Who Answers the Most?

Which Candidate will provide the greatest percentage of responses to the to the YPSILANTI MAYORAL DEBATE QUESTIONS prior to August 7, 2006 @ 3:30pm?

On Income Tax

Will people on social security be expected to pay? What happens to the money we pay for property taxes? Why not a city sales tax? Have these questions been answered?

Longest Question(s) to Date

I have a couple of questions for all of you.

Are you all aware of the fact that our property taxes are at a milage rate MUCH, MUCH greater than our surrounding neighbors?
Are you aware that our property values are significantly LOWER than our surrounding neighbors.
Are you aware of  how many rotting, decaying, vacant properties there are in this community.
Are you also aware of all the vacant property parcels there are – the remains after the decay is over, demolished and cleared away.
Are you aware, that with the current tax rates, there is little or NO incentive for property rehabilitation, or restoration.

Are you also aware of the tremendous reductions is sales prices property owners are suffering in order to sell their properties? HUGE reductions.

Why are all of you AVOIDING THE ELEPHANT in the livingroom.
When are you going to address the issue of OUTRAGEOUS property tax rates.

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO ATTRACT NEW FAMILIES, NEW BUSINESSES, PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO HAVE THE MONEY,TIME AND ENERGY TO ANIMATE THIS CITY…restore some of the glorious old homes, have their kids play and go to school here, when the Love Boutique is just around the corner, there is a liquor store at every bend, cars have been broken into more than once, vandalized, ONE HAS TO STORE ONES BICYCLES IN THE LIVINGROOM!!!
And for all this…you get to pay almost double the tax rate of other areas.

C’mon guys…will someone GET REAL and tell us HOW all this is going to change? and when?

Thanks in advance for your response

Pension Changes

Would you support the following pension changes:

Police = stays the same

Fire = stays the same

DPW = Eliminate the pension and offer a 5% contribution to their
individual 401k each year

Clerks / Secretaries = Eliminate the pension and offer a 5%
contribution to their individual 401k each year

Department Heads = Establish a vesting period which reflects their
tenure as department head

What Ain’t Broke

Some people will try to convince you that they can turn straw into gold. I believe you can renovate a 73 Chevy Vega but shoulld never call it a Cadillac.  No matter how hard you try.  It will still be a Chevy. Also, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Tell us very specificallly, what is not broken, and name two things that are right about Ypsilanti.

Consolidation of School Districts

As Mayor, would you be interested and trying to broker a consolidation of the 5 schools districts and bus services within the greater Ypsilanti area ? Do you feel this could have a positive effect on the financial condition of the schools and do you feel it would work?

Enticing Townships

Exactly HOW does each mayoral candidate plan to entice the TWP boards (specifically Superior and Ypsi) to actually join forces? It is all well and good to speak of “Regional Partnerships” but if they don’t want to play we can’t force them.

Progressive?

Do you consider yourself a progressive candidate? If so, what progressive issues do you support for the betterment of Ypsilanti citizens?

Articulate 5-Year-Old Writes…

Dear candidates,

I am a 5 year old little girl that loves the outside and especially parks…..  I understand that there are other important things within a city besides parks and recreation that require the cities funds.  My question to all three of you is simple, “will the parks within Ypsilanti ever get the makeover they so badly need?”  Or will I have to continue to avoid the shards of glass that line their pathways?

On the Boulevard

Did you support the building of the downtown boulevard? Do you support the proposed Depot Town Boulevard?

Enticing Township Boards

Exactly HOW does each mayoral candidate plan to entice the TWP boards (specifically Superior and Ypsi) to actually join forces? It is all well and good to speak of “Regional Partnerships” but if they don’t want to play we can’t force them.

County Representation

As mayor, how would you ensure getting good representation at the county level?

Building Dept. Revision

Would you support a charter revision that revised the Building Department to include ordinance enforcement, inspections, zoning, planning & development and Historic District?

Parks & Rec Commish

Would you support a charter revision that created an elected and salaried ($55k) Parks @ Recreation Commissioner who was in charge of Parks, maintenance, parkridge, Recreational Park, Rutherford Pool, Farmers Market and Festivals with a $550,000.00 budget?

City’s Organizational Chart

Would you support a revision to the organizational chart for the City of Ypsilanti that put the City Manager and Mayor in second tier positions to the voters. The Mayor and City Manager would would be one tier above an elected Treasurer, elected City Clerk, elected City Council and and elected Parks & Recreation Commissioner. This tier would be followed by Neighborhood Association Presidents, Boards & Commissioner and the City Administrator. The tier below the City Adminstrator would include the Police Chief, Fire Chief, Public Works and the Building Department. The last tier would be individual residents

Treasurer Position to an Elected Position

The Ypsilanti Township Treasurer is an elected position. Would you support a charter amendment that converted the Ypsilanti City Treasurer from employee to an elected position?

Clerks’ Positions to Elected Positions

The Ypsilanti Township Clerk and the County Clerk are elected positions. Would you support a charter amendment that converted the ypsilanti City Clerk from employee to an elected position?

Street Improvement Bond

The residents of ypsilanti recently passed the street improvement bond, shortly afterwards, City Council voted to upgrade the water and sewage infrastructure to the tune of $15,000,000.00 without a vote of the people. Their reasoning was was that the roads were open and it would be advantageous to do this work at the same time. The idea was to reduce maintenance costs associated with an outdated system.

1.  Did the light bulb come on after the street bond program was passed or was it strategic. Citizens would not vote for both items at the same time?

2. Where did the savings in reduced water main break costs go? (to water street? ha ha)

3. We receive four water bill statements each year, my latest statement included a $56.00 surcharge for the watermain infrastrucure replacement. This is all on top of the road bond costs on my tax bill. Why did Council Members Swanson, Nickels, and Richardson additionally approve ordinance #1029 which increased our sewage rates and ordinance 1039 which increased our water rates?

After the Primary

If you fail to win the democratic primary, do you intend to continue campaigning as a write-in candidate?

Ypsilanti and the Blogosphere

In the past five years, Ypsilanti (like the rest of the world) has seen an increase in the number of online weblogs, or “Blogs” being kept by its citizens. Some of these sites have engaged in criticism against the city leadership, and with an increasing audience, are beginning to supplant the more traditional media formats.

What are your personal opinions regarding this new technology by which many citizens are getting their information? Can it be considered journalism? Is it a benefit or detriment to the way the city government conducts its business?

Do you, yourself, read any local blogs?

I Want My Ypsi TV

Cable companies offer local municipalities an opportunity to have a free channel for their use, such as is done in Ann Arbor; this content can include school events, government meetings, and public access shows where local citizens can produce the contents themselves.

Considering that we no longer have any locally owned media venues, following the sale of the Ypsilanti Courier to a national company, would you support obtaining such a channel for Ypsilanti?

Marijuana and Ypsi

Ann Arbor has partially decriminalized Marijuana Possession, in an effort to allow police to concentrate on more serious crimes.

Would you support a similar proposal in Ypsilanti? Why, or why not?

Littering Fines and Public Property Trash

What are the current laws involving littering in the city? Do you think they are being enforced? Should the fines be higher?

What other suggestions would you make regarding the amount of trash on public property in Ypsilanti?

If Income Tax is Inevitable…

Let’s assume, for the moment, that an income tax is inevitable. Given this, do you feel that it would be appropriate for it to include a minimum income clause, so that poorer citizens below a certain level wouldn’t be burdened by it?

What income, for a single person, do you think would be an appropriate level to set that cutoff point at?

Additionally, would the remainder of the tax be flat – i.e., 1%  for everyone – or would it be staggered more like the federal system, raising that percentage rate based on income?

Residency Requirement

The current administration unanimoulsy voted to eliminate the residency requirement for city employees. The residency requirement did not require employees to live in the city which is in violation of state law. However, the elimintated residency requirement did change the travel distance of key employees from 25 miles to the distance that an employee is willing to travel. Our new DDA director could live in Ohio and or Canada. What are your thoughts on the residency requiremnets for cty employees?

Hierarchy of Needs

Referencing Maslov’s Hierarchy of needs and societies basic needs, where do things like the Historic District Commission and a streetsweeper fit into your priorities?

City Council & Audience Comments

The current administration does not print comments made by Ypsilanti residents during audience participation at City Council, will you change this?

Following YMDC Rules

Ypsilanti residents are alotted three minutes during audience participation at a City Council meeting. During the debate at the Senior Center, several candidates took it upon themselves to modify the format of the debate by going back to previously asked questions. This was somewhat ironic as one of the most flagrant rule breakers happened to be an incumbent City Councilman.

1. Will you follow the rules as published by the YMDC?
2. How would you modify audience participation?

More Google, Google Housing

A lot of news recently has been focused on Google’s plans to establish an office in Ann Arbor. When those plans go through, much has been said about the area attracting much new high-tech development, perhaps making Ann Arbor still more expensive in relation to Ypsilanti.

First of all, what do you think of these developments, and secondly, what would you do to attract both new Google workers looking for affordable housing and new technology firms looking for inexpensive rents to choose Ypsilanti?

A Community Divided

Ypsilanti is in many ways a community divided: North and South, East and West, town and gown. Historically it has been difficult to integrate EMU students into the larger community. Although most EMU students are commuters, many of these “commuters” live less than a mile from campus. How could the City and the University work together to promote greater integration and involvement between EMU Students and the community as a whole?

Schreiber and YCFE

Why has candidate Paul Schreiber refused to distance himself from the controversial Campaign for Equality letterhead mailing? It has now been documented that the YCFE letter is indeed inaccurate and illegitimately smears Pierce and his campaign.

http://www.trustygetto.com/2006/07/so-my-curiosity-got-better-of-me.html

Yet, the Schreiber site still carries the letter with its inaccuracies on the old letterhead for the disbanded organization, signed as if the YCFE were still active.

Vision

This whole city is gonna ride herd on our new mayor, council, Water Street, Downtown and Tax issues. Beyond THOSE realities, where does Ypsilanti go from here? What’s your VISION for the City and your priorities for getting us there?

Budget

A $1,000,000.00 certificate of deposit will generate approximately $25,000.00 in revenue every six months at 5%. What happens to this money and is it included in the $13.5m budget? How much money does the city generate from certificates of deposit?

City Budget & Cost-Cutting

There has been much talk regarding cutting various parts of the city’s budget, always with the clarification that essential services (notably fire and police) must be maintained.

Within the fire and police departments, however, has there been enough cost-cutting in your opinion? How would you suggest, for example, reducing the very large (approximately one-third of the city’s budget) amount of money allotted to the police department?

Ypsi City Chickens

A recent proposal to permit chickens in Ypsilanti was turned down by city council. Do you agree with their decision? Why, or why not?

City Management

Many believe that the problems facing Ypsilanti are the result of poor management. Wouldn’t it be logical, therefore, to suggest that what we really need isn’t a new mayor or city council, but a new city manager?

Beekeeping in Ypsi

Counties in Michigan allow small-scale beekeeping (honeybees) in rural, residential, and urban areas. Wayne, Jackson, Monroe, and Oakland counties, for example, allow beekeeping (I could not find any that ban hives). Cities that allow beekeeping include Detroit, Troy, Canton, Manchester, Rochester Hills, Livonia, Inkster, Plymouth, Belleville (in fact I could not find any city other than Ypsilanti that specifically bans them). Ann Arbor specifically states an entitlement of up to 2 hives per property.

Bees are necessary pollinators for both vegetable gardens and flower gardens, and wild bees are already in the area.

Could we revisit Ypsilanti’s decision to ban beekeeping and allow hobby hives to be present in the city?

Solvency

I just read the city manager’s 3-year solvency plan. The outlook is pretty grim. How do you plan to deal with this? What is your economic plan for the city?

(Current) Mayoral Endorsement

Based upon the current problems in the City of Ypsilanti, does the endorsement of current Mayor Cheryl Farmer facilitate or hinder candidate Schreiber’s electability?

Policing and Fire Dept

Ypsilanti has a volunteer community policing program, Redford Township has volunteer police officers. Would you support a volunteer fire department? We are 4.2 square miles and the help of other departments is not too far away?

Basic Services & Homeowner Taxes

The City receives $13.5 million in revenue. We need $4.6m (Police), $2.4m (Fire), $2m (Public Works), $1m (Building Department), and $1.5m for Administration to provide basic services. Would you support a basic-services form of government with an annual cost of $11.5m and a TWO MILLION DOLLAR CUT IN HOMEOWNER TAXES?

To Market You Go

Where do you purchase your groceries?

Steve Pierce & the DDAs…

…for or against?

Employees and Your Business

I’d like each of the candidates to describe how many employees they have supervised and in what capacity. This is relevant to the role of the mayor in both setting policy and seeing that it is followed. If any candidate has created jobs through private business, where are those employees and have those workers reported to the candidate? Has any candidate had employees of public organizations report to them, and if so, in what capacity?

Campaign $, Landlords, & Yard Signs

How much money have you spent on your campaign for mayor, and who are your main campaign funders? Have you gotten campaign funds from landlords?

I ask this question of all the candidates, but I specifically wonder about Mr. Pierce’s financial supporters, since so very many of his campaign signs are in the yards of landlord-owned properties rented to students.

Leave A Message

In the last decade, experience has shown that automated, prerecorded messages to be telephoned to voters before an election are both highly annoying to most voters, and yet rather effective. What do you think of the use of such impersonal campaign methods here in Ypsilanti? Why has your campaign used, or not used, this method?

Bedroom Community

Is Ypsilanti a “Bedroom Community” of Ann Arbor? Will it be, someday? Would that be good or bad, in your opinion?

Ypsi Housing Commission & Schreiber

During the Normal Park debate, Mayoral candidate Schreiber stated that he has been a member of the Ypsilanti Housing Commission for the past eleven years and president for the past 3 years. Subesquent infighting between the Ypsilanti Housing Commission and City Council resulted in the HUD sale of Parkridge to an absentee slumlord. As the Housing Commission and City Council pulled their resources to fight each other, HUD negotiations were in progress. Ultimately, City Council voted unamiously to strip the Housing Commission of it’s authority to enter into agreements associated with Parkridge as the ink was drying on the HUD sale. Can Paul Schrieber really work for what is in the best interests of the city?

Declaration Time

Why did Steve Pierce wait until June 2, 2006, to declare himself a Democratic candidate with the Washtenaw County Clerk (verifiable online)?

Pierce’s Yard Signs

Why is there such a striking similarity between Steve Pierce’s yard signs and other Republican yard signs and why is there no party affiliation on the signs? Is this code for him being a Republican as he has stated he was repeatedly before June 2006?

Small Businesses

Our Ypsilanti small businesses have two major disadvantages. 1. competition of the big corporations 2. the perception that our down town and cross street areas are unsafe.

What would your administration do to make people feel safer in the Yypsilanti area, including downtown and West Cross? What can you do to make people want to go shop downtown or on West Cross instead of driving towards Ann Arbor?

Future of Ypsi & EMU

The future of Ypsilanti is closely linked to that of EMU, and vice
versa. What is your assessment of the choices made by top EMU
administrators in last 5 or 6 years? To what extent have they
helpled, or harmed, the city?

Absentee Landlords

Many properties in Ypsilanti are owned by absentee landlords, who are anticipating future profits which may never come, and thus are, in the meantime, charging excessively high rents, asking astronomical prices for selling the property, or simply letting the buildings fall apart.

What steps would you take to prevent this behavior, and, for example, enable local small business owners to begin filling the many empty storefronts on Michigan Avenue?

Preserving Ypsi’s Cultural History

Over the past year, the city of Ypsilanti has decided to sell the building housing the historical archives, will no longer be allowing the Historical Society to occupy its museum rent-free, and has cut the amount of financial assistance it gives to that group.

Do you agree with these decisions? Do you think a city should be financially responsible for preserving its cultural history?

Keeping EMU Fac/Staff as City Residents

What creative ideas do you have for encouraging EMU faculty and staff to buy homes in Ypsilanti? How can the city do this? What can EMU do?

Drug Dealers, Prostitutes, and Panhandlers (oh my)

Many residents are concerned about the number of drug dealers, prostitutes, and panhandlers in the city.
How would you solve these problems?

Hire Local / Work Local

As mayor, what steps would you take to encourage local businesses to hire locally? Related to that, how would you go about encouraging Ypsi residents to work locally?

Sexual Orientation & Discrimination

Do you believe that our city charter should include “sexual orientation” among its list of things one can’t be discriminated against?

Party Affiliation — Pierce

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?

Worst Roads in Ypsi

Please tell me how you plan to find the funds to fix the disasters known as Mansfield St (south of Washtenaw), College Place and River St. (north of Forest). These are the three worst roads in Ypsi and need to be fixed now!

Technology in City Government

How will you use technology to run city government more efficiently, increase transparency, etc?

Attracting Google

What have you done to attract Google to downtown Ypsilanti? If the answer is “nothing,” why not?

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.

Our Educational Systems

On his website Steve Pierce says, “Our educational systems are our most valuable assets in attracting and keeping homeowners and businesses in the community.” I would like to hear Steve expand on what he means by this, and I would like to hear what other candidates have to say about the relationship between the city and the schools. Perceptions about the schools affect property values, property taxes, interest in moving to the community, and the diversity of people in the community. Schools ability to teach are also deeply affected by the amount and kind of stewardship and involvement they receive from the community. How would each of the candidates work with school administrators, school board members, and community groups to support the schools in Ypsilanti?

Gay Bar or Starbuck’s?

Would you rather have a successful, locally-owned gay bar on Michigan Avenue or a Starbuck’s?

Cool City

What makes a city a “cool city” in your opinion?

Housing Trends

Ypsilanti is home to many of the area’s more vulnerable residents, but regional housing trends and some city policies seem to be aimed at bringing hip “young professionals” and family homeowners into Ypsilanti. Where do you see the balance between maintaining a home for our current residents and attracting these more fiscally desirable residents?

Relationship b/t Ypsi & Ypsi Township

The city’s relationship to Ypsilanti Township often seems to be rocky, or simply nonexistent. How would you forge a more mutually beneficial relationship between the two?

Downzoning

The West Cross neighborhood was recently downzoned (rezoned for lower density) to encourage single-family residences to replace multi-unit rentals. Do you see any downsides to this, in terms of reducing the number of customers for area businesses, reducing the city’s population as a whole, or otherwise?

Regional Trends & Policies

Local governments are strongly affected by regional trends and policies, and the mayor often serves as a spokesperson and advocate for the city to outside entities. What policies do you expect to champion at the county, state, and national levels?

Essential Services

With the city continually facing budget pressures, all candidates have pledged to “preserve essential city services”. What do you consider to be “essential”, and how do you see that prioritization being made?

Government’s Function

What is your understanding of the role of government in society in general, and the role of local government, in specific?

Preserving Bus Service

At the June 12 CHENA meeting mayoral interviews, Paul Schreiber stated that he is in favor of preserving bus service. At the May elections at the Senior Center, KYR founder Laura Bien met Paul Schreiber leaving the center after voting. After a chat, she asked him to sign her petition to preserve bus service. He refused. If Paul Schreiber wants to preserve bus service, why did he refuse to sign a petition to preserve bus service?

Water Street’s Success

Ypsilanti set out to redevelop the Water Street parcel six years ago, after 30 years of dreaming. It’s going to be a wonderful new neighborhood and will help the Downtown and Depot Town business districts thrive. Money has been spent to acquire and clean up the land, and there’s a new developer who actually has the skills and the capacity to make it happen. The only thing that could prevent it from being a huge success would be to not build it, because we have to build it in order to pay off the debt incurred to get this far. If elected, what will you do to help Water Street succeed?

Downtown Development Authority (DDA)

How does a DDA work? Are you supportive of or opposed to the concept of a DDA, and why? (Ypsilanti is the only city in the state that has two, and if one goes away we will never get it back.)

EMU’s Tax Exemption (2)

Based upon a Public Act that was established during the infancy of the automobile, property belonging to Eastern Michigan University and used for educational purposes is exempt from taxes. Parking lots, resturants, stores, and parking structures located on University property are not used for educational purposes (they generate profits). What will you do to rectify this injustice to the people of Ypsilanti?

EMU’s Tax Exemption (1)

Based upon a Public Act that was established during the infancy of the automobile, property belonging to Eastern Michigan University and used for educational purposes is exempt from taxes. To date EMU boasts extended campuses in Livonia, Jackson, Traverse City, Flint, Detroit and Monroe. How does this benefit (Ypsilanti) the host community?

Fixing the System

As mayor, you will be additionally challenged by a charter that did not contain the checks and balances necessary to prevent the Water Street Debacle. A charter that will allow key emergency personnel to live out of state and a charter that puts DDA Development ahead of basic services. The system is broken and must be fixed if you are to succeed. What are your plans to fix the system? How will you create a checks and balances system that will prevent future Water Street Development disasters?

Ypsi / EMU Disconnect

Currently there is a disconnect between the city of Ypsilanti and Eastern Michigan University. What is your plan to help bridge this gap and develop a strong relationship with the university, especially with students?

Supporting A City Income Tax

Do you support a city income tax? Why or why not?

Dedicated Transit Millage

Do you advocate that there be a dedicated transit millage in the City of Ypsilanti?

Moratorium on Festivals

I’ve heard that there’s a moratorium on new festivals and other large events within the city limits. Do you agree with that?

Downtown Grocery Store

Is there anything that we can do to lure a grocery store downtown?

Google

I’ve read that Google has said that they are building a facility in S.E. Michigan and that they want to be in a downtown area. The consensus seems to be that they’re talking about Ann Arbor. However, according to what I’ve read, they claim to still be deciding between three places. My question is, is it possible that one of those three places is Ypsilanti? And, if so, what are we doing to bring them here?