EDITORIAL: Ethics Policy for City Council Members

WARD 2 COUNCIL member Sally Hart Petersen has shown promise as a leader who is scrupulous in conducting the people’s business openly and honestly. While we don’t always agree with Petersen’s positions on the issues, one issue Council member Petersen is planning to pursue is an ethics policy for Ann Arbor City Council members. We are pleased with this Council member’s efforts to tackle what has been a long-standing and embarrassing problem. Beginning with Mayor John Hieftje’s inappropriate ties with the University of Michigan as a highly paid lecturer hired after he was elected to office, and continuing on to Ward 1 Council member Briere’s thousands in campaign donations from marijuana entrepreneurs whose business licenses Briere oversees in her position on a city board, Ann Arbor residents need to know their elected officials are behaving in the best interests of the city’s residents whom they are elected to serve.

In his 2009 primary election campaign Mr. Kunselman promised an ethics policy for Council. In October 2009, Ward 3 Council member Christopher Taylor announced he was working on an ethics policy. Fours years later neither man has fulfilled his promises.

Petersen’s resolution would ask City Attorney Stephen Postema to provide guidance. It might seem logical to turn to the City Attorney. However, Mr. Postema has lost our confidence. Beginning with an episode of what was initially identified by the city’s auditor as “double-dipping” both a monthly car allowance and mileage reimbursement, to subsequently attempting to offer Council members legal advice on his own alleged infraction, Mr. Postema’s own credibility has suffered.

Ann Arbor City Council needs an ethics policy. There are Council members who refuse to avoid conflicts of interest. Ward 5 Council member Warpehoski’s wife derives a large portion of her income from money granted by the Board of the Downtown Development Authority to the getDowntown nonprofit organization which employs her. Yet, Mr. Warpehoski votes on resolutions which impact the DDA’s funding, as well as the continued appointments of its Board members.

We congratulate Council member Petersen for bringing forward this proposal. Ann Arbor’s City Council members must hold themselves to the high ethical standards city residents expect.