4 parties battle for Council's Ward IV seat

By Hanna LoPatin

Daily Staff Reporter

The wide array of candidates vying for the Ward IV City Council seat offers a welcomed change for voters tired of choosing between "the lesser of two evils."

Democratic incumbent Steve Hartwell faces challengers Republican Jeff Harshe, the Green Party's Christie Nowak and Libertarian Stephen Saletta. Each candidate brings a different priority to the table.

Harshe said he would like to fix infrastructure problems that plague Ann Arbor housing with problems including flooding basements, water pressure and brown water.

By running for City Council, Harshe said he hopes to bring balance to City Council representation. Presently, eight Democrats and three Republicans make up the council.

"Ann Arbor represents a lot of different viewpoints," he said. "I'd like to talk about the issues, instead of having everything fall into party lines."

Hartwell, a three-year council veteran, said growth and development are the main issues facing Ann Arbor. "A lot of the changes are going to affect the county" he said, not necessarily the city.

By building businesses near residential areas, Hartwell said, the city can cut down on traffic congestion.

"You have to look at 'Are the services they need there?'" he said. "How (does one) attract business that they do need?"

As a member of the Green Party, Nowak follows the party's four main pillars - one of which is ecological wisdom.

"I want to find ways to encourage alternative forms of transportation," she said.

Nowak expressed concern about financial matters for Ann Arbor residents.

"The prices in Ann Arbor are quite steep," she said, adding that she hopes to pass a living wage for residents.

Saletta, an Eastern Michigan University senior, included the student population in talk of development issues.

"The big way the City Council can help students lower the cost of housing is to encourage more development," he said.

Though he encourages development - and believes that developers should be allowed to work where they want - Saletta said higher density housing could curb the problem of urban sprawl.

Harshe advocated more development. "It's impossible to limit growth and make housing more affordable."

The candidates discussed different plans for getting students more involved in the city.

"The city can do more to welcome the students," Harshe said. "Even though they're in a different circle than I am, as much as we can interact, I like to."

Building a community is important to Nowak. "When you know your neighbor you look out for your neighbor," she said.

Hartwell wants students to aid in choosing the next Ann Arbor Police Chief next year.