AnnArbor.com's endorsements for Ann Arbor City Council
Both sides have their talking points in Ann Arbor City Council races. Incumbents say the city has made difficult cuts, yet still is faring better than other communities. Challengers say the city continues to spend wastefully and that misplaced priorities have led to costly public projects at the expense of basic services.
As we assess the state of the city, we find the truth to be somewhere in between. While city staffing has been trimmed by 25 percent, city spending has risen dramatically. And while the city avoided deep cuts in police and fire this year, that was accomplished by having the Downtown Development Authority hand over $2 million to the city, raising legitimate questions about whether the DDA has the best interests of downtown in mind or whether it has been gradually co-opted to serve city budget needs.
Nor is that the only question about city priorities. Basic issues like the Argo Dam and the Stadium Boulevard bridges have gone unresolved for years, yet the mayor and City Council have saddled Ann Arbor with significant costs and long-term debt to build a $50 million underground parking structure and a $47 million police-courts building.
This year’s City Council election has become a referendum on those choices. In the 1st and 4th Wards, Democratic incumbents face primary challenges, with the winner running unopposed in November. For that reason, we’re endorsing in those two races now.
Sumi Kailasapathy
Given the pace at which city spending continues to grow and the cost burdens of the underground parking structure and police-courts building, we don’t believe City Council has exercised the financial restraint that these difficult economic times call for. We don’t see that changing unless there’s a new mindset on council, and in the 1st Ward, challenger Sumi Kailasapathy brings a voice of healthy skepticism and fiscal prudence.
A certified public accountant, Kailasapathy impressed us with the depth of research she’s done on budget issues. She’s one of the few candidates who’s raised alarm bells on the city’s unfunded pension liabilities, and she’s clear on the basic services she believes the city should be spending money on.
We don’t see eye to eye with her on every issue. She has opposed developments like the Moravian and Heritage Row. These projects have been supported by incumbent Council Member Sandi Smith, who says they are consistent with the direction the city should go, and also represent an opportunity to expand our tax base. We agree with Smith on both counts.
We also respect the involvement in the community that Smith demonstrated before being elected to her first term on City Council. Kailasapathy, on the other hand, does not have a record of community involvement to measure her against.
But we’re troubled by the dual role Smith plays by sitting on both City Council and the DDA. The DDA needs to be more independent of council, and to keep its first priority as maintaining a vibrant downtown. Smith also backed the underground parking structure and the police-courts building, whereas Kailasapathy would be less likely to support such questionable decisions in the future. Kailasapathy would have a steep learning curve on council, but at a time when council needs more hard scrutiny of spending choices, we endorse her in the 1st Ward race.
Margie Teall
In the 4th Ward, we have the same concerns, but a different conclusion. We endorse incumbent Margie Teall, who is seeking her fifth term on council. Teall has looked at development issues thoughtfully and has supported projects like the Moravian and Heritage Row as appropriate for the locations where they were proposed. She’s also worked to help keep the vacant Georgetown Mall from becoming a blighting influence in her ward, and has been responsive to neighborhood concerns in other ways, such as opposing a plan to allow cars to park at two city parks on football Saturdays. We disagree with her support of the police-courts building and the underground parking structure, but still see her as the better choice in this election.
Challenger Jack Eaton, a labor law attorney and frequent critic of City Council, has campaigned aggressively against Teall. While Eaton scores points on some issues, it’s easier to criticize than to govern. Eaton has such strong opposition to council on so many issues that it begins to feel more reflexive than discerning. What we don’t see enough of in him is the kind of flexibility and compromise that’s necessary to be effective on council.
We’re also concerned whether Eaton can take off his hat as a labor lawyer and former president of a public union to bring the impartiality that a City Council member must to difficult labor issues. We appreciate the work that city employees do and want them to be negotiated with fairly and in good faith, but their interests have to be balanced against the city’s finances and the public’s ability to pay, and that requires elected officials who can be objective on such matters.
This has been a vigorous campaign, and the discussion of issues has been healthy, if often heated. The slate of candidates opposing the incumbents has sought to tap into public discontent over the city’s current direction. How deep that discontent runs is hard to know - until voters speak. But when you are the challenger, it is not enough to point out flaws. You have to present yourself as capable of leading the city in a new and better direction, or even disenchanted voters will conclude that they remain better off with whom they already have. Of the challengers, Sumi Kailasapathy has done the best job of that. That is why we support her in the 1st Ward race, while backing Margie Teall in the 4th Ward.
(The community members of the Editorial Board, David Mielke and Marsha Chamberlain, did not participate in endorsement interviews and were not involved in our endorsement decisions.)
Comments
Diagenes
Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 7:14 p.m.
The endorsement article states that the primary will effectively decide the winner in the general election. The citizens of Ann Arbor are poorly served by November elections for Council and Mayor. The old April elections were more competetive and focused on city issues. The current state of city government is an indicator of the failure of the November elections.
NorthsideZak
Sun, Jul 25, 2010 : 10:33 p.m.
I know Smith personally and feel her politics to be right of center at best. I will go with the progressive choice that will represent my views and the views of the historically left first ward most accurately. Congrats Sumi. You have my vote and the vote of my partner too!
Roadman
Sun, Jul 25, 2010 : 10:28 p.m.
I was pleasnantly surprised at the endorsement of Sumi. She has impeccable credentials and would bring a healthy independence and diligent commitment to citizens of the First Ward that is sorely lacking at the current time. The current incumbent sadly has not performed to the expectations of many First Ward residents.
Shar Bear
Sun, Jul 25, 2010 : 8:56 p.m.
Sandi Smith has tirelessly worked for the city of Ann Arbor for decades, first as a volunteer and then as a council person. Smith has the experience, tenure and tenacity to maintain the 21st Century vision that exemplifies the City of Ann Arbor. Smith is the visionary that Ann Arbor needs to continue the growth, while maintaining the uniqueness that is Ann Arbor. A vote for Smith is a vote in right direction.
A. Green
Sun, Jul 25, 2010 : 3:38 p.m.
Sandi Smith is such a hard working dependable councilwoman. This sort of snub by the local press is exactly the reason why good, dedicated people do not run for office. Sandi listens to her constituents and she responds immediately with action. Even if you dont always agree with the result, one can always trust that Sandi took the time to actually think about the issues and the impacts upon the city and her constituents. Sumi on the other had has little record to judge her on except for her decision to run and her decision about who to align herself with. Sumi chose to back Lesko and support all her lies and false accusations. In return Lesko is endorsing Sumi. They have been campaigning together for months. That should tell the public loud and clear how Sumi will be as councilwoman, just like Lesko. Sumi did not stop and think how this alliance would affect her constituents. Sumi did not have the common sense to distance herself from the lack of integrity in these other candidates she chose to support. Hopefully voters in the 1st ward will have common sense and will recognize the good representation they have in Sandi Smith. Vote for Smith.
Jenna Thom
Sun, Jul 25, 2010 : 3:18 p.m.
Endorsing Sumi over Sandi is a joke. Sumi has had no experience with public service what so ever. She is a CPA, a CPA with only a few years experience she is not some financial wizard whose experience makes up for lack of civil involvement or public service. A few years working with numbers trumps everything else that is required to be a councilmemeber? Sandi, on the other hand, has many years service with the community and with the DDA, and yes I believe that is a good thing. She works hard and is completely trustworthy. To not endorse a hard working, productive active member in the community such as Sandi in favor of someone who is clearly not as qualified and who has been invisible throughout the community for over 10 years is unconscionable. The other endorsements for state senate and state house could have gone either way based on the quality of the candidates and I think you got ward 4 correct based on your own reasoning you stated, but your endorsement for ward 1 is so far fetched that it clearly shows some sort of bias. It makes no sense. Clearly this editorial board does not understand the issues or the candidates. It leads one to wonder...who paid off the editorial board?
Vivienne Armentrout
Sun, Jul 25, 2010 : 2:07 p.m.
It's revealing about your editorial policy that you selected Teall primarily because of her support of oversize development projects in a near-downtown neighborhood (Moravian, Heritage Row). One might speculate that Carsten Hohnke's denial of these and the General Election candidacy of a proponent of these projects (Newcombe Clark) are instrumental in your extraordinary decision not to endorse or even to discuss candidates for the Fifth Ward Democratic Primary.
YpsiLivin
Sun, Jul 25, 2010 : 1:42 p.m.
Ann Arbor voters would do well to elect City Council candidates who demonstrate a solid grasp of finance and avoid those candidates who spend an extraordinary amount of time wringing their hands over feral cats and passing silly resolutions. Candidates who demonstrate a willingness to tackle the looming financial crises (yes, plural) related to chronically underfunded city pensions, the collapsing City water and sewer systems, and the competent delivery of city services should get a seat at the table. Unfortunately, Ann Arbor voters usually choose another serving of the same-old same-old every time.
Tim Colenback
Sun, Jul 25, 2010 : 1:28 p.m.
Sumi is a great candidate with an inspirational record of human rights advocacy over many years. Her commitment to open government, following the letter and spirit of the Freedom of Information Act and responsible transparent decision-making combine to make her the clear choice for fellow Ward One citizens. Additionally she will bring much needed diversity to the City Council. Thanks go to Ann Arbor.com for seeing the light in the First Ward.
Patrick McCauley
Sun, Jul 25, 2010 : 9:37 a.m.
I really think that Sumi will be a more responsive voice to the concerns of her First Ward constituents. City Council needs a more skeptical voice when it comes to projects like these PUD developments that have a supposed "public benefit". These PUDs are really just a way to get around current zoning in near-downtown residential neighborhoods where land values happen to be cheaper than downtown. Sumi has said that she opposes these unnecessary and harmful PUDs and will fight to protect our neighborhoods. Sandi Smith does seem like a good person, but I feel that she doesn't really listen to what the people want for their own neighborhoods, where they have invested their hard earned money as well as their lives. This is why I'm voting for Sumi!
Xena
Sun, Jul 25, 2010 : 9:09 a.m.
I question the.com's endorsement of Sumi. Zero community involvement over 12 years of living here does not make one ready to serve on Council or worthy of an endorsement. Sandi Smith knows this city inside and out and has demonstrated a real commitment to it. In addition to decades of community involvement, she has been one of the hardest working councilmembers in her first term and has accomplished much around housing, human services, and green energy solutions. Annarbor.com, you cannot blame Smith for the police-courts building. She wasn't on Council yet when that decision was made. Please check your facts. Perhaps endorsing Sumi is your attempt avoid facing the wrath of the entire Lesko slate? Maybe that slate scares the bejeebers out of you, as it does me. I'm supporting Smith.
Brad
Sun, Jul 25, 2010 : 9:02 a.m.
They need to concentrate on the real issues in their wards rather than wasting time on things like the AZ resolution. I live by the Georgetown Mall, and I am way more worried about that, trust me. I'm worried about how the closest fire station to my house is now closed. I'm worried about them turning off street lights in our area. I'd like to see more time spent on that instead of watching all of the developer and PUD soap operas.
Ross Dunbar
Sun, Jul 25, 2010 : 8:57 a.m.
Sumi is an excellent choice for City Council. Her skills as a CPA will be an asset to our city. I am also impressed by her background as detailed at http://www.sumi4aa.org
a2since73
Sun, Jul 25, 2010 : 8:51 a.m.
A2.com is capricious in their use of neighborhood involvement as a criterion for candidate support. They endorse Sumi, though decry her lack of neighborhood involvement. They do not endorse Jack, though he has been active in Ward 4. As a Ward 4 resident who pays upwards of $7000 per year in taxes, I want my city council representatives to help get the most for my money and maintain Ann Arbor as a very livable city. I want my city council representatives to represent the 4th Ward first and foremost, and to work with other council members for the good of the city. What I don't want are more Stadium Bridge episodes. What I don't want are more South Seventh Street repaving jobs which don't last more than five years. I will vote for the 4th Ward candidate who I think can best deliver on these points.
David Cahill
Sun, Jul 25, 2010 : 8:51 a.m.
Congrats to Kailasapathy for earning the surprise endorsement of AnnArbor.com! And congrats to AnnArbor.com for endorsing an independent thinker - and helping establish itself as an independent journalistic voice.
oldgaffer
Sun, Jul 25, 2010 : 7:35 a.m.
The late but unlamented Ann Arbor News had a long history of endorsing the wrong candidates for the wrong reasons, so your endorsement of Kailasapathy is no surprise. Clearly you know that Sandi Smith is the better choice but picked Kailasapathy just to stir the pot, and then tried to justify your lame choice with a stumbling and jejune analysis. Smith's dual role on Council and the DDA is totally proper-- just as is the dual role of other council members on the Planning Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals and various city commissions.
A Pretty Ann Arbor
Sun, Jul 25, 2010 : 7:26 a.m.
I am so happy to see Sumi's endorsement here! Go SUMI!! She will be a wonderful council person. I can't vote for her but if I could I would in a heart beat. Real grasp of finances, we really need that on council right now. Stop the insane bleeding of pet projects! I love art, I like parking close to where I want to be downtown but I cannot justify some of these high ticket items while basic infrastructure issues are being neglected and flat out ignored. I also believe that Jack will make a wonderful council person as well and I can vote for him and will. I want a council person that understands that as a constituent that if I vote for him I expect him to work for the 4th ward, answer emails and respond to the people of the 4th ward. He has my vote because he is already doing that and he isn't even on council.