Below are essays I’ve written exploring Ann Arbor City Council issues in depth and providing more background on the decisions of your elected representatives.
I scanned Legistar and quickly found multiple examples of how “Best Value” contracting policy has been implemented, at a cost to taxpayers. In just a preliminary search, I identified where this new scoring criteria – combined with Council discretion, rejecting staff recommendations – has cost the City over a million dollars.
Ann Arbor City Council has not scheduled any Work Sessions in 2023 to discuss the Budget or any other important topics.
Thank you to everyone who has reached out to tell me how much you appreciate this newsletter. These last four years, I have tried desperately to help residents understand the whole of our agendas through primary sources, while separating out my own opinions/editorial....
As elected representatives in a democracy, City Council is tasked with voting on issues of controversy. I believe that if we aspire to have a truly healthy democracy, three things must be true: COMPETING INTERESTS: Leaders are elected to consider and balance the...
Update Nov 3, 2022: New information surfaced since this blog post was published on Sunday, October 30, 2022. An amendment to the campaign finance report for the ballot question committee “Ann Arbor Climate Voters” was posted to the County’s website on Monday, October...
Residents in the Lawton neighborhood have reached out to me with concerns about a proposal to remove street parking on Seventh, south of Scio Church Road.
One of the most significant agenda items from the October 3, 2022 City Council meeting was a failed effort to put a ballot question to voters in November 2023. The resolution in agenda item DC-3 would have allowed voters to consider changing our City charter to...
This week’s agenda includes several significant issues that Council has previously considered: Right To Renew, TC-1 Zoning, and Non Partisan Elections.
Agenda item C-1 on the September 6, 2022 Council meeting is the draft ordinance for Right to Renew (“Just Cause” for eviction). C-1 (22-1468) An Ordinance to Add Section 8:531 to Chapter 105 (Housing Code) of Title VIII of the Ann Arbor City Code - (Right to Renew and...
This was part of my August 13, 2022 newsletter Renters Commission Update: Right To Renew Agenda item DC-4 is a resolution from the Renters Commission with a draft ordinance attached for Right to Renew. The Renters Commission anticipated that the ordinance could appear...