Arbor Update

Ann Arbor Area Community News

Ypsi Mayoral Debates: July 27th, 2006

18. July 2006 • Murph
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The Ypsilanti Mayoral Debate Committee* has organized a debate between Ypsi’s three mayoral candidates (all running in the August Democratic Primary), and is soliciting questions from the community. Questions may be e-mailed to ymdc06@umich.edu or deposited in the fifteen drop boxes distributed to Ypsi businesses and service agencies.

All questions are being posted in blog format for general discussion; the committee will be selecting several to ask of the candidates at the debate, which will be held in EMU’s McKenny Union. Full details on the debate and the Ypsi Mayoral Debate Committee are available at YpsiVotes.com (note the generic url, appropriate for future voter empowerment efforts).

Mayoral candidates Steve Pierce, Lois Richardson, and Paul Schrieber have all confirmed their participation.

  • Full disclosure: I’m a member of the YMDC, if the least active.


  1. Maybe someone should rename this blog “Ypsi Update.”


       —Brandon    Jul. 18 '06 - 06:04PM    #

  2. I think it’s perfectly reasonable to pay some attention to the Ypsilanti mayor’s race. But what about the Pittsfield Township recall? It’s closer to Ann Arbor (wrapping around the whole south side of the city), involves roughly twice many voters, and is a whole lot more contentious.


       —Larry Kestenbaum    Jul. 18 '06 - 08:32PM    #

  3. To build off of your blog post, Larry, I had a couple lengthy conversations with Pittsfield Twp. Supervisor James Walter in the spring, particularly in regard to the Washtenaw County Comprehensive Plan. I found him pretty reasonable, open to intergovernmental cooperation, and interested in providing choices and opportunities in housing and transit in the township, all of which I think urbanizing townships need.


       —Dale    Jul. 18 '06 - 08:45PM    #

  4. The Pittsfield Recall is a GOP stealth effort to undue the 2004 election of a liberal board of trustees. Their allegations are ludicrous—the trustees did NOT approve the Wal-Mart plan because that job belongs to the Planning Commission. Had the Commission rejected Wal-Mart’s application (considerably adjusted per Pittsfield’s requests) the township would be bankrupted in a lawsuit.

    One recall booster even claimed that a “new board of trustees” could block Wal-Mart with “new safety ordinances.” What a lawsuit THAT would make.


       —Abuelita    Jul. 25 '06 - 08:12PM    #