create placemaking around them. That’s also a perk to downtown. If we had an Apple store, think about the kinds of clientele that would come to Ann Arbor and then shop at other stores. So I’m not going to say no national chains. When thinking about restaurants, I know Carrabba’s and P.F. Chang’s are going out by [Briarwood] mall. I think that’s an appropriate place for chains – to have them on the major thoroughfares in and out of town.

I would love to say no national chains downtown, but I don’t think that’s realistic. I do think we need to think about what national chains do fit the characteristics of our downtown. I love our downtown. I love the whimsical retail, the diversity of food. I’d like to see more companies as well. I think there’s a place for national chains. I think it is more on the corridors, and not so much in the downtown.

I’m fond of the phrase “Keep Ann Arbor Funky,” and I think that’s what our Main Street, State Street and South U do. I would put that ahead of national chains, but again, I do recognize that not all national chains are alike. Some fit, some don’t. For those that don’t, there’s still a place for them in Ann Arbor.

Closing Statements

Each candidate was given two minutes for a closing statement. The speaking order was reversed from the order of their opening remarks.

PETERSEN: From my time on council, and as a leader in this community, I’ve learned that our city faces unprecedented challenges characterized by the need to support impending growth and city services with revenue that is constrained by a reduction in taxable property. It calls for elected officials and all leaders to challenge the status quo and chart a different course for the future. My campaign is about new leadership. I’m running for mayor because I believe that we can build on the unique heritage and heart of Ann Arbor, the spirit of which is very much captured on Main Street, and create new economic and environmentally sound opportunities for our residents and business owners to thrive and prosper.

I see three priorities for Ann Arbor. Responsible growth through the creation of prudent economic policies to reduce barriers to desirable development. Better collaboration with the University of Michigan with regard to mutual areas of interest that influence quality of life: Infrastructure, transportation, and private-sector job creation. There hasn’t been a question today [at this forum] about our relationship with the university, but I think that’s something that we need to have a new attitude about. We’re going to have a new mayor, and they’re going to have a new president. I think it’s time to rethink how we work best together to ensure economic prosperity for the entire city.

The third thing is elevating the quality of civic engagement by modeling high-level standards of conduct, civility, transparency and accountability. So in summary, our next mayor needs to be creative and strategic in her approach to developing prudent economic policy, engaging collaboratively with the University of Michigan and being relentless in civic engagement. I consider the job of mayor as a full-time public servant, being available 24/7. I have the time, energy and interest dedicated to seeing that the cityʼs priorities are brought to fruition.

BRIERE: One of the challenges the next mayor is going to face is how to work with a council that’s periodically divided among itself, and how to work with a community that’s also periodically divided amongst itself. A community that seems to be encouraged in that division. This is not news. It’s also not new. Years ago, the community was divided by town and gown. When I moved here, being born in the city was considered a requirement in order to run for public office. This isn’t news.

What’s news is that more and more, we’re recognizing that Ann Arbor is a place where people move because they love it here. And it’s not because of the buildings. It’s not because of city government, and it’s not because of the climate. It’s because the people who live here are interesting and vital, engaged, excited, curious – and they want their neighborhoods to reflect those skills, those interests, those abilities.

The people who move to Ann Arbor and stay are people who find that what you all bring to the table makes their lives rich. Because you bring that level of entrepreneurship. My relationship with people in the community is very grassroots, very organic. I have learned a lot from every one of you. I have learned a lot from all the people who aren’t in this room, too. I’ve learned because not only do I listen, but I reflect action based on what I hear. I’m not a reactionary, but I am an action-oriented person. I think this is really important for the next mayor.

TAYLOR: What I’d like to do, I think, is answer a question that wasn’t asked. If you want more general information from me, you can go on my website, TaylorForAnnArbor.com, and you’ll see a great deal of it there.

I want to talk a little bit about young professionals and talent, because that’s so important to our downtown and so important to the city’s future. It is vital that the city be open and welcoming to young people. And I don’t mean 18-year-olds – they’re going to come. But it is vital that the city be welcome and opening to 25-year-olds, to 30-year-olds. The downtown is an incredible foundational part of it. The next mayor needs to understand that, needs to be able to engage and talk with this generation, be comfortable and fluid with this generation – because that is the base from which we’re going to grow older together.

Entrepreneurs require talent. Businesses that are here require customers, require new energy. We can encourage young people to come – through a vital, active downtown, through better transit, through openness, through workforce housing, through a piloted bike share program. These are things which are welcoming to young people. These are things that we need to continually emphasize and to ensure that the target audience – folks in their 20s, folks in their young 30s with growing families – that they understand that Ann Arbor’s a place for them, that the business community is open to them, that the political culture is open to them, that they can come and stay and build a life here. As mayor, that’s something I want to do. That’s something the mayor has an incredible role in. That’s going to be a benefit to you all downtown.

That’s a more specific closing than anybody anticipated, but there it is – what’re you gonna do.

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From left: Republican Stuart Berry and Democrat Chuck Warpehoski are candidates for Ward 5 Ann Arbor city council. (Photos by the writer.)

The Ward 5 seat is currently held by Democrat Carsten Hohnke, who did not seek re-election for another two-year term. Vying for the opening are Democrat Chuck Warpehoski and Republican Stuart Berry. The two candidates answered questions about their background and vision for the community at an Oct. 10 forum organized by the League of Women Voters of the Ann Arbor Area.

Berry stressed the importance of basic services, and advocated for giving power back to the people. In general, he indicated a belief that government at all levels has overstepped its bounds.

Citing his experience as executive director of the nonprofit Interfaith Council for Peace & Justice, Warpehoski emphasized his skills as a listener and in bringing together people with different perspectives. Warpehoski also provided written answers to a set of questions on the league’s Vote411.org website. The site indicated that Berry did not participate.

Both candidates highlighted the challenge of providing services at a time when budgets are tight.

The Oct. 10 candidate forum was held at the studios of Community Television Network in Ann Arbor, and is available online via CTN’s video-on-demand service. The forum also included candidates for Ann Arbor mayor – Albert Howard and John Hieftje. The mayoral portion of the forum is reported in a separate Chronicle write-up.

Information on local elections can be found on the Washtenaw County clerk’s elections division website. To see a sample ballot for your precinct, visit the Secretary of State’s website.

Opening Statements

Each candidate was given the opportunity to make a one-minute opening statement.

Chuck Warpehoski: He thanked the league, noting that this event is important to give viewers a better understanding of the candidates. He believes he brings important skills that are necessary to serve the community. He cited the past 10 years of experience he’s had as executive director of the Interfaith Council for Peace & Justice. In that role, he said he’s gained important experience in how to listen to constituents and bring people together across their differences to address their concerns. This is an important skill for serving the community, he said. Warpehoski’s work has also given him experience in balancing a budget and meeting payroll. Those are hands-on leadership skills that a councilmember needs, he said. He directed viewers to his campaign website to learn more, and he asked for their vote on Nov.6.

Stuart Berry: He also thanked the league for hosting the forum. He first came to Ann Arbor in the late 1960s to help his father, a Scottish immigrant, deliver milk to Ann Arbor families. It was hard work – and his father worked six days a week, 52 weeks a year, but was glad to do it because he came to America knowing that hard work paid off, Berry said. During those years, Berry said he witnessed the building of many great neighborhoods, commercial areas and parks in Ann Arbor. The city was changing then to redefine itself. Now, Ann Arbor must face new realities if it is to remain great. When he returned in 1989 to live and work here for the University of Michigan city services were very good. Over the years, declining revenues have forced some tough choices, and the city council has not always been wise in making those choices, he said. The council has chosen to reduce basic services, he noted, and to fund many projects of questionable value and benefit. He looked forward to discussing his concerns and solutions.

Challenges

What are the biggest challenges that the city faces over the next two years, and how would you act on them?

Stuart Berry

Stuart Berry: The biggest challenge relates to basic services. Police and fire protection have been cut back, and it’s impacting the safety of the citizens and taxpayers, he said. Another basic service is the roads, which continue to be in poor shape. The city needs to improve the roads, he said. As he goes throughout Ward 5 knocking on doors, people are questioning why the city eliminated a fall leaf collection program, saying that many people feel that is a hidden tax – because they now have to spend money and time on it themselves. The city council needs to redefine itself so that it better provides the basic services of Ann Arbor, he concluded.

Chuck Warpehoski: Many of the challenges will be budget-related, he said. It isn’t always a choice between a good thing and a bad thing, he noted. Often it’s a choice between multiple good things, or the difficult choice of making cuts. The city has faced significant challenges. It lost property tax revenue when Pfizer left town, he said. Property values have declined, so the revenues from property taxes have declined. The city has lost several million dollars in state revenue-sharing, he said. So continuing to provide services and balance the different needs of constituents is a vital challenge.

Warpehoski said there are a couple of things he can bring to meet that challenge. With his background in listening and bringing people together, his goal is to have a participatory process that will bring people into that discussion. As they move forward in that process – having made cuts in the past – part of the challenge is how to look for alternative revenue sources to help fund community needs, he said.

Relationship with the DDA

Are you satisfied with the relationship between the city and the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority? What are your thoughts about the DDA’s Connecting William Street project?

By way of background, in 1975 the state legislature authorized the Downtown Development Authority Act (Act 197 of 1975), which enabled cities to set up DDAs with the purpose of protecting and revitalizing their downtowns. The Ann Arbor DDA was established in the early 1980s, and renewed by city council in 2003 for another 30 years. It is governed by a board that’s appointed by the city council, based on nominations by the mayor, who by statute also serves on the board. The DDA is funded by tax increment financing (TIF) – that is, it “captures” a portion of the property taxes in a specific geographic area that would otherwise be collected by taxing authorities in the district. The tax capture is only on the increment in valuation – the difference between the value of property when the district was established, and the value resulting from improvements made to the property. In Ann Arbor, the DDA also operates the public parking system under contract with the city.

Earlier this year, the city council also directed the DDA to embark on another project – now called Connecting William Street – focused on developing a plan for five city-owned properties along William Street, between Ashley and Division. Four of the parcels are surface parking lots; the fifth is a parking structure at Fourth & William. For more background, see Chronicle coverage: “PAC: Downtown Park, More Input Needed” and “Planning Group Briefed on William St. Project.”

Chuck Warpehoski: The downtown is part of what makes Ann Arbor great – that, plus the city’s dynamic neighborhoods, he said. As he hears people discuss the downtown and the DDA, he hears that some people are unhappy with the DDA’s administration, that it’s taking too many resources. But he also hears people argue on the other side – for example, that the DDA gave too much away when it negotiated with the city for the most recent contract to manage the city’s parking system, and that as a result the DDA is not able to fully fulfill its mission. He thinks the DDA is important for maintaining the downtown’s vibrancy. There are continuing discussions about how they can best do that. He hears a lot about the importance of making the community accessible to all residents. When the DDA puts in ADA-compliant curbcuts downtown, that’s a good investment, he said. The downtown is important, but it’s also important to make sure that the partnership with the DDA works for the community as a whole, he added.

Stuart Berry: He agrees that the downtown is very vibrant. People come in and spend their money, and pay a lot of money for parking, Berry said. The money that the DDA handles is, in effect, taxpayer money, he said, and the DDA’s board is unelected. He’d rather see more oversight over the DDA, because that’s the role of the city council – to make sure that the money collected by the DDA is properly handled. Ultimately, the city council is responsible for those dollars, he said, because councilmembers are the ones who are elected.

Traffic & Population Growth

Is the city’s planning for traffic growth keeping up with plans for the growth in population, with respect to parking, safety and other aspects?

Stuart Berry: Traffic in any city is a real concern, especially in Ann Arbor. The city is growing, but the infrastructure is shrinking, he said. The city is on a path to put all the pedestrians, bicyclists and cars in the road at the same time. It’s a prescription for a bad thing – and he’s concerned about that. The city has to find a way to get people into Ann Arbor, to move around safely, then get them out of Ann Arbor if they’re not residents here. Ultimately, the city needs more people and businesses to move in so that the city can grow, he said. To do that, the traffic situation needs to improve.

Chuck Warpehoski: Having a balanced and multi-modal transportation system is very important. Over the last five years, the city has seen almost a doubling of bicycle use, he said. So they need to look at a variety of factors when trying to manage mobility. Some people will drive to shop or work downtown, so the city needs to provide those driving and parking options. Some people will take the bus. Expanding options like park-and-ride lots will get people to the edge of the city so that they can take the bus, which will result in less congestion and less demand for new parking. It’s important to make sure that roads are safe for pedestrians, and that the city’s pathways are safe for cyclists. “It’s a matter of balancing all of these factors.” Overall, the city’s transportation planning has been good, Warpehoski said, given the constraints. Can it do better? Absolutely, he said – and he’s looking forward to helping find options for all of the city’s transportation needs.

Nonpartisan Elections

Should Ann Arbor follow the lead of many other municipalities and abandon partisan tags for mayor and city council, particularly to take top vote-getters in a nonpartisan August primary and into the November general election?

For background on this issue, see “Column: Ann Arbor – A One-Party Town” and “Column: Let’s Put Life into City Elections.”

Chuck Warpehoski

Chuck Warpehoski: There are arguments on both sides, he said. He noted that The Ann Arbor Chronicle published a column on this issue that made some good points. A proposal for nonpartisan elections might be something to bring to the voters. The advantage of a partisan election is that the party label gives voters an indication of things, he said. In the Nov. 6 election there are a lot of races. The League of Women Voters has been doing a great job of helping to educate voters, he said. But it’s very difficult to give attention to all the ballot initiatives, and all the races, to make sure people are really informed. The advantage of the current system is that when people go to the polls for the primary election – which ends up being the real race  for many elected positions in Ann Arbor – there has been a lot of attention specifically on that race. The challenge of getting more attention for the general election and creating an educated populace is something that needs to be worked on, if the city moves forward with nonpartisan elections, he said.

Stuart Berry: Nonpartisan elections would be a very good idea for Ann Arbor, Berry said. The town has a majority of Democrats, so running as a Republican, Berry said it’s hard for him to get his points across to voters on their doorsteps. Many Democrats don’t want to listen to what a Republican has to say. But the ideas in Ann Arbor are not necessarily Republican or Democrat, he said. We need to work toward improving the city, and the way to do that is to have all ideas heard. With partisan elections, the real election is in the August primary. It tends to bring out the more partisan part of the voting block, he noted. It would be very good to move from partisan elections to nonpartisan elections.

Long-Term Goals

Looking ahead 10-20 years, highlight one or more projects that you’d like to initiate or support now to achieve your future vision of Ann Arbor.

Stuart Berry: He’d like to see city council devote more time to basic services. The council has gotten too far afield in addressing all sorts of issues that are not necessarily the jurisdiction of the government, he said. There are a lot of things that the council does that they could investigate “transitioning back to the people.” Churches, community organizations and fraternal organizations used to be very strong, he said. As the government takes hold of all the services in the community that those organizations used to provide, those organizations tend to suffer. The church he attends is always looking around for things to do, he said, but there are not as many avenues for them as there were in the past. “Let’s transfer the power back to the people.”

Chuck Warpehoski: As he looks ahead 10-20 years, Warpehoski said he certainly would not want to erode Ann Arbor’s social safety net or try to cut funding for those services that make sure the community is responsive to all of its members. One thing that would really strengthen the community is to take a more regional approach to transportation, he said. The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority concluded its 30-year master plan after extensive listening and feedback from community members, elected officials and others across the county to help create a vision, he said. Nationally, communities that have the strongest transportation systems are also those that have the strongest job growth. It’s good for the economy. For him, as a Democrat, he cares deeply about our national heritage. Public transportation is good for the environment. And as someone who’s concerned about people who can’t drive because of income, disability or other reasons, he thinks it provides more opportunity for them.

Open-Ended Question

What question wasn’t asked tonight that you’d like to address?

Chuck Warpehoski: As he’s been going door-to-door, one question he’s heard a lot is about shaping the future of downtown. People are on both sides of the issue. The city has taken important steps in trying to envision what the downtown should look like, he said, but there’s still more work needed. He’s heard some concerns about some of the designs of buildings that are going up. There’s an existing downtown design process, he noted. Does that meet the city’s needs? Is it giving us the quality of buildings that the city should expect in a great community like ours? If not, how can that process be strengthened? Ann Arbor is a great town and should expect great buildings, he said. The city’s zoning and design process should give us that.

Stuart Berry: He believes in the power and creativity of the people. Government at all levels should allow the people to do what’s necessary to create community and keep that community thriving. He doesn’t put as much credence in an elected body to plan and design and make sure a city goes from A to B. It’s the people who should do that. “We know what needs to be done. We’re out in the neighborhoods and in the downtown every day.” The city government needs to allow an atmosphere where people can come and take risks with their capital to improve what’s going on. That’s what really brings people to Ann Arbor, he said – the creativity and talent of the people. “We, the people, make that happen.”

Closing Statements

Each candidate had the opportunity to make a two-minute closing statement.

Chuck Warpehoski: He thanked the league and viewers, and said he’s running because he wants the opportunity to serve the community he loves. He has a small daughter, and wants to make sure that the community she grows up in is one that’s as great as it can be. The city has tremendous assets – a fantastic parks system, wonderful neighborhoods, a downtown that draws people from all over. The challenge facing the city council now and in the future is how to keep this community great. For him, an important part of that process is listening. That’s what he does every day with his work at the Interfaith Council for Peace & Justice – figuring out how to bring together people from different backgrounds and perspectives. That’s a commitment to listening, inclusion and bridge-building that he said he’d also bring to city council.

Warpehoski described himself as a proud Democrat, and he holds those Democratic values of an inclusive community with a strong social safety net and strong environmental protections – he’d bring those values to his council service too. He thinks those resonate with Ann Arbor voters. Finally, he believes he has the leadership experience serving as a nonprofit director, handling the difficult balancing act in his day job or at council, whether it’s budget deliberations, how to use public lands, or other decisions. He asked for people’s vote on Nov. 6, and pointed viewers to his campaign website for more information.

Stuart Berry: Thanking the league, Berry said the “good people of Ann Arbor deserve more than the city council has been giving us.” He’ll focus on improved basic services – police and fire protection, good roads, timely snow removal, maintaining city parks. He said he’d provide oversight of how hard-earned taxpayer dollars are spent. He’d work for a climate change that promotes business growth in Ann Arbor. The growth he witnessed while lugging milk to Ann Arbor families was good for the city at that time, he said. Today, it appears to him that private-sector growth is resisted and blocked at too many opportunities. The paradox is that taxpayer-funded development is promoted at every opportunity, he said.

The purpose of the government is to do the things that citizens should not do – because those things are either too hard to do, or too dangerous. Examples of things that are too hard are building roads, sewer and water systems, or trash pickup. Examples of duties that are too dangerous are police and fire protection. He endorses a refocus of the city council onto its managerial role. Council has a fiduciary responsibility to ensure that tax dollars are spent wisely and appropriately. When he’s on doorsteps, he said he often gets asked “What are they doing, and when will it end?” He’ll promote a council that devotes its time and energy to serving the citizens of Ann Arbor, not on how it can expand. “I have no special interests and no hidden agendas. I support liberty, freedom, and responsible, limited government.”

He told viewers that they can help bring equitable, enthusiastic, efficient leadership to Ann Arbor, and he asked for their vote. He looked forward to representing everyone in the Fifth Ward. “I want to let Ann Arbor be what it can be, not what a few think it should be.”

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From left: Incumbent Ann Arbor mayor John Hieftje and Albert Howard, who is running as an independent. (Photos by the writer.)

The two men answered questions at an Oct. 10 candidate forum moderated by the League of Women Voters of the Ann Arbor Area. Issues ranged from the city’s relationship with the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority – which Howard described as a “shadow government” that he would dissolve – to nonpartisan elections, current challenges and a long-term vision for the community.

Howard repeatedly criticized Hieftje for a lack of transparency and fiscal responsibility, and for not focusing on public safety issues. He supported moving to nonpartisan elections, and for a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) program for the University of Michigan.

Hieftje, who was first elected mayor in 2000, defended his view that the city is one of the safest and most robust in Michigan. He said that he personally has been “extremely approachable” and that the city government itself is open and accessible. He advocated for an expanded transit system, and a focus on quality-of-life issues.

The office of mayor has a two-year term. In Ann Arbor’s council-manager system, the mayor is the eleventh member of the city council, with limited responsibility beyond that of a city councilmember. The mayor enjoys a power of veto over council actions, which can be overridden with an eight-vote majority. The mayor also makes nominations for most city boards and commissions, which then require confirmation by the council. The mayor has certain powers during emergencies, and serves as the ceremonial head of the city. Day-to-day management of the city is the responsibility of the city administrator – currently Steve Powers – who is hired by the city council.

The Oct. 10 candidate forum was held at the studios of Community Television Network in Ann Arbor, and is available online via CTN’s video-on-demand service. The forum included candidates for Ward 5 Ann Arbor city council – Stuart Berry and Chuck Warpehoski. The Ward 5 portion of the forum is reported in a separate Chronicle write-up.

Information on local elections can be found on the Washtenaw County clerk’s elections division website. To see a sample ballot for your precinct, visit the Secretary of State’s website.

Opening Statements

Each candidate was given the opportunity to make a one-minute opening statement.

Albert Howard: He looked forward to the opportunity for viewers to vote for him on Nov. 6 as the 61st mayor of Ann Arbor. There are three issues that are paramount with the current mayor’s administration, he said: A lack of transparency, a lack of fiscal responsibility, and a lack of taking initiative on immediate priorities. He wanted to bring light to the fact that even though the 60th mayor was sitting to his right, the language of Hieftje’s administration – especially in “referendums and addendums” – is not advantageous to the people. There’s more hidden behind this protocol than we know, he concluded.

John Hieftje: The city is doing well, he said, considering that it’s coming out of one of the worst financial climates since the 1930s. Ann Arbor has made it thus far by increasing efficiencies, he said. Unlike many cities, Ann Arbor hasn’t raised taxes – except for what he characterized as a very small increase so that the city could take over sidewalk maintenance. Otherwise, the city has maintained all services, he said. There’s low unemployment and new companies are coming to the city, he said – and there’s very robust job growth in the city’s future, according to UM economists. When you talk about things like local government, you need to look deep down and see what’s actually been going on, Hieftje said. He encouraged viewers to look at the city’s website. “Everything is out there,” he said – about the city’s budget and other information. The city does everything they can to make sure they are approachable and open to all citizens regarding anything that’s going on at city hall, he concluded.

Challenges

What are the biggest challenges that the city faces over the next two years, and how would you act on them?

John Hieftje: Certainly the budget will continue to be a priority – it will continue to be a priority for a very long time, both for Ann Arbor and every city in the state and nation. He said he would not trade Ann Arbor’s budget position with any other city, particularly in Michigan. Ann Arbor continues to do very well and has a solid budget position. As far as basic services, he noted that Ann Arbor is in the top 20% of safe communities in the United States, based on FBI statistics. He pointed to a December 2011 article in the Ann Arbor Observer with the subhead “Crime Is Down – Way, Way Down.” If you look at it over decades, crime is going down – Ann Arbor is one of the safest cities of its size, he said.

Talking about leaf pickup, the city still picks up leaves, Hieftje noted, but not in the same way that it used to. [Stuart Berry, the Republican candidate for Ward 5 city council, had earlier in the forum mentioned that residents were upset that the city had stopped leaf pickup. The city previously designated two days on which residents could sweep their leaves into the street, and they would be collected using converted street sweepers, front loaders and large-capacity trucks. The city now uses a "containerized" approach that's integrated with the weekly compostables pickup.] There were some problems with the previous approach, he said, and almost every city in Michigan has moved away from doing it that way. It was a good decision, he said. In looking back, there were choices that had to be made as budgets were cut, but that was a choice that stood out as a simple one.

Albert Howard: It’s vital that the current administration and the next mayor not hide by using the language of subliminal, subtle signals, he said. The current mayor has had more Freedom of Information Act requests from the media than other mayors. The mayor rarely issues press releases, Howard said, and has never vetoed an action by city council during his administration.   Alluding to Hieftje’s mention of FBI statistics, Howard said that the local 911 dispatchers are the people who handle calls about crime – and they make the determination about whether that crime will be in a particular category. The current mayor must be held accountable for transparency, he said, and for creating statistics that aren’t relevant to the city’s condition.

[That Hieftje has never exercised his veto power is a common belief – one held even by many long-time political insiders. The Chronicle is not aware that Hieftje himself has ever challenged this notion when it's been mentioned publicly – and he did not dispute it at the candidate forum. However, based on city council minutes from early in his tenure as mayor, Hieftje once vetoed a change to the ordinance that regulates the city employees retirement system. The change involved a calculation of final average compensation. The council subsequently overrode that veto. Minutes indicate that the council voted for the ordinance change on April 16, 2001, the mayor vetoed it on April 23, 2001, and the overriding vote came at the council's May 7, 2001 meeting.]

Relationship with the DDA

Are you satisfied with the relationship between the city and the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority? What are your thoughts about the DDA’s Connecting William Street project?

By way of background, in 1975 the state legislature authorized the Downtown Development Authority Act (Act 197 of 1975), which enabled cities to set up DDAs with the purpose of protecting and revitalizing their downtowns. The Ann Arbor DDA was established in the early 1980s, and renewed by city council in 2003 for another 30 years. It is governed by a board that’s appointed by the city council, based on nominations by the mayor, who by statute also serves on the board. The DDA is funded by tax increment financing (TIF) – that is, it “captures” a portion of the property taxes in a specific geographic area that would otherwise be collected by taxing authorities in the district. The tax capture is only on the increment in valuation – the difference between the value of property when the district was established, and the value resulting from improvements made to the property. In Ann Arbor, the DDA also operates the public parking system under contract with the city.

Earlier this year, the city council also directed the DDA to embark on another project – now called Connecting William Street – focused on developing a plan for five city-owned properties along William Street, between Ashley and Division. Four of the parcels are surface parking lots; the fifth is a parking structure at Fourth & William. For more background, see Chronicle coverage: “PAC: Downtown Park, More Input Needed” and “Planning Group Briefed on William St. Project.”

Albert Howard is running for Ann Arbor mayor as an independent.

Albert Howard: The DDA is part of a “shadow government” that the current mayor has established, Howard said. The DDA board is selected by the mayor, he said. It needs to be dissolved, Howard said, adding that he would work with city council to shed light on this shadow government that is taking taxes away from the city. The DDA is getting the benefit of the city, but is a separate entity – and it’s not healthy for the city, he said. Howard said that the original architect of the DDA, Louis Belcher, now says contends the way the DDA is currently operating was never the way he intended for it to be run. Belcher stated this on AnnArbor.com, Howard said. [He was referring to the transcript of a radio interview with Belcher conducted by Lucy Ann Lance, which was written up as a post on AnnArbor.com.]

John Hieftje: Responding to a previous statement by Howard, Hieftje said the FBI statistics are reported by the police department at the end of each year, and it’s a duty that’s taken very seriously. Regarding the DDA, he noted that such authorities exist across the state and were established so that downtowns had a way to renew themselves and make themselves vital – as shopping malls became more prevalent. Ann Arbor has done a tremendous job of keeping its downtown vital, he said. It’s probably the best downtown in the state or maybe the Midwest, Hieftje noted, and the DDA has played a very strong role in that. “There’s nothing shadowy about the DDA,” he said. Downtown development authorities exist in other cities and states. Northfield Township has a DDA, he noted – they are very common. All you have to do is visit downtown Ann Arbor and compare it with other downtowns across the state. That’s one of the great things that people cite about the city as a reason for living here, he said.

Traffic & Population Growth

Is the city’s planning for traffic growth keeping up with plans for the growth in population, with respect to parking, safety and other aspects?

John Hieftje: The population has been stable for quite a long time, he said, although he believes it’s starting to grow a little now. [The 2000 census recorded Ann Arbor's population at 114,024 compared to 113,934 in the 2010 census.] There’s been a lot of growth outside the city, he added. But the city is growing jobs, and the community will continue to do that. So the city needs to make a decision, he said – do we want to continue to grow jobs? If so, then there will be increased traffic congestion, pollution and the need for more parking structures. But the answer to that is more transit, he said. The city needs to expand transit – otherwise, the trade-off is traffic, pollution and congestion. It’s a simple equation and something that’s being looked at very closely, he said, adding that it’s something the whole community is engaged in right now. The question is how to expand transit. Is it bus or rail? Everything the city can do to get commuters out of cars and on foot, on a bike, a bus or train – all of those things will help avoid a future of traffic congestion, he concluded.

Albert Howard: A woman was recently riding a bicycle, he said, and was hit by a vehicle – so she was in intensive care. It was because of a local law that was set up by the current mayor, he contended. This woman was hanging on for life, he said. Now, the city has traffic growth and population growth, but what about the safety of the citizens? Howard asked. Did the current city administration conduct an investigation with the state regarding the city’s crosswalk laws? This is now being considered for revamping, he said. The population is growing, but the safety of the citizens is a priority, he said.

John Hieftje: Later in the forum, during his time allotted for another question, Hieftje responded to Howard’s comments. He noted that the woman – who he described as “tragically hit on her bicycle” – was on a road controlled by the Michigan Dept. of Transportation. That accident had nothing to do with the local crosswalk law, he said. If you’re in an intersection and are hit by a car, particularly on an MDOT-controlled road, that’s always been a traffic problem, he said. People need to be responsible for the people in front of them “and put the brakes on.”

Albert Howard: During his closing statement, Howard responded to Hieftje’s remark by saying MDOT is not responsible for the woman being hit. The mayor set up a unique system of crosswalk paths – that was done by this administration, he said.

Nonpartisan Elections

Should Ann Arbor follow the lead of many other municipalities and abandon partisan tags for mayor and city council, particularly to take top vote-getters in a nonpartisan August primary and into the November general election?

For background on this issue, see “Column: Ann Arbor – A One-Party Town” and “Column: Let’s Put Life into City Elections.”

Albert Howard: The current mayor has been in office for 12 years, and the system needs to change. Hieftje has taken advantage of the system, he said, and the system needs to be revamped. If there’s a mayor who’s been in office for 12 years, then something needs to change. A lot of people he speaks with – including a lot of Democrats – describe Hieftje as a “word mayor,” but not an effective leader, Howard said. The voters are consistently unhappy with the majority of things that the current administration is doing. When the system changes, the mayor will change, he said. The mayor is in the system because the system has not changed, Howard concluded.

John Hieftje: Party labels give voters a really good starting place and a good road map to begin assessing candidates, he said. There are basic values that people are looking at in candidates, and party labels are helpful in that. Ann Arbor happens to be a Democratic town, he said, but for most of its history, it was a very, very Republican town. “Perhaps someday it will switch back that way.” It’s been in this cycle since about 1990, he noted, but in the city’s history, very few of its mayors have been Democrats.

Long-Term Goals

Looking ahead 10-20 years, highlight one or two projects that you’d like to support now to achieve your future vision of Ann Arbor.

Incumbent Ann Arbor mayor John Hieftje, a Democrat, is running for re-election.

John Hieftje: With ever-rising fuel prices and rising carbon levels, transit is the thing that the city needs to plan for now, he said. It takes decades sometimes to put proper transit systems in place, and the city needs to work at that.

Not all of the city’s workers or residents will be able to afford a $30,000 hybrid in order to keep up with rising gasoline prices, Hieftje said. It’s vital to look at long-term transit issues. At the same time, the city also needs to protect the environment in other ways, he said. Ann Arbor is known as one of the greenest cities anywhere, and we need to continue to work on that, he said. We need to keep Ann Arbor clean – noting that Ann Arbor has the cleanest urban river in the state. Focus needs to remain on quality-of-life issues, he said, because in today’s economy, that’s what attracts the businesses of the 21st century to the city.  Ann Arbor needs to continue to be the award-winning city that it is by concentrating on the environment, transportation and quality of life – bringing all that together to make it a place where people want to continue to live and visit, he concluded.

Albert Howard: He’d like to see the relationship between the city and the University of Michigan become closer. He’d like to see payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) program. He said that the university has $11 billion worth of property. Howard noted that the billionaire Sam Zell, who spoke recently at UM, said the university should consider privatizing so that it would pay taxes that the city rightfully deserves. There should be some closer relationship so that the city will be fruitful and profitable, Howard said.

Open-Ended Question

What question wasn’t asked tonight that you’d like to address?

Albert Howard: The mayor should be accountable for the words that come out of his mouth. Howard would like to see accountability with the statistics that the mayor cites. He’d like to see more transparency – not making the media file Freedom of Information Act requests, not a mayor who’s been in office 12 years without issuing a veto, and not a mayor who only rarely issues press releases. The people want a mayor who is approachable, who goes to town hall meetings and who holds town hall meetings, he said. “This mayor has not had any town hall meetings – he always sends other people.” The people want face-to-face meetings. The mayor is a very intelligent man, Howard said, but he needs to be accountable and approachable.

John Hieftje: Hieftje responded that he’s had open office hours almost every week he’s been in office, except for a few when he’s been out of town. He said he attends meetings for any and every group who’d like him to come. He’s attended several town hall meetings, including some regarding the budget. “I think I’ve been extremely approachable.” If someone can’t come to his office hours, he said he’ll make arrangements to meet at another time to hear their concerns. That’s very vital to city government, he said. The mayor and councilmembers need to be “just what they are – which is your neighbors, the person who’s in the same boat as you are.” He said he learns so much from talking with residents and neighborhood groups. He said he’d be attending another neighborhood meeting the following night. He’s happy to meet with people anywhere in the city, “whether it’s by ones or twos, or tens or twenties.”

Closing Statements

Each candidate had the opportunity to make a two-minute closing statement.

Albert Howard: He said he wanted to talk about the current mayor and the administration that the mayor is responsible for. It’s important to bring transparency, fiscal responsibility and a focus on immediate priorities – the city’s public safety, the proper amount of police and fire personnel and equipment. The administration should be open and accountable, he said. The mayor has to realize that the picture he’s painting is not a realistic picture. The statistics he talks about aren’t realistic. There was recently a sexual assault downtown near campus, Howard said. The week before that, a woman was raped in her bed. The mayor is not being realistic – the numbers don’t match, and the words don’t connect. He needs to be held accountable.

Regarding the DDA, Howard reiterated an earlier point about Lou Belcher, who was mayor when the DDA was originally established. Belcher has  said the way that the DDA is operated now is not the way it was intended to operate. The current mayor needs a reality check, Howard said – and Hieftje’s words are going to catch up with him. The city is unsafe because the priority of the city is not paramount, he added. This can’t be ignored – and a light needs to be shined on it. Howard urged viewers to visit his campaign website: AlbertHoward.org.

John Hieftje: He began by noting that a recent article in the press had the title “Why does Ann Arbor continue to win so many awards?” Certainly that has a lot to do with the way the city is run, he said, and it has a lot to do with being one of the safer cities in North America. It also has a lot to do with the city’s beautiful park system, a vibrant downtown, and the fact that the city is fixing all of its roads and bridges now, with the most robust road repair program in memory underway. That road repair will continue in the next building season, he said, adding that the East Stadium bridges will be opening next month.

So many things are moving forward as we come out of the greatest recession and economic downturn since the 1930s, Hieftje said, and he’s very excited. When you talk about why Ann Arbor wins awards, you also have to look at the people. There are so many people engaged, he said. People at the Rotary Club who plant 1,000 trees each year. People in nonprofits who work hard to make sure the community is providing services to those who need them the most.

Ann Arbor is one of only two communities in Michigan that continues to contribute general fund dollars to pay for human services, and that will continue, he said. The city’s human services funding has not gone down during the Great Recession, he said. The city is moving forward in many different areas. In the last few months, the city has hired 13 new police officers. Hieftje described them as young officers who are eager to work in this city and who are excited about what they can do.

Hieftje noted that Howard had mentioned a couple of recent crimes. For one, a suspect has been arrested, Hieftje said – it had been reported in the printed press on Sunday. For the other sexual assault, some believe that it might not have occurred. [The UM Dept. of Public Safety later issued an update stating that the incident did not occur.] In general, sexual assault is down this year and it was down the year before, he said. We have a very safe city and Ann Arbor continues to be one of the very best cities to live in North America, Hieftje concluded.

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Democrat Jeff Irwin, incumbent for District 53 in the Michigan House of Representatives. (Photo by the writer.)

Republican candidate John Spizak, who will also be on the Nov. 6 ballot, did not participate. The 53rd District covers most of Ann Arbor, and the winner of the election will serve a two-year term.

At the forum, Irwin fielded questions on basic biographical background, voter registration laws, partisanship, the state retirement system, and women’s reproductive health. He stressed three areas of focus: education, environment, and equal rights. He’d continue to work on those areas, he said, even if Democrats remain in the minority in the house after the Nov. 6 election. He’s working to shift that balance, however, “so we can help Governor Snyder govern as the moderate he ran as.”

Irwin’s responses to three other questions are included on the league’s Vote411.org website.

The Oct. 11 candidate forum was held at the studios of Community Television Network in Ann Arbor, and is available online via CTN’s video-on-demand service. The forum included candidates for the 55th District – Republican Owen Diaz, Green David McMahon and Democrat Adam Zemke – whose responses are reported in a separate Chronicle write-up.

Information on local elections can be found on the Washtenaw County clerk’s elections division website. To see a sample ballot for your precinct, visit the Secretary of State’s website. The league’s Vote411.org website also includes a range of information on national, state and local candidates and ballot issues, and a “build my ballot” feature.

Opening Statement

The candidate was given the opportunity to make a one-minute opening statement. Irwin said that if he is re-elected to the Michigan legislature, there are three issues he would continue to work on – education, environmental protection, and equal rights.

We need to make sure that the money we pay into the school aid fund goes to support K-12 schools, Irwin said. And we need to make sure that our colleges and universities are well-funded.

Michigan has some unique and special assets that need to be protected – for the long-term and also for our current needs, he said. Additionally, the Great Lakes are a unique resource that bring economic prosperity as well as recreation and enjoyment to our citizens here today.

Michigan will be the best state it can be, when we provide equal rights to all of our citizens – regardless of where they come from, he said. We need to open arms to the world and welcome the economic growth and development that can come from folks who come from other cultures and ways of life, he concluded.

Qualifications

What in your experience and education makes you the best-qualified candidate for this position?

It’s challenging in a community like Ann Arbor where there are so many qualified people, Irwin said, so it’s a tremendous honor to be able to represent this community in the legislature. Other candidates who are running for the 55th District [and who participated in the same forum], told their stories about growing up here in the area, Irwin noted. But his own story does not start in Ann Arbor – he’s not Washtenaw County born. He’s from the Upper Peninsula, he said.

He came down to Ann Arbor to attend the University of Michigan, precisely because he has a passion for public service and a passion for getting our government running, he said. There are so many things we can do to improve how the government works for people, he said, and that’s why he had come to the University of Michigan – to study political science and American government.

After studying those subjects deeply for a number of years, he realized he had some ideas to offer at the local level. So he ran for local office and served 11 years on the Washtenaw County board of commissioners – including a stint as chair of the board. He was proud of the board’s accomplishments during the period he served. He’s also served as a legislative aide, and as an advocate for clean air and clean water with the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. So he has a number of different areas of experience in public work, and he hopes to bring that back to Lansing, he concluded.

Partisan Divide

If elected to the House, name one or two goals that you hope to achieve. How would you work to accomplish these goals, given the current partisan divide?

Alluding to the election campaign, Irwin said his number one goal for the next month is to try to change the partisan divide. He has served as a minority in the legislature, he pointed out, and he is working hard with fellow Democrats across the state, “so we can help Governor Snyder govern as the moderate he ran as.” Gov. Snyder has been dragged to the right by his party and hard-line right-wingers in the legislature, Irwin said.

Republicans have slashed funding for schools, attacked a woman’s right to choose, Irwin said, and have shifted the burden of taxes from businesses and the wealthiest people in our state to low-income workers and seniors. So he’s working to change the partisan divide, in order to make the biggest difference possible. After Nov. 6, however, if he finds himself in the minority again, he will be eager to work across the aisle – as he has for the last two years. He said he’ll try to build alliances to try to sell ideas and specific amendments within particular bills to improve those bills and make them better for our citizens.

Access to Voting

What is your opinion of recent House legislation attempting to create tighter controls on voter registration? What changes would you like to see in Michigan voting laws?

Irwin has a very low opinion of efforts in the legislature to suppress voting and to make it more difficult to vote. Numerous studies have been done on the issue, he said, and despite the Secretary of State’s protestations, voter fraud is not an issue in Michigan. If we are concerned about fraud in elections then we need to be concerned about election fraud that is engineered by politicians, not by voters, he said.

The issue dovetails into what can be done to expand the franchise and to expand the opportunity for voting, he said. One of the issues he’d taken up early in his service in Lansing was an attempt to eliminate some partisanship and expand the opportunities for absentee voting. In most states, he said, it’s possible to vote absentee if you simply request an absentee ballot. In Michigan you have to have a “reason” – like saying that you’re incapacitated, or ill, or expect to be gone on election day. He’s introduced a no-reason absentee voting bill. He’s proud to be working with the League of Women Voters on it because it’s good policy, he concluded.

Women’s Reproductive Health

Do you support recently proposed House legislation related to women’s reproductive health, such as House Bill 5711, which would severely limit Michigan women’s access to safe abortions as well as birth control services?

Irwin opposes the bill and he has been opposing it in all kinds of ways, he said. He spoke against it on the floor of the House, and he even danced on the capitol steps to try to bring some attention to the issue. He’s willing to do anything to try to stop these bills – because they’re really damaging, he said.

Republicans have made very clear that the point of these bills is to drive health clinics out of business, he said. If there is a health clinic that performs abortions in Michigan, Republicans want to drive it out of business – with additional regulations and requirements for training. They even want to measure the size of the closets in the surgical facilities. It’s a problem in Michigan, he said, and it’s going to create more unsafe conditions for Michigan women. That is why we need to work together to reduce unwanted pregnancies, Irwin said. He has introduced a bill supporting comprehensive age-appropriate sex education, he said. If we want to reduce abortions in Michigan, the best way to do it is by providing healthcare, by providing counseling, and by providing sex education.

Retirement System Costs

What ideas you have to control retirement costs in the state of Michigan?

It’s a big topic that can’t be covered in a minute, Irwin said. But he did want to talk about something the legislature has done over the last two years that has exacerbated the problem. One thing that’s happened in a very aggressive way is the privatization of public education, he said. The cap has been lifted on charter schools, and new charter schools are opening all over Michigan, he said. That takes life out of the system, by removing payers and leaving payees in the system.

The state has also created a “best practice” for school districts to privatize – their custodians, their transportation workers, clerical staff, everything except for administration. Now, there’s new legislation for cyber schools that the Republicans have passed, he said, where children attend school via computer. And school aid fund money will go to the companies that run the computer-based schools. We need to make the system healthier, by putting the legs back underneath it, he concluded.

Redistricting

The League of Women Voters is very concerned about the highly politicized process for redistricting legislative districts, which takes place every 10 years after the U.S. census. What ideas do you have to make redistricting a more open democratic process, which would benefit the citizens and not the political parties?

“Redistricting is a pretty wild process,” Irwin began. And as a result of the most recent process, he had lost the opportunity to represent a bunch of people on the north side of Ann Arbor, he said. He would miss representing them, but said that they could still call his office and he would do his best for them. He thinks we need to strike now, as soon as the election is over. We need to start a community conversation about the issue. If we wait until eight or 10 years from now, partisanship will necessarily be all wrapped up in it. But if we start a discussion now about how we can have a reasonable, nonpartisan process for redistricting – separated by enough time from the political process – hopefully the two parties can let go enough to have a reasonable, nonpartisan process for redistricting that keeps communities together in logical ways.

Closing Statement

Irwin was given an opportunity to give a two-minute closing statement. He thanked voters for sending him to Lansing for the last two years to focus on what he thinks are the community’s top priorities. He reviewed those priorities – education funding, environmental protection, and equal rights.

It’s been frustrating to Irwin to see $1.5 billion raided from the public schools – taxes that we pay that are supposed to go to schools. That drives class sizes up and frustrates people left to serve on school boards, and who teach in our schools, and children who attend the schools. He’s hoping to get back to work to put that back on track, he said, to make sure that all of the school money goes to schools. He feels there are some opportunities to work across the aisle to improve opportunities for early childhood education and also for universities and community colleges. There’s a real opportunity to turn that around in the next couple of years and make education a priority again in Michigan, he said.

Irwin is also excited about working on environmental issues. We have tremendous opportunities in Michigan to leverage the Great Lakes, he said – both as recreation and as economic opportunities. But he also wants to continue his work on clean energy. We need to solve the problem of how we power our lives – without poisoning the planet and without hurting our neighbors, and without bankrupting ourselves in the process. We have unique opportunities in Michigan with wind and solar energy, he said. And for everybody who doesn’t think the sun shines enough in Michigan to support solar energy, Michigan is one of the leading manufacturers in the world of solar panels, he said. So there are huge opportunities in the clean energy sector, he maintained.

Irwin also wants get back to work on equal rights and civil rights, and civil liberties. That’s fundamental to our politics here in America, and we need to keep our focus on our rights, he concluded.

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Candidates for the Ann Arbor District Library board, from left: Lyn Davidge, Rebecca Head, Nancy Kaplan, Margaret Leary, Prue Rosenthal. (Photos by the writer.)

The five women presented their views at an Oct. 9 forum moderated by the League of Women Voters of the Ann Arbor Area. They are vying for four non-partisan seats on the AADL board, with four-year terms. The incumbents are Rebecca Head, Nancy Kaplan, Margaret Leary and Prue Rosenthal. [Other board members, whose terms end in 2014, are Barbara Murphy, Jan Barney Newman and Ed Surovell.]

All candidates expressed strong support and affection for the library system, and stressed the library’s critical role in the community. Two candidates – Davidge and Leary, the board’s current president – are former librarians. Head, Rosenthal and Kaplan highlighted their professional and volunteer experience. Several candidates cited their work on boards for other organizations.

Positions on the bond proposal for a new downtown library revealed the greatest difference between the incumbents and Davidge. All of the incumbents argued strongly in favor of the proposal, citing deficiencies in the existing building at 343 S. Fifth and a desire to accommodate growth in programs and services.

Saying she wasn’t running against anyone, Davidge felt she’d bring a fresh perspective to the board and challenge the status quo. She believes the case hasn’t been fully made for a new library at the time, and that the public hasn’t been as engaged as it should be in the decision.

For more background on the downtown library proposal, see Chronicle coverage: “Library Bond Moves Toward Nov. 6 Ballot,” “Campaign Launches for Library Bond,” and “Third Group Forms to Oppose Library Bond.” The Chronicle also covers the board’s monthly meetings.

The Oct. 9 candidate forum was held at the studios of Community Television Network, and will be available online via CTN’s video-on-demand service. Information on this and other local elections can be found on the Washtenaw County clerk’s elections division website. To see a sample ballot for your precinct, visit the Secretary of State’s website. 

Opening Statements

Each candidate was given one minute to make an opening statement.

Prue Rosenthal: She said she’s delighted to be running for the board. She listed her experience over the last four years as treasurer and vice president of the board, and chair of the board’s facilities committee. She loves the job, and hopes to be able to continue doing it. The library is an incredibly important part of the city, she said, serving the whole community. It provides extensive services to children, parents, grandparents, people from different countries. Books are available in eight different languages. You can get CDs and movies, attend lectures, learn a language or how to operate a computer – all of these things happen at the library, she said. The board takes pride in running a fiscally sound organization that’s attentive to the needs of the community, Rosenthal said, and is careful with revenue from the community.

Margaret Leary: She described the library as about the most important civic, cultural and educational institution in the city. It’s fiscally responsible, yet always growing. It’s a separate legal entity with its own taxing authority, she explained. It’s not part of the city, the county, the public schools or the Downtown Development Authority. The AADL has a permanent millage, but currently levies less than the full authorized amount, which saves taxpayers $1.6 million a year, she said. [The library levies 1.55 mills, but is authorized to levy up to 1.92 mills.] The library has built three new branches in the last decade – on time and on budget, she noted. The library serves all ages, all economic groups, and is the one public place where everyone can come for free to learn, whether with a book, electronically or in a group. Last year, AADL held 2,000 computer classes, had 80,000 attendees of programs, a quarter-million Internet sessions, 1.6 million visits and 9 million circulation transactions. Leary concluded by asking voters for a third term on the board.

Nancy Kaplan: Her reasons for running are the same as when she first ran two years ago, Kaplan said. The library is an essential community resource. Her goal is to contribute to its innovative growth and development, while being fiscally prudent. She’s committed to representing patrons of all ages, socio-economic levels and capabilities. The library is at an important juncture, she said. With an excellent record of fiscal responsibility, the library now wants to invest in its future. “The decision is yours, and the opportunity is yours,” she said. Whatever the next steps, Kaplan said she welcomes the public’s input. She was honored by the voters’ confidence and trust in her two years ago, and has been pleased with the exchange of ideas since then. She’d like to continue to represent residents, and asked people to vote for her.

Rebecca Head: The AADL is an outstanding library system, she said, and she’s honored to serve and to run for re-election. Serving on the board has allowed her to hear from the community, from all the residents, and to work to meet their needs. AADL provides services, programs and tools for every community resident in a manner that “exemplifies its democratic nature – it is open to all.” Head said she’s committed to provide to community members the constant, careful support for all issues facing AADL and the community. She hoped people would vote for her.

Lyn Davidge: She described herself as the “renegade” of the group – the only non-incumbent running for the board. She emphasized that she’s not running against anyone. “I am running for our fabulous library, and its users and constituents.” She believes she has something to offer by bringing to the board some questions and perspectives that might challenge the status quo, but also fuel some new ideas. She’s eager to give back to her hometown and to what’s been her public library for most of her life. She’d be honored to serve on the board and participate in the critical decisions at this important time.

Experience

What professional experiences led to your run for the library board, and what was the most significant in preparing you for this office?

Lyn Powrie Davidge.

Davidge: She said she’s a librarian by profession, retired from the University of Michigan library. She also worked for 12 years as a substitute librarian for AADL, and has had some experience in school media centers. Right out of college, she also had four years of teaching experience. All of that experience makes her very familiar with both the library and education worlds, Davidge said. She’ll draw on those experiences to help shape the future of AADL and she’s excited by the prospect of doing that.

Head: She has served on local, state and national boards, and has also served as staff for various boards – so she sees both sides. She understands that a board works on policy and helps set the direction for an organization, as opposed to doing the work of staff. Her professional experience as a manager and a board member in other arenas helps her be a good library board member, she said.

Kaplan: As former director of a department of physical therapy, Kaplan said that gave her experience dealing with a budget. She also had to interact with people at UM and St. Joe’s, so she learned how to work with people and to reach compromises for a result. Besides that professional experience, Kaplan cited her volunteer work for Washtenaw Literacy and Jewish Family Services as giving her insight into what other people might need, and how the policy of the library might be helpful to them.

Leary: She is trained as a librarian, with a master’s degree in librarianship and a law degree. Her professional work has been as a librarian – for about 25 years she was director of the University of Michigan law library, which had a $7 million budget and 40 full-time-equivalent employees. Leary also cited her experience on boards of other organizations, and agreed with Head’s statement about a board being a policy-making body and not necessarily dealing with day-to-day work. She has served as president of the 5,000-member Association of American Law Librarians, which gave her experience as a board member for a large organization.

Rosenthal: In addition to serving on many boards, Rosenthal said she’s been a user of libraries, which has led her to understand their significance. She said she’s been a board member of museums, schools and the AADL, and has also served as chair. She understands the role involved in leadership as well as compromise and working with staff members, the director and chief financial officer of the library. It’s important to understand where another person is coming from, she said, as well as to work on policy, and to influence how the library moves ahead.

Downtown Library

Do you support the $65 million bond proposal to build a new downtown library?

Head: She supports the proposal because the current library building as it’s configured and constructed doesn’t really meet the needs of the current residents, and she doesn’t believe it will meet the needs of the future. It’s a poorly constructed building, she said, adding that the library staff does a wonderful job of keeping it in good shape. It has had in the past year 600,000 visits, she noted, and those keep growing. But it has a lot of problems. She cited the thick cement floors that prevent the library from expanding its technology infrastructure. If they continue in the current building, she said, “it’ll be a band-aid effect.” And from an ecological and environmental point of view, the building needs to become energy efficient and water efficient, she said – a building of the future.

Rebecca Head.

Kaplan: The board vote to put the bond proposal on the ballot was a unanimous one, Kaplan said, and she supports it. The library needs to move into the future, and the current building won’t accommodate future needs. One of the major issues is compliance with the ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act], she said. The ADA took effect after the building was constructed, she said, and right now there’s only one bathroom that’s compliant. The whole building should be compliant, she said, whether you’re a mother with a carriage or an elderly person with a walker – “the building should feel comfortable and accessible to all.” Also, the building’s sight lines should be set up to make everyone feel safe, Kaplan said. The building should be lighter and brighter, she added, as well as being able to accommodate technology infrastructure.

Leary: She described herself as a very enthusiastic supporter of the bond proposal. The current building is really three buildings, she noted, “and all three of them are worn out.” They weren’t put together correctly, she said, so they can’t be made much more efficient. There will soon be the need for expensive repairs. The board has studied this issue for a long time, she said. They engaged in a very thorough review four years ago, and again reviewed that information this spring, she said. A complete renovation of the building up to current standards would cost 90% of what it would cost to have a completely new building that’s even bigger than the current one, she said. Now is the time to do it, Leary added, when there are low interest rates and low construction costs. The project would provide jobs for the community. The demand for use of the downtown building exceeds the supply of space. “It’s time for a new building,” she concluded.

Rosenthal: The library has outgrown the downtown building, she said. The town has grown, and library usage has grown 12% in the last 10 years. They need to double the available space. It’s not ADA compliant. The building needs more bathrooms, more spaces for people who are not capable of going up and down stairs easily, more elevators. Meeting rooms are used beyond capacity. “We turn people away constantly.” They need an auditorium where everyone can see and hear presentations, that includes facilities for the handicapped. Half the people who come to events have to watch on a TV in another room, she said. She said patrons need better access to the Washtenaw Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled, which AADL manages. Researchers need access to the Ann Arbor News archives. A quiet room is needed for uninterrupted study and reading.

Davidge: “Well, I said I was the renegade,” Davidge began, “and I am not in favor of this particular proposal at this particular time.” That’s not to say that she’d never be in favor of a new library, she added. But right now, the case hasn’t been fully made. The community doesn’t feel particularly well-engaged with the process. She’s concerned that there hasn’t been any preliminary plan. She understands the need not to spend a lot of money before funding is approved, but there is no real specific plan for a new building. There are a lot of unanswered questions. She said she’s looked at the statistics for the meeting space – known as AADL Freespace – and it appears to be very much underutilized. She’d like the board to take a step back and look at a few of these things before moving forward. The public should also be involved in a better way.

Library Branches

In your view, what’s the reciprocal relationship between the downtown library and the AADL branches?

Kaplan: The downtown library is the main branch for a reason, she said. About a third of the system’s visits are to the downtown location – of the total 1.7 million annual visits to all branches, about 600,000 of those are to the building at 343. S. Fifth. The majority of AADL’s resources are downtown. In contrast, neighborhood libraries are just that, she said. They are meant for the neighborhoods. If you want to do major research, you’d probably come downtown. The downtown building is also on the bus line, she noted. People come downtown for many reasons, and one of those reasons is to use the library.

Nancy Kaplan.

Leary: The downtown library is the “mothership” of AADL’s system, Leary said. It’s the place where most of the librarians are, where most of the collection is. It has the largest meeting rooms and is the place that can provide the most to the person who comes there. The branches are intended to be conveniences, she noted, and to bring the library as close as possible to neighborhoods. The locations of the branches have been carefully planned to be spread around the city so that they serve residents equally. With technology, the library system can take good advantage of the branches, she said. For example, you can request a book online and pick it up at any of the branches or downtown. The spending on the branches is proportional, she said. AADL has done a great job of building three new branches. Leary noted that eventually it’s hoped a new west branch will be built as well.

Rosenthal: The downtown location is the central library, where most of the collection is, where most of the staff is, where they hope to house the Ann Arbor News archives. and where the Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled is currently located. It’s a center where people come and meet – most of the evening programming is located there, and people can use the bus to get there. It’s the most convenient place, she said. Rosenthal noted that the library is very fiscally responsible. The three new branches were built using the fund balance. They hope to provide the same kinds of services that are now at the branches to the downtown library “in a major way.”

Davidge: She joked that by this point – after others had addressed the question – there isn’t a lot to add. She agreed that the downtown location is the flagship. It’s the original library, and at one point was the only library. People get very possessive of their neighborhood branches, she noted – because they love them. The branches are a great convenience and a great way for the library to reach out into the community in new ways. As the board and staff plan for the downtown library – whatever it might be – it’s important to keep the fund balance in mind, and to do what they can within the current budget, she concluded.

Head: As the mother of a 17-year-old daughter, Head said her family loves all the branches. But they really enjoy going to the downtown location – because after they’re finished there, they can go someplace else downtown. It’s very convenient. There are about 500 events just at the downtown library each year. It says a lot that people come to those events and clamor for more, she said. Having an efficient, larger downtown library will serve the city well, Head added. Having that anchor for the citizens as well as for a vibrant downtown is really critical.

What If the Bond Proposal Fails?

What’s your Plan B if voters don’t approve funding for a new downtown library?

Leary: It’s critical for the bond proposal to pass, Leary began. But if it doesn’t pass, the board will have to decide what to do next. That will depend on the conditions, she said. It’s one situation if the proposal fails by just a little bit, and another situation if it fails by a large margin. If the bond proposal fails and the board doesn’t try to put it on the ballot again at a later date, the library will spend more of its operating budget on maintaining the inadequate building, she said. “We will spend good taxpayer dollars after bad taxpayer dollars.” They’ll need to replace an elevator for $1 million. They’ll have to replace a roof, and repair damage done from internal leaks. They’ll need to replace parts of a heating/ventilating/air conditioning system. “The building is worn out, and it wasn’t that good to start with,” she said. “We really need a new one, and that will be my focus, even if the bond fails – to figure out what to do next.”

Margaret Leary.

Rosenthal: The library has a fund balance, she said, and board members are very proud of that because it allowed them not to charge the community the full millage rate for the last four years – when people were having a tough time because of the economy. The library levies 1.55 mills instead of 1.92 mills. That fund balance will get very quickly swallowed up if they have to take a building that’s three buildings in one and cobble it together with the community’s best interest in mind, she said. They’d have to spend money on the kinds of things that Leary had mentioned – a new elevator, new roof, new wifi and computers – instead of providing programs and other opportunities for the community. “Our community deserves wonderful, fabulous library and does not deserve a patched-together, efficient but not prime-material building.”

Davidge: If the proposal fails, that’s a signal to the board to take a step back, a deep breath and a closer look at things, she said. It means the community doesn’t have enough information and is not ready to move forward. She said she’d advocate to find creative ways to reach out to the community, to get the maximum amount of community input – perhaps through citizen advisory committees, perhaps through “snail mail” to people who don’t have computers and Internet access – and really involve the public in looking at the situation. That doesn’t mean it should take a lot of time, she said. But the board would need to really find out why the proposal failed and what they should do in the future. That might mean remodeling, Davidge said.

Head: “I’m hopeful that the bond vote will not fail,” Head began. The building has a boiler from 1958 that doesn’t simply need replacement – it needs an entire new HVAC system, she said. The library needs an environmentally sensitive, appropriate, efficient building to save operating costs in the future. For about a dollar a week, she said, or $56 per year, the owner of a $200,000 house can get a new library. “That’s pretty good.” If this fails, the library will use dollars that would otherwise be used for services and programs, she said, and that would be unfortunate. “We have such a sterling library system – I’d hate for it to go downhill.”

Kaplan: She agreed with what the other current board members had said. It would be a shame to take funds from the operating budget to repair and maintain the existing building, and not use the money for programs. AADL has a good track record, Kaplan said. The district library has built three neighborhood branches that are loved and used – within budget, on schedule – and that says something. The library system is an independent unit. It’s not part of any other government unit. The district library is very fiscally responsible, she said, and she hopes that will be considered when people vote. She hopes people feel they can trust the library to use their money well and that taxpayers will be making an investment in the future.

Closing Statements

Each candidate had the opportunity to make a two-minute closing statement.

Kaplan: The role of the library is evolving and growing, she began. “We are books, and so much more.” Story hour remains an essential ingredient in a preschooler’s life. Computers and computer training sessions have grown, reflecting their importance in society, she noted. AADL has successfully taken over the Washtenaw Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled, and the Ann Arbor News archives. Diversity is fundamental to the library’s community outreach. As examples, Kaplan cited the library’s cooperation with the prisoner re-entry program, with the University of Michigan’s English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) family tutoring program, lectures on a variety of topics, and programs with the Ann Arbor public schools.

Excellence in service is the library’s goal, Kaplan said, which means moving into the 21st century with the newest technology, while keeping the comfort and pleasure of the book in a truly barrier-free environment that welcomes all. She encouraged viewers to attend board meetings and speak during the time for public comment. [The next board meeting is on Monday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. in the downtown library's fourth-floor conference room, 343 S. Fifth Ave.] It’s an excellent opportunity for the board to hear what’s on the public’s mind. “This is your library, and we want to hear from you.” She’d like the opportunity to continue on the board, and she asked people for their vote. She concluded by directing viewers to her campaign website for more information.

Head: One of her priorities is for the district library system to remain robust and relevant for the current population, and in the future as well. It’s important to offer AADL’s amazing services, materials and programs, Head said. She’s proud of what the library does, and proud to say she’s on the board and serving everyone in the area. It’s important to have a library. She promised to strengthen the already solid community partnerships. The library is great at collaborating, she said, and she gives a lot of credit for that to the library director, Josie Parker, and to staff.

She said she’s committed to continue providing careful fiscal oversight and to seek input from community members. Now, there are challenges with the downtown building. There are also challenges as print media is being phased out into electronic media, and in figuring out how as a library they can work with that change, she said. AADL is on top of that issue, Head added, and she’s proud to be on a board that supports it. She also encouraged people to come to the board meetings, to tell the board what they think, and to be part of the community.

Prue Rosenthal.

Leary: If she’s elected to a third term, Leary promised to continue AADL’s two traditions. One is fiscal responsibility, and the other is to continue to expand services and collections. She brings to the board her experience as a librarian and lawyer, her experience directing UM’s law library for 25 years, a decade on the Ann Arbor planning commission, and her work with the Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley, and the United Methodist Community’s Heritage Foundation board. She’s lived in Ann Arbor since 1973, and has been a homeowner since 1976. Libraries are a key component of the educational system, including lifelong learning, literacy and computer access. They are also a key component of democracy, she said.

The downtown library is the mothership, and must be kept strong to keep the entire system strong. “We need a new building downtown,” Leary said. The board has studied this for several years. She noted that there’s a huge amount of information on the AADL website, and on the Our New Downtown Library website. The library held three public forums, she said, and has received comments on the AADL director’s blog. Now is the right time for a new downtown building, with low construction costs, and to avoid the need to put more money into a bad building. Ann Arbor uses the library, Leary said. Compared to five peer libraries in university towns, AADL has more than twice as many circulation transactions – in total and per capita – than the library that’s second to AADL, she said. Among the 12 public libraries in southeast Michigan, AADL is third from last in total revenue per capita. “We might have less money, but we do a lot more.” She asked for people to vote for her, so that she could continue serving them on the library board.

Rosenthal: She moved to Ann Arbor in 1977, “and I’ve used the library since probably the second day I was here.” She had young children at the time, and they’d all go down to the library and get books. The children were delighted to know that although everything else was new and different, the library was essentially the same as it had been in Boston, where they’d previously lived. She hopes to continue leading the AADL into the 21st century. The library wants to expand services, work with the community to find out what they want, and to help the public know what the library can do for them. As libraries expand and change, it will be an evolving, changing experience for everyone in the community. “We’ll all be learning together about the new things that technology can bring to the library.”

She cited her experience working with other boards, and said she enjoyed the collaborative experience of working with staff and AADL leadership. Libraries are the heart of the community. The AADL serves as a national leader, she said, providing valuable services and innovative programs, providing tremendous value to citizens and taxpayers. The current downtown facility is no longer adequate, with structural shortcomings, capacity limitations and foundational inefficiencies. Rebuilding now is a wise investment, Rosenthal said, as interest rates are at an all-time low, and construction costs are very competitive. The AADL leadership has demonstrated strong fiscal stewardship of tax dollars, responsiveness to the community’s needs, and has built several successful satellite branches on time and within budget, she said. Ann Arbor deserves a great library, and now is the time to invest in this critical resource for the community. Rosenthal asked for the public’s vote so that she can continue to work with this community to make that happen.

Davidge: “You may vote yes on the library bond proposal, and vote for me,” Davidge said. “You may vote no on the proposal, and vote for me.” It’s not about where any of them stand on that issue – it’s about what happens next, she said. If elected, she’d take office in January of 2013, and by then the next steps will be underway, she noted, whatever they are. It would be her responsibility to support the decision of the voters. She’d plan to get up to speed and jump into it as quickly as possible. She’d ask questions, offer new perspectives and “certainly give my opinions.” But her goal would be for everyone to move forward in the most effective, responsible way possible. Whether the library is then planning a new downtown building or a renovation of the existing one, she’d advocate for extensive community input. This will be the time for everyone who loves the library to come together, share their views, work diligently to make the downtown branch to come, to learn, to read and to grow.

As virtually a lifelong resident, Davidge said, she knows the Ann Arbor community, and the district library as well. [Her father, Emerson F. Powrie, served as deputy superintendent for the Ann Arbor Public Schools in the 1970s when the library was part of the school system, and the library director reported to him.] As a career librarian, she said she knows the library world. And as a former employee and longtime cardholder at AADL – since 1946 – she has particular knowledge of the library, its climate and its culture. She’s excited at the prospect of being able to come full circle and give back to the library as a board member. She said she’ll approach the job with integrity, enthusiasm and openness to the best of her ability. Davidge concluded by asking viewers for their vote.

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From left, candidates for Washtenaw County treasurer: Republican Marlene Chockley and incumbent Democrat Catherine McClary. (Photos by the writer.)

Chockley – a former county commissioner and current chair of the Northfield Township planning commission who’s long been involved in the county Republican Party – said she’s running to highlight how tax increases are affecting the most vulnerable people in this county. She’s concerned that government is too large, and is worried about projections that show a growing population of senior citizens who’ll be more vulnerable to higher taxes.

McClary, who was first elected treasurer 16 years ago, pointed to her track record of managing the county’s investments and creating foreclosure prevention programs that she said serve as models for the state.

The candidates answered nine questions selected by a league committee from a pool of questions submitted by league members and the general public. Topics included goals for the office, perspectives on customer service, and suggestions for improving operations. The forum was moderated by Rosemary Austgen, a league officer.

Some issues affecting the treasurer’s office didn’t arise during the forum, including a recent move by the county board of commissioners to shift control over administering the county’s 5% accommodation tax from the county treasurer’s office to the finance director. An initial vote on that action took place at the board’s Oct. 3 meeting. The treasurer’s office will also be pivotal if the board decides to change the county’s approach to dog licensing. That issue has been raised this year during meetings of the board’s animal control policy task force. A recent task force report includes a proposal to adopt a civil infractions ordinance for unlicensed dogs, which McClary had previously recommended.

Information about both Chockley and McClary, including brief answers to four questions about their background and approach to the job, can be found on the League of Women Voters Vote 411 website. The county treasurer is elected to a four-year term and oversees an office that’s responsible for a range of services, including tax collection and dog licensing.

The Oct. 8 candidate forum was held at the studios of Community Television Network, and will be available online via CTN’s video-on-demand service. It was the second of three forums on Monday evening – others covered the races for water resources commissioner and county clerk/register of deeds. The full schedule of candidate forums this week is on the league’s website. The forums are broadcast live on CTN’s Channel 19 starting at 7 p.m.

Oct. 9 was the last day to register to vote for the Tuesday, Nov. 6 general election. Information on local elections can be found on the Washtenaw County clerk’s elections division website. To see a sample ballot for your precinct, visit the Secretary of State’s website. The league’s Vote411.org website also includes a range of information on national, state and local candidates and ballot issues, and a “build my ballot” feature.

Opening Statements

Each candidate was given one minute to make an opening statement.

McClary: She began by thanking the League of Women Voters, saying they’ve always been involved in exemplary educational programs for voters. McClary cited her track record of preventing foreclosure and safeguarding public funds. She asked voters to re-elect her.

Chockley: The reason she’s running isn’t to attack McClary, Chockley began. She said that McClary has done a great job, and there’s way too much negative politics in general, so she didn’t want to do that. Chockley cited her own experience as a Washtenaw County commissioner for six years. She spent most of that time working on committees focused on at-risk youth, poor families, health concerns and population data. She currently chairs the Northfield Township planning commission. She’s running because she wants to make people aware of challenges they’ll be facing in the future, and how taxes might impact those challenges.

According to SEMCOG [the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments] and census data, over the next 25 years the area’s senior population is projected to increase 150%, Chockley reported. Of those, 43% will be living alone. Many will be on fixed incomes. How many will lose their homes? she asked. Over those same years, the population under 18 will decrease by 6%. “It’s clear that the demographics of our county are changing dramatically,” Chockley said. Are our tax policies helping to produce an underclass that’s dependent on government for their very existence? Is government going to meet those needs by dragging even more citizens down with more taxes?

Job Responsibilities

Explain the primary duties of the county treasurer.

Chockley: The county treasurer receives monies from the other units of county government, and invests them wisely, she explained, adding that this is what McClary has done. Those funds are then distributed as requested by the county board of commissioners. The office also administers dog licenses, and deals with tax foreclosures and other issues, she said. Chockley added that she was sure McClary could explain the role even more, since she’s been doing the job.

McClary: The treasurer’s primary duty is to safeguard public funds. The office receives, deposits and accounts for all the money that comes into the county. In any given year, money coming in and going out totals $1 billion, she said. The second main responsibility is to manage the county’s investment portfolio. Currently, McClary said she manages $150 million – which is invested with safety and prudence in mind, she added. She reported that the portfolio is earning returns that are around benchmark levels. The third important duty is to collect taxes, she said, and with that comes the responsibility of foreclosure. McClary said she’s developed tax and mortgage foreclosure prevention programs that are been used as models across the state.

Experience

What professional experiences led to your run for county treasurer, and what was the most significant in preparing you for this office?

McClary: Like Chockley, McClary said she had served on the Washtenaw County board of commissioners. She also pointed to her past experience in the private sector as an investment banker and stock broker. She has certification in public finance and the investment of public funds. But the most important training for the county treasurer’s job was her experience managing a Wall Street investment firm’s Ann Arbor branch office. She said she was involved in internal controls and the supervision of staff. That’s helped her create very strong internal financial controls in the office of county treasurer.

Chockley: Her only experience is with government, as a county commissioner, Chockley said, noting that she hasn’t had the experience that McClary had in investment banking and as a stock broker. “I’ve just been managing my money, which is challenging in these times – making sure my taxes are paid on time, and my credit score is high enough to get done what I need to do.” She said she’s out there just like any other family or couple, working to maintain her personal finances. She described McClary’s background as “tremendous,” and added that she wanted to make sure people are looking at ways to reduce government costs.

Goals, Vision

What is your immediate goal for the treasurer’s office, and what are your long-term goals?

Marlene Chockley, Republican candidate for Washtenaw County treasurer.

Chockley: Her immediate goal would be to look at processes inside the office and see if there’s any way to streamline operations to reduce costs.

She’s concerned that government is too large, and she wants to ensure that the office isn’t doing anything that’s unnecessary and costing taxpayers. Her long-term goals would be focused on the same issue.

Chockley would look at how money is flowing and make sure that the government isn’t extracting more from its citizens than is needed for the actual operation of the county.

McClary: She began by noting that early on, she and Chockley had agreed that they’d run positive campaigns and only talk about their own personal attributes. Regarding the question, McClary said the county is facing scarce resources. Her office includes a chief deputy and 10.5 other positions. When you face tightened resources, she said, you need to make sure your staff are very well-trained and well-motivated, and that you implement technology whenever feasible. Those are the short- and long-term goals, she concluded: maintaining customer service and adequate internal controls with reduced staffing.

Operational Improvements

What would you do to improve the operation of the treasurer’s office?

McClary: It goes back to staff, she said. McClary said she’s hired, retained and motivated a small team who are very caring, compassionate and competent. With scarce resources, the county needs to employ people who can provide the highest quality customer service, she said, and to employ technology when it’s feasible and cost-effective, and when it will make improvements in the operations.

Chockley: She’d like to look at what’s available online so that people don’t have to come into the treasurer’s office – saying she imagines that some of that work is being done already. She wants to make sure those kind of options are available. Chockley noted that she already takes advantage of some of the county’s online services, such as GIS mapping and aerial views of properties. She again stated that she assumed the treasurer’s office already offered online services. At that, McClary replied that there’s more that can be done. “There always is,” Chockley responded.

Customer Service

How does the county treasurer’s office provide customer service?

Chockley: One way is by providing services to townships in the county, to make sure they have their monies invested properly. She noted that she’s never actually had to go into the county treasurer’s office. “That’s because you pay your taxes in a timely manner,” McClary quipped.

McClary: The treasurer’s office is trying to do more online, McClary said. A couple of years ago, the office started selling dog licenses online. Now, 41% of the population that purchases dog licenses does it online. One thing the office hasn’t yet been able to do is to have a way for people to pay delinquent taxes online. The county does have a system that can automatically debit a customer so that they can make partial payments toward back taxes. The county brings in almost $70,000 a month that way, she said. McClary said she’d like to do that online, but the technology doesn’t yet work for that.

Tax Foreclosure

What would you do to improve the county’s tax foreclosure system?

Democrat Catherine McClary, the incumbent county treasurer.

McClary: The treasurer’s office already has a model program to prevent foreclosure, she said – both for mortgage foreclosure and tax foreclosure. Each year, she withholds property from tax foreclosure for between 250-300 people who are in financial hardship. The next phase in the mortgage foreclosure era is something she calls post-foreclosure. The peak of foreclosures is over, though it will take many years to recover fully. She has started initiating conversations with partner agencies – including the Housing Bureau for Seniors, Legal Services of Southeastern Michigan, and the local MSU Extension– to provide post-foreclosure counseling and resources.

Chockley: She said she’s heard of a good program in another county – she couldn’t remember where. She described it this way: If a homeowner is having difficulty paying their mortgage and isn’t able to refinance at a lower rate, the county would take over the mortgage, and reduce the rate so that the homeowners could pay. It’s not letting owners off the hook, she stressed. It’s just allowing them to pay a lower interest rate. That would be an interesting thing to look at, she said.

Values, Beliefs

What values or beliefs do you hold that would influence your conduct as treasurer, or impact the choices you’d make on behalf of your constituents?

Chockley: “I’m an honest person,” Chockley began. She said she works hard – and she has a good work ethic, and is honest to a fault at times. She has high integrity, she said. And there’s nothing she can imagine doing that would put the public at risk.

McClary: Saying she wished she had answered the question first, McClary also said she’s an honest person. Honesty and integrity are probably the most valuable traits for any elected position, she said – and it’s even more important as treasurer. She also cited her strong work ethic, and said she’s very frugal. She feels that’s reflected in her management of the treasurer’s office budget, and her staffing and resources.

Long-Term Vision

What’s your long-term vision for this office? What projects would you like to start now for the next 10-20 years?

McClary: She’d like to see a stronger use of technology, adding that “it sounds easier than it really has been to implement.” When she became treasurer 16 years ago, someone asked her while she was campaigning whether she could get every single unit of government using the same tax software that the county was using. She thought that was far-fetched, yet it was accomplished within her first four years in office. Now, she’s working with the townships to upgrade that software so that it’s all Internet-based. That would allow data to be shared more easily, she said. Sometimes people want to come into the treasurer’s office, but to the extent that they don’t want to come in, McClary said, her staff is trying to make it easier for people to pay for things and conduct county business by fax, by phone, and through the Internet.

Chockley: She said she didn’t have an answer for that question.

Running for Office

Why are you running for county treasurer?

Chockley: She’s running so that she can talk about concerns regarding taxation. She’s afraid there will be more foreclosures because of the aging population on fixed incomes. They’ll be forced out of their homes because of increasing tax rates. It’s not just property taxes, she added. There are taxes and surcharges on almost everything. So as those costs go up, people are less able to pay for prescriptions, rent, mortgages. “I’m just concerned that we’re pushing people over the edge by having too many taxes, and we’re not thinking small.” The county treasurer’s office is probably not the position for her, she said, indicating that more of a policy-making position would be better. But she’s running for treasurer so that she can make people aware of these issues.

McClary: “I love being county treasurer,” McClary said. She enjoys the money management, but really enjoys the interactions with people. It’s given her incredible gratitude when her office has been able to save people’s homes from foreclosure – between 250-300 homes each year from tax foreclosure. She’s asking voters to support her again. She’d love to continue this work. She enjoys the public service at the county level – she doesn’t have interest in running for state office.

The last question of the forum asked candidates if there was a question they wanted to answer that hadn’t been asked. Both candidates indicated that they didn’t have a response for that.

Closing Statements

Each candidate had the opportunity to make a two-minute closing statement.

At left: Judy Mich of the League of Women Voters checks a slip of paper that Marlene Chockley had drawn to indicate the speaking order for the Washtenaw County treasurer’s candidate forum. To the right is incumbent treasurer Catherine McClary.

McClary: Re-iterating that she enjoys the job of county treasurer and public service, McClary asked voters to re-elect her to the office. She cited her proven track record in helping prevent foreclosures, and the programs she’s developed for that.

She said she’s also very adept at the treasurer’s other responsibility of money management: Protecting and safeguarding county funds and assets, managing the investment portfolio, and making sure that all the money flowing into and out of the county is receipted, deposited and accounted for with very strong internal controls. She asked for voters to support her on Nov. 6.

Chockley: Her concerns aren’t about the job of treasurer, Chockley began. If elected, she would certainly look out for the interests of citizens and perform the job to the best of her ability. But first, she wanted to advocate for fair and appropriate taxation. The tax burden on citizens is too high, she said. It reduces their ability to save for their future or provide for their current needs.

Renters are burdened even more, Chockley noted. A lot of people don’t think about that, but landlords pay 18 mills more in taxes than  homeowners. That’s passed on in the rent. She said she knows this because she now owns a rental house. The poverty rate in Washtenaw County is one in seven, Chockley said. When looking at ballot proposals on Nov. 6, voters should carefully weigh the impact on those who might already be struggling to pay for their prescriptions, food or rent, heat their homes or buy gas to get to work. In a day when we pay taxes or surcharges on nearly everything, she said, people are lucky if they can afford it. Think about others who are less fortunate, she said, and how they will fare if you vote yes or no on a particular proposal.

She also wanted to advocate for county and state government to prioritize only services that are necessary for a vibrant community, and that can’t be done – or done well – by the private sector. Finally, she wanted to help anticipate the needs of the aging population in the form of services. Many people haven’t saved, or haven’t been able to save enough. They’ll have health, housing and transportation challenges that the community will have to deal with. What policies will empower citizens to care for themselves, and which ones will heap on more burden? The best outcome will be for seniors and all citizens to be able to provide for their own needs. “We must not handicap them by extracting more in taxes than is necessary to provide needed government services.”

Chockley concluded by thanking McClary for her service as treasurer, saying she’s very knowledgeable. She urged voters to think about the effect of millages on those less fortunate.

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