Slate of 10 candidates aims to unseat incumbents in Ypsilanti Township elections
A group of 10 candidates is hoping to bring drastic change to Ypsilanti Township’s elected offices.
The group, which is calls itself "Y-Town Future”, is running candidates for supervisor, clerk, treasurer, three trustee seats and four park commission seats in the August 7 Democratic primaries.
John Hoops is challenging incumbent Supervisor Brenda Stumbo. Hoops, 34, owns Belleville Milling Company and serves as chairman of the Belleville Downtown Development Authority.
Stumbo has served as supervisor since 2008 when she defeated Y-Town Future’s candidate for clerk, Ruth Ann Jamnick. Jamnick defeated incumbent Clerk Karen Lovejoy-Roe for the supervisor’s seat in 2004, before losing to Stumbo in 2008. She has also served as a state representative and Ypsilanti Township treasurer in her long political career. Brenda Meadows is also listed among the candidates but couldn't be reached by AnnArbor.com.
Roe and incumbent treasurer Larry Doe are seeking re-election. Doe faces a challenge from Larry Davis, pastor of the Christian Tabernacle Baptist Church and owner of Hallelujah Beauty & Barber Shop.
Incumbent trustees Jean Hall-Currie, Mike Martin, Stan Eldridge and Scott Martin are also seeking re-election.
They are facing challenges from Carlton Fields, who has worked as a teacher at Lincoln High School and is seeking a second master’s degree from Grand Canyon University; Maria Sheler-Edwards, who is a public relations and marketing specialist at the University of Michigan; and Sylvia Spurlock, an administrative assistant with an investment banking firm.
Park Commissioners Debbie Swanson, Carissa Collins-Watson and Monica Ross-Williams are incumbents seeking to retain their seats. Gail Boyd-Palmer is seeking a seat on the Park Commission.
Lonnie Scott is also running for the commission, though he isn't involved with Y-Town Future.
Central to Ypsi-Future’s campaign is the argument that the township should have prevented blight from becoming an issue and is now spending significant resources on addressing problems associated with it.
“That shouldn’t be a story right now,” Hoops said. “That should have never been allowed to exist. If things were done properly that would have never come to fruition. If the township were enforcing codes and ordinances, you never would’ve had these places that are so dilapidated that they need to be demolished.”
Hoops also charged that the current voting majority on the board of trustees has been in place for over 20 years, questioned why there is little dissent to the majority opinion and questioned why the board regularly votes 7-0 on issues.
“That I find very interesting,” he said, highlighting that Y-Town future comes from diverse background geographically, in their education and socioeconomically. “It doesn’t seem like anyone has their own minds. It boggles my mind that so many things can be so thought of that everyone votes the same way.”
Lovejoy-Roe said the current elected officials have a strong team that works well together and has been able to increase the township's fund balance despite facing huge economic challenges from declining property revenues and a dramatically shrunken industrial tax base. She said they have largely maintained services while addressing blight issues caused by the economic downturn.
“(Other municipalities) are calling us and asking how we’re doing this, how we are pulling this off,” she said.
She said the current group in office is “uniquely qualified” because they “been through the worst” of the economic downturn and “come out on top.”
“Everyone is on the same page and working well together and there isn’t all the bickering that there was when Ruth Ann was supervisor,” Lovejoy-Roe said. “Our ability to work together and put residents first beyond our own politics and personal motives has helped the township.”
Stumbo said the number of rentals for single family homes has increased by 118 percent since 2008 and the township has responded with a team that includes ordinance, building, legal, fire and residents who report the issues.
"I am not sure my opponent understands the full impact of the housing crisis and the far reaching consequences it has had in our neighborhoods," Stumbo said. "The number one investment people make is in their home or business. We have been working together for the last three and half years to restore and maintain values in spite of the economic tsunami that has hit the State of Michigan and our community."
Comments
Fullstory22+2
Tue, Aug 7, 2012 : 5:27 p.m.
what Mr. Hoops has failed to tell people is that he has filed Bankruptcy 2 times on his business, 1 time personal and is getting ready after election to file again. All this is recent (last 5 years). also he is running as DEM but he is all REP, just ask him who his favorite President was (George W. Bush). i hate when people lie just to get a overpaid job. my vote is for Brenda again, can be worst.
TommyJ
Sat, May 19, 2012 : 12:37 a.m.
John Hoops is a brilliant man and a great businessman. I signed his petition and his group has my vote.
ytoguy
Thu, May 17, 2012 : 3:18 a.m.
I remember well the compassion I saw out of Ms. Stumbo when she tried to prevent the closing of Hydromatic. I have seen the difference made in the community as blighted buildings have been cleaned up. The mess in the Township has been years in the making. I can't remember any other team at the Township remotely attempting a clean up of one property. Drive East Michigan and see what has been accomplished in just a few years under Stumbo. Multiple properties have been cleaned up or demolished. Cudos Stumbo. One more vote for you to count on from me!
Mytown2
Thu, May 17, 2012 : 3:26 a.m.
Did anyone tell you she has a master degree in acting???
Michigan Reader
Thu, May 17, 2012 : 12:52 a.m.
I don't think the voters in Ypsilanti Township are disaffected enough to vote out the current government officials.
Shelly
Fri, May 18, 2012 : 1:52 a.m.
Slamming the "majority of voters" as naive is ill advised. Don't assume that a lack of contempt for the current board is due to being uninformed. It just might be because we are very well informed.
Mytown2
Thu, May 17, 2012 : 2:20 a.m.
You are right...We the voters are the only ones that can change things, unfortunately the majority of the voters dont get involved. We need everyone to vote in the August election to unseat the current board. The voters are very naive about the current board.
TigersFan
Wed, May 16, 2012 : 4:44 p.m.
I am a young resident of Ypsilanti Township and believe the current Township officials have and will continue to do an excellent job putting our residents first! And how can a candidate that has worked in the township since 1960 bring "Y-Town Future"-I would say that they have had long enough. .
jondhall
Wed, May 16, 2012 : 4:22 p.m.
I believe that current slate is doing a fine job and the township is getting cleaned up. Many programs have been put in force to insure compliance. Ms Stumbo certainly has my vote ! Sometimes we don't need CHANGE. Experience certainly counts for something.
fireadvocate
Wed, May 16, 2012 : 2:56 p.m.
If the story is correct and Karen Lovejoy-Roe in fact made a statement that the Township has "largely maintained services", how does she explain the reduction in the Fire Department? They went from 33 fire fighters down to 27, and anybody that knows them can see that their morale is virtually non-existent and their overall attitudes are terrible. These factors lend themselves to poor delivery of service and a "who cares" attitude, neither of which foster the level of professionalism that was there many years ago. Largely maintainining services? Wrong. As for the blight, this has been a festering issue for twenty or more years. The notheast quadrant of the Township is in deplorable condition, which was predicited by many residents during the 1990s when the Stumbo/Lovejoy-Roe era took hold. "Housing crisis" my butt -- this is simply a case of neglect.
Shelly
Fri, May 18, 2012 : 2:11 a.m.
I know several employees at the township and they work very hard and fully support the efforts of the administration to improve things and move forward. They have also privately expressed their disdain for a few who put their personal interests above the needs of the community they are paid to serve. What kind of moral corruption leads a public servant to scam the worker comp system for personal gain? More than ever we need experienced people with a proven record of successful leadership. Township government has never run smoother or accomplished so much as it has over the last few years. They all have my vote and I expect more good things to come.
Joe
Thu, May 17, 2012 : 7:39 p.m.
what exactly is your problem with the garbage and recycling programs?
Mytown2
Thu, May 17, 2012 : 3:18 a.m.
Dont forget police services, and the change in garbage and recycle services. You are absolutely right about morale. If you personally know any employee at the township, you know the employees have been deceived and treated in wicked, evil and morally corrupt ways. If they treat their employees this way, how much more misleading and fraudulent do you think they are with the public who dont pay any attention to what the officials are doing? I suggest all township voters get out in August and vote dont be afraid to do the right thing.
Joe
Wed, May 16, 2012 : 2:52 p.m.
its sad when people look for change for no reason. Just because there has been a long legacy of the current group? The township is doing quite well, compared to the surrounding communities. In this economy, what more can you expect? aint broke, dont fix it
Mytown2
Thu, May 17, 2012 : 3:03 a.m.
The township is doing quite well on the backs of the little people not because they are good leaders.
pseudo
Wed, May 16, 2012 : 2:22 p.m.
Stumbo and her crew have had long enough. They have let large areas of the township rot - no other word for it. ROT. They have ruined relationships with the neighbors. They have big offices and have developed strip malls but haven't done much for the tax paying residents. I would love to see some new leadership.
Mytown2
Thu, May 17, 2012 : 3:01 a.m.
How real government works??? You dont realize how unparalleled your comments are. Real governments usually cover up the bull crap, un-necessary spending that they earmark. The township officials rely on the taxpayers being naive about their spending habits. Shame on the township voters that just dont care what is going on around them..
Joe
Wed, May 16, 2012 : 2:50 p.m.
strip malls pay taxes just like any other business. the township is not delusional about being some hipster paradise, so they take business as it comes. Thats how real government works.
no flamers!
Wed, May 16, 2012 : 12:39 p.m.
I support the current team. I don't think Hoops' quote is fair (he asserts that blight is the responsibility of the current team). Ypsi and Ypsi Township were modest communities to begin with, and a 1/3 drop in property values across SE Michigan, and all the lost jobs, affected our community. This led to an increase in blight, and elected leaders are but a small part in slowing the trend. While the elected leaders aren't responsible for the blight, I'm impressed with their reaction to blight when it is brought to their attention.
ahi
Wed, May 16, 2012 : 10:13 p.m.
That's not how you do this commenting thing. You're supposed to blame everything on our local elected leaders.
lute1812
Wed, May 16, 2012 : 11:36 a.m.
Increase the fund balances yeah, by collecting exorbitant property taxes. Time to vote all the incumbents OUT. Cost saving measure 'close the township offices between noon-and-one,' brilliant idea! When does the working class citizen come in but during their lunch hour. As long as the public sector reaps the benefits of extravagant pensions and exhortation healthcare rewards in comparisons to the private sector they set in cushy jobs in a ghost-town faculty with all the benefits. Known as government ran amuck. Never voted, age 61, but will register for the first time and vote for ALL challengers.
Joe
Wed, May 16, 2012 : 2:48 p.m.
"exorbitant property taxes"? I suggest you look at the millage rates in the surrounding communities. Ypsi Township is governmentally run just about as well as any community in the state.