The Alliance does not endorse candidates for office. Our concerns are so often subject to City Council determinations that it is important to be aware of who is running for Council and their positions on neighborhood issues. Ann Arbor City Council is composed of 2 representatives from each of the five wards and the Mayor. Each year one representative from each ward is elected for a two year term. The Mayor is elected in even-numbered years, also for a two-year term. 2012 Elections November General Election The
November Ballot will have many partisan and non-partisan elections,
state ballot issues and local millage requests. We will try to present
information or links to information on the various campaigns.One local ballot issue will be the question whether we wish to authorize a $65 million dollar bond (and the requisite .56 mill tax to pay down the bond) to build a new downtown library. Two campaigns are under way in support and in opposition:
August Primaries August 8, 2012 - AnnArbordotcom: Mayor John Hieftje and allies lose majority control on Ann Arbor City Council. Sumi Kailasapathy and Sally Pertersen
win seats on Council by stressing basic services and responsive
leadership. Chuck Warpehoski wins by distancing himself from the Mayor
and promising to be independent. Margie Teall, a likeable, 10 year
incumbent holds onto seat with just 50.5% support.A friend noted the following aggregate results of the August Council Primary Election: Election Majority Candidate Independent Voice Ward 1 Sturgis 628 Sumi 863 Ward 2 Derezinski 938 Sally 1160 Ward 4 Teall 866 Jack 848 Ward 5 Warpehoski 1709 Vivienne 1320 Total 4141 4191 Perhaps Council members and future candidates will listen more closely to the concerns of the neighborhoods. Those incumbents who have failed to listen have lost elections - Leigh Greden, Stephen Rapundalo and Tony Derezinski. Who will be next? 2012 Election Dates AAPS Technology Millage Election - Tuesday, May 8, 2012 State Primary Election - Tuesday, August 7, 2012 Note the attached Pollwatcher Newsletter from the City attached at the bottom of this page. On page 2, a City official admonishes poll workers for revealing election day problems to campaign volunteers. This is what the newsletter said: Recount on Tap You might not have heard, but John Eaton (not our inspector at Pioneer, but the council candidate) filed for a full recount of the 4th Ward. According to Mr. Eaton’s Recount Petition, he claims there were mistakes in the vote counting because his campaign “learned from precinct poll workers that the poll workers experienced problems with the voting machines… [and] absentee ballots counted at the precincts.” Apparently, some election workers have never heard the old adage, “lose lips sink ships!" As a result, taxpayers’ dollars will be wasted on this needless recount. The recount is scheduled for the day after Labor Day at the County Clerk’s Office – indeed, this will not be a labor of love ... Because keeping secrets is easier that doing it right! State General Election - Tuesday, November 6, 2012 2012 November Election Mayor Ward One Sumangala (Sumi) Kailasapathy (D) Won August Primary and is unopposed in November. Ward Two Ward Three Christopher Taylor (D) Unopposed in August Primary and again is unopposed in November. Ward Four Margie Teall (D) Won August Primary and is unopposed in November. Ward Five 2012 Council Candidates The following candidates have pulled petitions or announced intentions regarding candidacy for Mayor or Council. Candidates must collect signatures (250 for Mayor; 100 for Council) and have them certified by the Clerk to appear on the ballot. Chronicle article on status of all races as of May 9. A2dotcom article on petitions as of May 11. Mayor John Hieftje (D) (incumbent) Filed petitions May 11. Tom Wall (D) Pulled petitions January 15. Chronicle article. Did NOT file. Albert Howard (R) Pulled petitions on May 3. Filed petitions on May 15, but did not have enough signatures. In July, Mr. Howard filed petitions to run as an independent in the November general election. Ward One Sandi Smith (D) (incumbent) announced 4/23/12 that she will not run for reelection. Sumangala (Sumi) Kailasapathy (D) Filed petitions on May 7. A2 Journal article. May 15 A2dotcom article. See press release at the bottom of this page. Eric Sturgis (D) Filed petitions on May 14. Ward Two Tony Derezinski (D) (incumbent) Filed petitions April 30. Sally Hart Petersen (D) Filed petitions on May 9. See news article. Ward Three Christopher Taylor (D) (incumbent) Filed petitions April 30. Albert Howard (R) Pulled petitions on May 3. Filed for Mayor, instead. Ward Four Margie Teall (D) (incumbent) Filed petitions May 14. Jack Eaton (D) Filed petitions April 30 A2dotcom article. Also: A2 Journal article. Ward Five Carsten Hohnke (D) (incumbent) announced 4/21/12 that he will not run for reelection. Vivienne Armentrout (D) Announced May 4, 2012. Another news article. Filed petitions May 10! See press release at the bottom of this page. Chuck Warpehoski (D) Filed petitions May 9. Some background. Stuart Berry (R) Filed petitions May 10. If you do not know which ward you live in, click here for a map of the ward boundaries. We will update this page to show who pulls or files petitions and to link to campaign web sites as that information becomes available. News coverage of the Council races: August 8, 2012 - Mayor John Hieftje and allies lose majority control on Ann Arbor City Council. Sumi Kailasapathy and Sally Pertersen win in primary election for Council by stressing basic services and responsive leadership. Chuck Warpehoski wins by distancing himself from the Mayor and promising to be independent. Margie Teall, a likeable, 10 year incumbent with close ties to the Mayor holds onto seat with just 50.5% support. August 3 - Mayor John Hieftje details his vision for funding proposed new train station in Ann Arbor Three million dollars (or more) of local tax revenues for an Amtrak station, but none for public safety improvements. August 2 - Closing down fire stations: Ann Arbor City Council candidates offer thoughts on reorganization plan Reduce our 5 fire stations to 3 stations because we don't have enough fire fighters. August 1 - Georgetown Mall: County hopes to hire contractor by mid-August to demolish Ann Arbor property County steps in to remedy consequences of City's failed zoning policies. July 29 - Mayor John Hieftje's majority on the Ann Arbor City Council is at risk in the Aug. 7 primary A
majority that supported replacing public golf with private golf driving
range and golf shops; supported tax breaks and subsidies for a hotel
and conference center; supports allowing repurposing of any park land
for any other purpose. Plenty of money for projects and subsidies, but
none for rebuilding our public safety services. July 25 - Ann Arbor City Council candidates: Where they stand on city's public art program Hundreds
of thousands of dollars skimmed off our water and sewer fees while
neighborhoods suffer extreme flooding events. More funds diverted from
our road repair funds while city streets crumble. |
Past Issues > Elections >