Improving Public Transport

How will Ypsi work with Ann Arbor, major employers, and the AATA to improve public transport? (Outside grants?)

Perception of “Bad Schools”

If you were to become mayor, how would you fight the perception that Ypsi has bad schools? Since most people leave the area because of the schools, how would you stop the flow of our tax base?

Police Union Endorsement

Steve Pierce wrote an email to Mayor Farmer saying the city could save $180,000 easily by cutting the AATA bus contract. Emails from Pierce also say Ypsilanti police officers shouldn’t consider overtime an “entitlement” and supports eight-hour shifts.

How did he get the Police Union endorsement with that opinion?

YMDC note: Question-writer wrote “more to follow” at the end of this question.

City Management

Are our city offices top-heavy with management?

Car Shows and Cruise Nights

As an auto enthusiast, I would like to ask all the candidates what they feel about car shows and cruise nights and the associated revenues they bring to the merchants of Depot Town. Also, what about all the fees and charges the city imposes to put on these events?

Tax Base

What would you do to increase our tax base?

The 70s and 80s

What plan do you have to bring Ypsilanti back to its wonderful days of the 70s and 80s–when living here was safe and citizens were strolling downtown–when stores were doing wonderful business?

Public Schools

What are your plans to help improve our public school system and increase enrollment? Do you agree that charter schools in our city is one cause of this problem?

Bringing Business Back

Would you please address your plan to bring business back to our city? What’s your plan to make Ypsilanti a place where folks want to open a business?

Bus Service

What will you do to maintain bus service for our community?

Frog Island

I would love to be able to use the stage at Frog Island to produce free theater during the warm nights and afternoons of spring/summer/fall–Get the local community and student population involved. Could this be possible?

City Income Tax

What are your true feelings on the city income tax?

Joined Cooperation (Townships)

How do you fel about a joined cooperation agreement with Superior Township or some other township?

Township Combined

Would the city ever combine the township under your control?

Quality of Life

Why are we making cuts in quality-of-life issues?

Ypsi/Ypsi Township Merge?

What do you think about Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township merging?

Michigan Ave

Why can’t the boulevard on Michigan Avenue be removed, since it is a safety concern? (emergency vehicles can’t get through)

DDA

Would you ever get rid of the DDAs? Would that save the city money?

Your Forte

Which of the current challenges that Ypsilanti faces are you best suited personally to resolve? Why?

Record on Combatting Racism

What have you done in your past work to combat racism in the city of Ypsilanti?

Walkability

What have you done in the past to increase “walkability” and ensure that Ypsilanti’s small-town infrastructure is preserved for the future?

Democratic Party

How will you increase the profile of the Democratic Party in Ypsilanti? Why is being a Democrat important?

Hip-silanti

How will you ensure that as Ypsilanti grows and becomes more “hip” that it doesn’t become a cookie-cutter town like Ann Arbor? Is growth worth selling out to national chains, in your opinion?

Racially Divided

Do you believe the city of Ypsi is racially stratified/divisive? If so, how would you remedy it?

Gentrification

Is gentrification a problem for Ypsilanti, due to skyrocketing real-estate prices and sprawl? What have you done to educate yourself about gentrification in other cities?

Infrastructure/Business Climate

How exactly do you plan to improve the infrastructure/business climate downtown?

Sustainability

What have you done to increase sustainability (green energy; carshare; etc.) in Ypsilanti? Will you join Ann Arbor in its plan for sustainability?

Fighting Against Racism

In the light of the recent death by suffocation of a black motorist in West Willow, and the racial segregation of our city, what plans do you have to fight against racism?

City Pool

What are you planning on doing with the city pool?

Party Affiliation

Why did Steve Pierce wait until June 2 to declare his party affiliation? Was he forced to by the elections commission? And why don’t his signs say Democrat? Or his Web site? Or his campaign materials?*

* YMDC posts the questions in the order in which they are emailed to us. Please see the note on the YMDC Debate Questions page.