City Council Members Come Out Against Ann Arbor For Public Power: “It’s Not A Wise Plan”

by P.D. Lesko

Ward 4 Council member Dharma Akmon posted to Facebook about the Ballot Question Committee Ann Arbor for Public Power (A2P2) that, “The proposed charter amendment would create a new municipal electric utility and a new governing board with significant authority, including powers related to contracts, borrowing money, acquiring property, and hiring staff. Many of these responsibilities are currently exercised by City Council.” Council member Akmon in her Facebook post estimated that it could cost taxpayers anywhere from $200 million to $1 billion to acquire DTE’s assets. Ward 5 Council member Erica Briggs then posted to her Facebook page her opposition to Ann Arbor for Public Power: “I share Councilmember Dharma Akmon‘s concerns. Please read her [Facebook] post and I encourage you to decline to sign the petition to establish a municipal electric utility (MEU).”

Both Council members opined that while they are no fans of DTE: “[They] believe it’s a better use of our tax dollars to invest in the Sustainable Energy Utility that Ann Arbor voters already authorized in November 2024. Let’s not battle with DTE, instead let’s just create a supplemental, community-owned, clean energy solution.”

On June 15, The Ann Arbor Independent published an article about misinformation being spread by both Ann Arbor for Public Power and a front group financed by DTE. Part of that article examined both group’s campaign finances. After the article was published, the IRS Charitable Division posted the A2P2’s 2024 and 2025 990 federal income tax returns.

Ann Arbor for Public Power automatically lost its 501(c)4 tax exempt status in March of 2025, after failing to file federal income tax returns for the three previous fiscal years. That status has not yet been reinstated, according to the IRS Charitable Division records. The group’s 2021-2023 federal income returns are still missing from the IRS Charitable Division records.

The A2P2 2025 federal income tax return, filed Jan. 11, 2026, shows total income of $87,882 and total expenditures of $76,779. Of that amount, $56,505 went to pay Exec. Dir. Brian Geiringer. The federal income tax return shows total net assets as of January 2026 of $68,704.

The A2P2 Ballot Question Committee’s campaign finance form, filed just days before the 2025 federal income tax return, declared total receipts of just $24,915 with an ending balance of $24,308 as of January 2026. Such disclosures are required to declare all receipts, transfers and loans.

At the City Council candidate forum for Ward 1, a person circulating ballot question petitions for A2P2 was in the audience and asked the incumbent, Cynthia Harrison, is she would sign the petition. Harrison said she had not signed the petition and, indeed, had not heard of A2P2. The group’s 2024 990 federal income tax return, submitted in March of 2026, lists Cynthia Harrison as a member of its governing board.

Ann Arbor for Public Power recently distributed a handout to Ann Arbor voters. The small postcard stated that, “When Ann Arbor has Public Power: we will control the electric utility to ensure reliable, affordable, green electricity.” In a discussion about the handout, the Council members’ concerns were mirrored by the members of the Ann Arbor Politics Facebook group:

“A2 taking over DTE is a disaster waiting to happen. No one loves DTE, but thinking A2 could do better is insanity IMO.”

“I don’t want to vote in a new structure that doesn’t have a plan to actually make anything affordable.”

“They have their heads in the clouds. They have no real clue about the complexity involved.”

“A BIG mistake!”

As members of the 5,300 people who belong to the public Ann Arbor Politics Facebook group reacted to the promises on the handout, Ann Arbor for Public Power’s Exec. Dir. Brian Geiringer fielded questions from the Facebook group’s members.

Council member Briggs wrote: “Supporters [of A2P2}, like Yousef Rabhi who is running for Mayor, will tell you that it does not commit Ann Arbor to acquiring DTE’s assets. True, but the writing is on the wall.”

The Exec. Dir. of Ann Arbor for Public Power made it clear in public comments in response to questions from the members of the Ann Arbor Politics Facebook page that A2P2 is committed to acquiring DTE’s assets.

Geiringer told the members of Ann Arbor Politics: “I can see why you would feel that way bc $300M [to purchase DTE’s assets] is a big number! I would respond that it’s extremely worth it in the long run as we stand to gain billions in the coming decades, along with a reliable grid, along with gigantic reductions in GHG emissions, along with an end to shutoffs, etc.” Geiringer added in another comment, “To try to sum up responses to a few questions here: the current high end projection on our end for acquisition [of DTE’s assets] is $300M paid back over 30 years. Sounds like a lot until you realize Ann Arbor pays DTE ***shareholders*** ~$30M/yr; we also pay for DTE to advertise (greenwash) themselves despite being a monopoly….”

However, Geiringer’s estimate of the bonded amount taxpayers would repay over 30 years omits the interest; he only includes the purported principle amount. Interest on a $300 million bond repaid over 30 years could cost taxpayers anywhere from an additional $250-$550 million, meaning the total cost would not be $300 million, but rather anywhere from $550 to $850 million.

Brian Geiringer explained: “And the point about how interest works – yes that is how interest works but that’s how we talk like if someone buys a $300k house we don’t call it a ‘six hundred thousand dollar house’ because that’s how much someone will ultimately pay on a mortgage.”

Dharma Akmon points out in her Facebook post that should the A2P2 Charter Amendment be placed on the ballot in November and approved by voters, the new electric utility would be empowered to borrow money absent a vote of City Council members or taxpayers. “The charter language may be interpreted as authorizing the acquisition of DTE’s local assets without another vote of the people.”

In a question posted to the Ann Arbor Politics Facebook page discussion, Cheryl Pelava asked Brian Geiringer: “Where can we see a breakdown of what we would get for 300 million? Who are the people with expertise who would be appointed to this board?”

Geiringer responded: “Around the state, cities have either an elected board or an appointed board. the a2p2 organizers saw strengths and weaknesses of both systems (democracy is good but can leave gaps; appointments are good because it ensures the right experts are on there but can lack in responsiveness to the community) so we devised a hybrid system with 5 elected and 4 appointed seats. one of the appointed seats is reserved for a rep from organized labor.”

In her Facebook post, Council member Akmon also lists as among her concerns, “The proposal creates a powerful new utility board but does not require members to have utility, engineering, finance, energy, or other relevant expertise.”

On the Ann Arbor Politics Facebook page Geiringer pointed out that there would be plenty of time to find and identify experts to be appointed to the proposed utility board, because no one would be seated for two years after voters adopted the charter amendment to create the utility board.

However, Ann Arbor’s Mayor and City Council routinely appoint unqualified political supporters to serve on powerful City Boards and Commissions.

For example, the present Chair of the Planning Commission is a senior pastor with a B.A in computer science with no education or experience in urban planning or land use. That Commission, led by the Chair, recently shaped and presented to City Council a Community Land Use Plan (CLUP) that upzoned the entire City, including neighborhoods with primarily single-family homes, allowing duplexes, triplexes and multi-story apartment buildings to be included in the mix.

No one on the Ann Arbor Politics Facebook page asked about A2P2 finances or financing. Council member Akmon, however, listed among her concerns, “No funding source is identified for the board or the utility’s work. The City would have to identify a funding source or terminate existing services to support the Board’s work.”

The City’s own Sustainable Energy Utility (A2SEU) which Akmon supports was created without a funding source.

In the City’s 2026-2027 budget, the A2SEU was handed $6 million, money that pays for existing services. This explanation of where the $6 million will come from is from the 2027 proposed budget: “The Office of Sustainability and Innovations (OSI) is allocating $3M of Climate Action Millage Funds. The administration is proposing to allocate $2M of the Kline’s Lot sale proceeds to the SEU, to be realized at closing. This budget is allocating $1M (recurring funding) from the General Fund.”

The A2SEU plans to charge customers who opt in to its alternative energy (solar and geothermal power) services a set rate of $600 per year. This means, the A2SEU would need to sign up 10,000 customers to repay the $6 million. However, in 2027 A2SEU Exec. Dir. Shoshannah Lenski says the A2SEU plans to add just 1,000 new customers.

A postcard sent by the City of Ann Arbor on June 14 says, “Most A2SEU customers will see no increase in total utility bills when power from the traditional grid is supplemented with energy from A2SEU solar panels.” This differs from the City of Ann Arbor website, “Participants can reduce monthly expenses by accessing renewable energy at a flat Pilot Program rate of $600 per year.”

“Switching from private to public has meant more reliable and affordable energy in cities all over the country. We can do it here too,” says Geiringer.

Council members Dharma Akmon and Erica Briggs disagree.