Democrat Margie Teall has announced her campaign for reelection in the 4th Ward race for the Ann Arbor City Council, saying the city must keep moving forward despite difficult times.

Teall submitted signatures to the city clerk on Thursday from more than 100 residents in her ward who support her reelection bid. She is the first candidate to file petitions to run for council from the 4th Ward.

Margie Teall

“It has been a great privilege to represent 4th Ward residents on City Council,” Teall said in a written statement. “I’m running for re-election because every city, county, and school district in the state of Michigan faces great challenges. In Ann Arbor, we will meet those challenges by doing what we do best: forging partnerships with residents, business, labor, and other governmental entities, and by continuing to invest in our community’s future.”

Teall faces two likely challengers in the Aug. 3 Democratic primary — Jack Eaton and Jeremy Kennedy, who are both attorneys from Ann Arbor.

In addition to being on City Council since 2002, Teall has served on the Environmental Commission, City Council Community Events Committee, Michigan Theater Foundation Board, FestiFools START Board and First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor Board. She also is a volunteer for the Burns Park Players and organizer of the Million Mom March.

Teall has worked as a photographer and assistant director of religious education at the First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor. She and her husband, Graham, live in the Lower Burns Park area with their two daughters, Clara, a graduate of Pioneer High School, and Gillian, who attends Community High School.

Teall’s campaign has been endorsed by residents from throughout the 4th Ward. She relayed their statements of support in a press release.
 
“When I e-mailed Margie for help on getting a safer pedestrian walk sign in our neighborhood, she immediately went to work," said Heather Robinson, who lives with her husband and two children in the 4th Ward. "My voice was heard, and ultimately my request was granted. It may seem small, but it will make a real difference to the families in our neighborhood."

Teall also sponsored an initiative to down-zone the Lower Burns Park neighborhood to prevent an influx of high-density rental housing. 

“Margie Teall works with neighborhoods to help them negotiate difficult situations,” said Nancy Leff, a member of the Lower Burns Park Neighborhood Association. “For our neighborhood, the issue was single-family homes, which were being expanded and backyards graveled to accommodate more renters and their cars. Margie worked with us and led the effort to down-zone the area and protect our neighborhood. She is also working to stop the proposal to park cars in Frisinger and Allmendinger parks on football Saturdays.”

Michael Dushane, a 25-year resident of Ann Arbor, said Teall helped his neighboring street get traffic calming measures in 2003.

“When traffic then shifted to our street, Margie played an active role with our neighborhood by attending onsite meetings," he said. "Thanks to Margie, our street now has traffic calming, and residents are very pleased."

Washtenaw County Commissioner Leah Gunn, who has lived in the 4th Ward for four decades, also is supporting Teall.

“Margie is a great asset on the Urban County Executive Committee,” Gunn said. “She provides a strong voice for the city of Ann Arbor on this important endeavor in regional cooperation, which brings together city, county, and township leaders to provide housing and human service resources to our most vulnerable residents.”

Teall listed some of her accomplishments on council:

• She led the effort to create Dicken Woods by working with area residents and sponsoring legislation to purchase the property, which had been slated for development. The property was added to the city's Natural Area Preservation program. 

• She created a neighborhood working group regarding the closed Georgetown Mall to address safety issues and monitor disposal of the property. 

• She supported new downtown height limits to protect neighborhoods from inappropriate development.

• As chairwoman of the city's Senior Center Task Force, she helped unite residents and city staff to develop a plan to save the senior center from closure.

• She pushed for the City Council’s recent development of commercial recycling and single-stream recycling programs, which she says will expand Ann Arbor’s recycling system, reduce landfill waste and save taxpayer funds. 

• She co-sponsored a partnership with Washtenaw County and local non-profit agencies to reduce home foreclosures. 

• As a member of the Washtenaw Metro Alliance, she pushed successfully for regional partnerships, including a fire protection alliance with Ypsilanti and a countywide consolidation of affordable housing and human service programs.

• She now is working with Congressman John Dingell in attempts to secure federal and state funds to rebuild the East Stadium Boulevard bridges.

Ryan J. Stanton covers government for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529.