Ward 1 Sabra Briere Gets A Challenger for City Council Seat
At the 4th of July parade as the Backwards Clown Brigade chuckled along the parade route, a man seated on the curb turned to his wife and said, loudly enough for others to hear, "The Backwards Clown Brigade. Ann Arbor City Council." People…
“It’s Embarrassing….” Says AnnArbor.com Staffer
In a February 2013 piece about AnnArbor.com, the Columbia Journalism Review called the site's work content-for-clicks journalism. Perhaps the assessment was harsh because MLive leadership had refused the CJR reporter access to the…
Playing the “Progressive Values” Card While Pushing ALEC-Inspired Scams & Parkland Development Schemes
by P.D. Lesko
Ward 2 Democratic City Council candidate Kirk Westphal moved to Ann Arbor in 2004 and in 2006 was appointed by John Hieftje to the city's Planning Commission. It was, perhaps, another example of what one local politico…
The Politics of Pandering: Holding Meetings About Public Safety in Private
by P.D. Lesko
When Republican Marcia Higgins was elected to Ann Arbor City Council in 1999, there were over 240 police officers patrolling the town. Ann Arbor had just about as many police officers as the city of Dearborn has today.…
Leaf Collection Resolution Goes Up In Smoke But Debate Provides, Literally, Hours of Entertainment
Ann Arbor City Council is, once again, on fire. When Ward 3 Council member Steve Kunselman proposed a change in the fee schedule related to permits for bonfires and controlled burns of prairie grass areas, Council marm Sabra Briere ahemed…
Five Council Members Launch An Unprecedented Effort To Curb Cronyism
by P.D. Lesko
"We keep seeing the same names."
"It's like there is some 'professional class' of board appointees."
"We need to draw from a larger group of citizens."
"I want to open the door for a closer examination of the appointment…
Mayor Proposes Citizens Advisory Commission Should Continue To Be A Whites-Only Country Club
by P.D. Lesko
John Hieftje is proposing to reappoint 10 people to the Downtown Area Citizens Advisory Commission (CAC) at City Council's May 13th meeting. By law the CAC Board is charged with advising the Board of the Downtown Development…
Downtown Area Citizens Advisory Council (CAC) Calls Resolution to Rein in DDA Board “Irrational.” Records Reveal All CAC Board Appointments Expired in 2012.
THE DOWNTOWN AREA Citizens Advisory Council (CAC) is supposed to be a group of no more than 15 mayoral appointees who, by Council resolution, live within the downtown area and "advise the DDA and City Council with regard to implementation…
Emails Reveal DDA Threatens to Cut Money That Funds Job of Council Member’s Wife
by P.D. Lesko
There are five solid votes on City Council to bring to heel the members of the Downtown Development Authority Board of Directors. Those are the votes of Sumi Kailsapathy, Jane Lumm, Sally Hart-Petersen, Stephen Kunselman…
Fighting Entrenched Cronyism One Vote At A Time
by P.D. Lesko
At the moment, Ann Arbor City Council members are trying to assert their Charter-mandated authority over the Board of the Downtown Development Authority like a parent trying to discipline a hopelessly out-of-control toddler…