Derezinski vs. Petersen: 2nd Ward race for Ann Arbor City Council shaping up
The 2nd Ward race for the Ann Arbor City Council is shaping up with incumbent Tony Derezinski and his primary challenger both making their campaigns official.
Derezinski announced earlier this week he filed with the city clerk's office to seek re-election to a third term on council. Democratic challenger Sally Hart Petersen, a self-described marketing and business development expert, followed his lead and filed on Wednesday.
The two will face off in the Aug. 7 primary.
Derezinski, a former state senator and attorney, was first elected to City Council in 2008 and was re-elected in 2010.
Ann Arbor City Council Member Tony Derezinski, D-2nd Ward, is seeking a third term.
Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com
"Ann Arbor has made incredible progress the last four years," he said. "Ann Arbor is emerging in relatively good shape from an economic crisis rivaled only by the Great Depression, and we are ready to address the new challenges that will face our community."
One of the members of Petersen's campaign team is former City Council candidate Stewart Nelson, who lost by a landslide against Derezinski in the 2008 primary.
Petersen is hoping for a different outcome and has launched a campaign website at www.a2sally.com where she lays out her reasons for running. Derezinski recently launched www.tonyd4annarbor.com.
Among the issues Petersen said are important in her campaign are improving pedestrian safety and ensuring that Huron Hills remains a golf course. In 2010, the city rejected a proposal to privatize the city-owned golf course.
She also said she recognizes 2nd Ward residents are concerned about "overdevelopment" downtown. She said a vibrant downtown should have a balance of moderate-sized commercial space coupled with park space that fosters community gathering.
She said she's concerned the city continues to pursue building a transit center along Fuller Road, a project Derezinski supports. A more fiscally sustainable solution, she said, would be to upgrade the existing railway and Amtrak station on Depot Street.
"I don't feel like I'm running against any one person," she said. "I'm running for a seat at the table. I've spent a lot of time in the community. I feel like I know the community well. I would now like to turn my attention toward the dynamics of the city and politics of Ann Arbor."
Petersen said she plans to use her experience in business development and customer satisfaction to improve the way City Council does business.
Sally Hart Petersen
"I consider the citizens of Ann Arbor to be customers of Ann Arbor," she said. "If you want to manage satisfaction, you have to measure it. I am uniquely qualified to listen and tap into the voice of the customer, the voice of the residents of Ann Arbor."
Petersen moved with her family to Ann Arbor in 1996. She has been married for 18 years to her husband, Timothy Petersen, a partner in Ann Arbor-based Arboretum Ventures.
They have two children, Jack, a sophomore at Huron High School and Jane, an eighth-grader at Tappan Middle School.
Derezinski, also a long-time Ann Arbor resident, lives with his wife, Katy, in the Ann Arbor Hills neighborhood. He earned a law degree from the University of Michigan and a master of laws degree from Harvard University.
His record of public service prior to serving on City Council includes a stint as a state senator from 1974 to 1978 and an Eastern Michigan University regent from 1983 to 1996. He also served in the U.S. Navy in Vietnam and on the boards of local nonprofits, including the Michigan Theater Foundation, Arbor Hospice and Honey Creek School.
As a council member, Derezinski has served on a variety of committees, including the Planning Commission, Washtenaw Area Transportation Study, Liquor License Review Committee, Insurance Review Committee, Administration Committee and Housing Commission.
One of the biggest champions of public art on council, Derezinski also serves on the city's Public Art Commission.
Petersen said her position on public art is an evolving one. She believes the city's Percent for Art Program is well intended, but she's concerned about the process by which art projects are chosen and what she perceives to be a lack of public involvement.
She also said she wished the city would consider hiring more local artists and expand the definition of public art to include events like the FestiFools parade of puppets downtown. She said public art also could include music, dance and other types of demonstrations.
Derezinski, who wants to run for mayor eventually, said difficult decisions must be made in the next two years regarding the city budget, planning, transportation and public safety.
"This process requires an open dialogue and cooperative spirit," he said. "I believe I have the training, experience and energy to continue making our great community even better."
Derezinski cites among his accomplishments on City Council his work with the "Re-Imagining Washtenaw Avenue" project, which brought together four local governments to coordinate transportation and planning improvements along the Washtenaw Avenue corridor.
He called it a good example of regional collaboration and said collectively those involved helped secure a $3 million federal grant that will improve the region.
Regional collaboration and strong partnerships with state and federal officials will continue to be important as the city seeks to improve other key gateways in Ann Arbor, including Plymouth Road, State Street and North Main Street, Derezinski said.
Petersen, who has an MBA from Harvard Business School, has been a stay-at-home mom since 2007.
She previously founded the Customer Information Group at ABN AMRO, which linked the mortgage broker satisfaction score to increases in revenue. She said she specialized in understanding the voice of the customer and business development in her positions at CFI Group, ABN AMRO Mortgage Group, and Health Media Inc.
Petersen believes she has a keen knowledge of the community's needs, honed by her volunteer work for numerous community efforts.
That includes serving as both an active member and eventually president of the Junior League of Ann Arbor, serving as co-president for the Angell Elementary PTO and her present role serving as president of Tappan Middle School's PTSO.
In her position with the Junior League, she led the effort to raise funds for the Alpha House playground and led collaborations with Perry Nursery School.
She graduated from Leadership Ann Arbor in 2002, and also served on the governing board of the Racquet Club of Ann Arbor.
"Because I love this city, I've been very involved in the community," she said. "Being involved politically is new to me, but serving the community is not."
Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.
Comments
eyesofjustice
Fri, May 11, 2012 : 5:18 p.m.
Mr Derezinski has made many mistakes him and Stephen Postema have led the City Council into the wrong direction on a lot of issues . Ann Arbor needs change , their will be a strong minority groups showing up to vote this years election and they will not be voting for Mr Derezinski.
Meral
Thu, May 10, 2012 : 11:07 p.m.
Go Sally Go......We do need another smart person in the City Hall, she happens to be a woman..
CynicA2
Thu, May 10, 2012 : 5:14 p.m.
The pox on the local body politic known as the "Council Party" (the Hieftje and and his hacks) needs to be eradicated - the first step being sufficient numbers of voters with an iota of common sense - the second is lots of tar and feathers and splintery split rails, near the outskirts of town. Remember to vote come August, or the same ass hats will still be running the clown show in Hieftje Hall, all over again!
Stephen Lange Ranzini
Thu, May 10, 2012 : 2:26 p.m.
@Tom Wieder: George Bush, Jr. and Romney Jr.? I did write "With only the exception of those admitted because their parents are political heavy hitters or wealthy money bags big donors..." LOL @Veracity wrote: "By the way, Sally Petersen has an MBA from Harvard's business school also as mentioned in the article." Yes, my point exactly. I agree that intelligence is not the only qualification, as some members of City Council who appear to be intelligent have repeatedly proven with their votes! In case you didn't catch my attempt at humor regarding the Yale - Harvard rivalry, Yale is to Harvard as Michigan is to Ohio State!
Veracity
Thu, May 10, 2012 : 1:02 p.m.
Stephen Lange Ranzini: I do not see a direct link between intelligence and being an asset on Ann Arbor's City Council. More important for an incumbent City Council member is his record on issues handled by City Council and his vision of the future of Ann Arbor rather than his intelligence and educational experience. By the way, Sally Petersen has an MBA from Harvard's business school also as mentioned in the article. Alan Goldsmith: Are you stating that Ms. Petersen's election to City Council should depend on her asking the city's attorney for an opinion about the legality of the 1%-for-art fund while none of the present ten council members have made such a request (or the resulting opinion has been kept secret)? Also the city attorney has provided legal opinions upon request from the mayor and City Council members which have never been released to the public and have been protected from the FOIA.
Tom Wieder
Thu, May 10, 2012 : 12:55 p.m.
I usually agree with Stephen Ranzini, and I'm married to a graduate of the Harvard Business School, but saying that "anyone who graduates from Harvard's Business School would be likely to do a great job and be an asset on Ann Arbor's City Council" would include George W. Bush and Mitt Romney! Re-think this one, Stephen.
Alan Goldsmith
Thu, May 10, 2012 : 10:43 a.m.
"Petersen said her position on public art is an evolving one. She believes the city's Percent for Art Program is well intended, but she's concerned about the process by which art projects are chosen and what she perceives to be a lack of public involvement." If elected will Ms. Petersen pledge to ask the Ann Arbor City Attorney for a written legal opinion on the legality of the Per Cent Art tax?
Stephen Lange Ranzini
Thu, May 10, 2012 : 10:42 a.m.
As a Yale graduate it pains me to say this, but here goes. It's hard to get into Harvard's Business School since it is the top business school in the country. With only the exception of those admitted because their parents are political heavy hitters or wealthy money bags big donors, anyone who is admitted to Harvard's Business School has to be smart, and anyone who graduates from Harvard's Business School would be likely to do a great job and be an asset on Ann Arbor's City Council.
Alan Goldsmith
Thu, May 10, 2012 : 10:39 a.m.
"In a statement announcing his re-election campaign, Derezinski said he's proud of his record on City Council. He's been one of Mayor John Hieftje's closest political allies." So further questions of this clueless political hack your honor. These two lines pretty much say it all.
eyesofjustice
Thu, May 10, 2012 : 4:23 a.m.
Time to move on all Tony is interested in is hanging out with the "Good ole Boys" at Knights.......Sally all the way!
Sparty
Thu, May 10, 2012 : 4:02 a.m.
Go Sally! Not only a qualified candidate, with a first class education but great community experience as well. Anybody but Tony and those in the Mayors cabal !
Veracity
Thu, May 10, 2012 : 3:40 a.m.
As a Ward 2 constituent I relish the opportunity to vote for Ms. Petersen who has promised to be accessible and responsive to her electorate and who has moderate views on issues, including fiscal responsibility, careful and affordable development downtown, and skepticism about the fast rail system and Fuller Road Railroad Station. Already I have had the opportunity to speak with Ms. Petersen and have met with her on several occasions. On the other hand, Mr. Derezinski has consistently failed to respond to email inquiries and appears to be uninterested in constituent opinions. I am unaware of his efforts to hold regularly scheduled meetings for Ward 2 voters nor received any informative communications. Mr. Derezinski supported the costly underground library parking structure and the Valiant Partners' hotel/convention center that was to be built on top of it. Fortunately, the Valiant Partners' proposal was finally rejected by City Council after community objections and a strongly negative feasibility study by Chuck Skelton. Mr. Derezinski supports future efforts to allow construction of large projects downtown without concern for appearance or whether its financial success will allow taxes to be paid to the city. Mr. Derezinski had a position on the Housing Commission that received a scathing report from Schumaker and Company. He is in favor of the 1%-for-art fund and is a member of the art commission which is using tax payer money to purchase an expensive art collection selected by its few members. Mr. Derezinski favors development along the Washtenaw Avenue corridor that will neither improve traffic flow nor guarantee economic or aesthetic value but may provide funds for private development. He favors the construction of a light rail system and a Fuller Road railway station that will require tax payer subsidies for operation and maintenance rather than producing economic value for Ann Arbor.
xmo
Wed, May 9, 2012 : 10:57 p.m.
Two Tax and spend Democrats! I guess the choice is do you want a man or a women to unwisely your tax dollars? Can we please clone Jane Lumm and have her clone run against these two?
leezee
Wed, May 9, 2012 : 10:49 p.m.
I think this is a great opportunity to diversify the city council a bit more. I feel as though the current council has come to a point where they are just running in circles. There is no variety in thought or action. They all just seem to follow whatever view the mayor has. I worked with Sally several years ago, and have to say she has a good head on her shoulders. Go Sally!
justiceforeach
Wed, May 9, 2012 : 10:33 p.m.
"... we are ready to address the new challenges that will face our community." Dear Mr Derezinski, I'm sure you read Ann Arbor.com and have the ability to comment as other fellow council-members like Ms Briere have done in the past. This electronic "from the horses mouth" (sorry Ms. Briere :) ) is a valuable and appreciated aid to democracy. Please lay out for us - as you see them - the new and unresolved challenges facing Ann Arbor . Thank you in advance, Mr Derezinski, for expressing your perspective.