Ann Arbor City Council candidates outline housing, public-safety and infrastructure priorities in CTN forum

A CTN candidates forum aired a series of short statements from people running for Ann Arbor City Council, giving each candidate about five minutes to present priorities and personal background; the broadcast did not provide a date. Candidates emphasized housing affordability, public-safety approaches tied to re-entry services, neighborhood character and fiscal caution over large new spending commitments.

Cynthia Harrison, running for reelection to represent Ward 1, said she is a lifelong resident of the ward and described her work "building pathways for people coming home from incarceration to find housing, employment, and stability" as director of innovative re-entry at the Washington County Sheriff's Office. She framed public safety as "public safety and compassion go hand in hand," and said she championed a driving-equality ordinance intended to limit unnecessary contact between law enforcement and civilians. On housing, Harrison said she supports a "housing first" approach and credited a program she backed that used opioid-settlement and marijuana excise tax dollars to help keep vulnerable neighbors housed; she said, "housing is healthcare and housing is safety." She closed by noting endorsements including the Ann Arbor Education Association and Planned Parenthood and asked Ward 1 voters to cast ballots on or before August 4.

Sandy Aldrich, a candidate for Ward 2, described 28 years of residence in Ann Arbor and said her management experience makes her suited to oversee the city's roughly $600 million budget. Aldrich said the comprehensive land use plan approved earlier this year is visionary but not law and stressed the council must work with the planning commission and residents to implement it. She argued the city should add diverse housing options while protecting neighborhood character. On energy policy, Aldrich praised the Sustainable Energy Utility and urged caution about committing to full municipal control of the electric grid until the potential costs—"hundreds of millions of dollars," as she put it—are fully understood. She called for stronger collaboration among the city, Ann Arbor Public Schools and the University of Michigan.

Ashley Hall, a candidate for Ward 3, said she grew up in a working-class family and entered public service through organizing work. Hall described past roles organizing for SEIU and working on a congressional campaign and said she currently serves as director of board operations for the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners. Hall emphasized building more housing of all types—affordable, workforce and missing-middle housing—and pledged not to support any new millages in her first term to avoid raising property taxes. She also prioritized equitable road maintenance, saying she would advocate for upgrades where pavement and sidewalks are in worst condition.

Aiden Silva, a candidate for Ward 4 and president of the Ann Arbor District Library Board of Trustees, emphasized a grassroots campaign and fiscal responsibility. Silva told viewers his campaign "has not taken and will not take a single dollar from PAX" (as spoken in the broadcast) and said his platform centers on expanding smart, equitable housing options, fixing streets and closing sidewalk gaps, and improving basic city services. He said his experience on the library board prepared him to work with diverse stakeholders and manage balanced budgets.

Greg Monroe, who said he has lived in Ann Arbor for more than 35 years, urged careful management of growth and stronger protections for natural areas and the city's mature tree canopy, citing environmental damage he attributed to development near the Argo nature area. Monroe also raised concerns about high local taxes and said he would apply a data-driven, stakeholder-oriented approach to city governance.

The CTN program closed by directing viewers to CTN's YouTube page for more local election programming and by reminding viewers to vote on or before August 4. The broadcast did not include formal question-and-answer exchanges between candidates, any motions or votes by a governing body, or a program date; those details were not specified in the transcript.