Yousef Rabhi frames mayoral bid around affordability, opposes $350 million in tax incentives

Yousef Rabhi, a candidate for Ann Arbor mayor and a Washtenaw County commissioner, outlined his record in local and state government and positioned affordability as the central issue of his campaign.

Rabhi said he "went to Ann Arbor Public Schools" and stayed in the community he described as "the community that raised me," listing Northside Elementary, Bach Elementary, Clague Middle School and Huron High School before attending the University of Michigan. He recounted 16 years of public service, including service on the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners beginning in 2011 and later six years in the Michigan House, where he said he served four years as Democratic floor leader.

He credited his time in county government with passing what he described as the county's first balanced four-year budget and with securing an AAA bond rating, opening a dental clinic for people without access to dental care and starting a municipal ID program in the Midwest.

Turning to his campaign, Rabhi said Ann Arbor has "become a community that is completely unaffordable for working class, middle class, and seniors." He criticized recent city decisions to approve what he called a "$350 million tax giveaway," saying that, in his view, it reduces revenue for schools, the community college, roads and affordable housing. "They're selling the Kline's lot to build high-rise luxury condos," he said, arguing that selling public land to private developers will not solve the affordable-housing crisis.

Rabhi also criticized the privatization of city services and the contracting out of public work. "I believe that public work should be done by public workers. Public land should be used for public purposes, not private profit," he said, adding that he wants "the people of the city of Ann Arbor and the workers who are the boots on the ground" to have a greater role in decisions.

He called for reducing reliance on consultants and a "top heavy administrative structure," and said his campaign is a grassroots effort. Rabhi closed by asking viewers to visit voteyousef.com, to volunteer or donate and to "please vote for me on or before August 4."

The short CTN candidates presentation concluded with a program sign-off and a reminder to vote on or before Aug. 4.