Ann Arbor voters soundly rejected two controversial proposals on the ballot — Proposals C and D — which envisioned dramatic changes to the city's elections system.
72% of voters voted no on Proposal C, which would have changed the city's charter to eliminate primaries — and placed all candidates for city mayor and city council on the November ballot — without partisan identification.
70% also voted against Proposal D, which would have established a 9-to-1 matching public financing system for candidates who agreed to limit campaign contributions from individuals to $50 each.
Ann Arbor Mayor Chris Taylor said the proposals were mounted by a group of anti-housing residents and former city council members who'd lost their seats during primaries, and voters determined the changes were not in the best interest of the city as a whole.
"The voters understand that the current council majority is here for constructive work," said Taylor. "We're trying to implement a vision that has been approved by our community, to improve basic services, enhance quality of life and express our values of inclusion and sustainability."
In a statement, John Godfrey, an organizer of Proposals C and D, claimed opponents relied on "Super PACS and unscrupulous dark money organizations to mount a brazen campaign of unprecedented distortion and deceit."
"Much needs to be done to build and expand a truly inclusive, representative democracy that is insulated from the corrosive effect of big money and outside interests," Godfrey's statement added.
Voters also approved Proposal A, which establishes a "Sustainable Energy Utility." The program would allow the city to offer rooftop solar panels, home battery storage, and other renewable energy technologies to residents and businesses for no up-front cost. The program would be funded by loans taken out by the city, and paid back from revenue collected through electric bills from those participating in the program.
"I couldn't be more excited," Taylor said about the approval. "Over the course of the next couple of years, we are going to be able to take real action with respect to rolling out renewable, sustainable energy to folks in our community, businesses, rentals, homeowners, too. This is a chance for people who could not afford it to access solar energy, battery storage, geothermal, energy efficiency programs. We're going to look to do this at below market prices because we do not have a profit motive."
Voters also approved Proposal B by a large margin, which will renew the city's parks and capital improvements millage through 2044.
