![]() Are they encouraging the County to look elsewhere if more money is needed for mental health? Or, it is a sincere difference of opinion on priorities, which is even more concerning.ĪDDENDUM: In terms of priorities, the following excerpt from the resolution is puzzling. It is so obviously political posturing that it hardly seems worth mentioning. 40% to effect the goals of Ann Arbor’s Climate Action Plan (operating & capital).40% to effect the goals of the Affordable Housing Needs Assessment (a/k/a Washtenaw County Housing Affordability and Economic Equity Analysis) and to increase Workforce Housing (operating & capital) with guidance by the Housing and Human Services Advisory Board.20% to improve Pedestrian Safety (e.g., Enforcement Augmentation, Crosswalk Improvements, RRFBs, Streetlights) (operating & capital).Resolved, THAT if the Board of Commissioners puts the Millage on the November 2017 ballot, City Council intends to consider a General Fund Rebate Use Policy Resolution, which resolution would in further detail state Council’s intent to use the General Fund Rebate for the duration of the Millage in the following amounts, for the following purposes: The resolution refers throughout to a “General Fund Rebate”, which is not indicated by the County ballot language and for which there is no provision. the Neighborhoods.) In simplest terms, the resolution states that the City of Ann Arbor will take money collected by the County for mental health purposes and “repurpose” it to pet projects of Taylor and his followers, namely pedestrian safety, affordable housing, and climate change.ĪDDENDUM: Here is an excerpt from the resolution. the Eaton faction or, if you prefer, the Council Party vs. Monday (July 3) came and the Council approved the resolution by what is coming to be the expected balance of votes, 8-3. This is an especially consequential election because the winners will serve for a full three years (the City Charter was recently changed to designate four-year terms, but this is staggered to eliminate the odd-year elections). All except for Taylor are up for re-election this fall. The resolution ( item DC-3) was sponsored by Mayor Christopher Taylor and three of his “faction”, CM Zach Ackerman, CM Chip Smith, and CM Jason Frenzel. ![]() This has been characterized as ”in a state of extreme agitation,” one stage above ”wild-eyed” and just below ”freaked out, totally out of control.” My hair on fire moment came on Friday night (June 30), when I learned (via a tweet from Council member and candidate Chip Smith) that the Council would consider a resolution to reallocate funds from a County millage that has not yet been approved by the Board of Commissioners, has not appeared on the ballot, has not been endorsed by the voters, and in which funds would be used for a different purpose than the millage proposal states. But occasionally there comes a moment so potent in its wrongness that we can progress to that state known as “hair on fire”. We are not usually the ones to be seen at the front of the crowd, waving a sign around. Those of us of the wonkish persuasion are always serious, often dogged, and probably viewed by others as rather dull in our insistence on correctness and data. How a resolution passed by the City Council could endanger needed funding for the mentally ill of Washtenaw County.
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