( ) N E - H U N D R E [) W T E N T Y T' W ) Y A( S 1 1 ) 1 (I I \I ) ) . a )
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
michigandailycom
* ELECTION DAY 2011 *
A incumbents say
budget is priority
CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR CITY C
If re-elected, council
members want
to redirect funds
to public safety
By JENNIFER LEE
Daily StaffReporter
As Ann Arbor residents head
to the polls today to vote in the
general elections, current elect-
ed officials will eagerly await
the results that will determine
whether or not they get to keep
their seats on the Ann Arbor
City Council
If re-elected, the incumbents
_ say they are determined to con-
tinue addressing what they feel
are the key issues facing the
council today: balancing the
city's budget and redirecting
funds toward infrastructure and
public safety.
Council member Stephen
Rapundalo (D-Ward 2) said
maintaining the city's budget is
at the top of the council's to-do
list.
"I think first and foremost
the main issue is dealing with
the city's fiscal structure, the
budget and making sure that
we're within our means but at
the same time being able to plan
for needs that we have down the
road," Rapundalo said.
Council member Sabra Briere
(D-Ward 1), who is an uncon-
tested candidate this year,
stressed the budget's impor-
tance since the amount of money
the city receives from the state
has decreased in recent years.
"It's goingto be another really
interesting year as we try to deal
with constant changes coming
from Lansing when it comes to
income for municipalities and
when it comes to knowing what
to do," Briere said.
The incumbents expressed
concern over prioritizing city
spending and determining
which sectors and projects the
budget should or shouldn't allo-
cate funds to. Council member
Stephen Kunselman (D-Ward
3) said he is frustrated with the
See BUDGET, Page 3
Challengers seek to
unseat Democrats
Candidates say
council needs to
readjust spending
By ADAM RUBENFIRE
Daily Staff Reporter
Four candidates for Ann
Arbor City Council are aim-
ing to unseat four Democratic
incumbents in today's election.
In Wards 2, 3, 4 and 5, City
Council incumbents Mike
Anglin (D-Ward 5), Marcia
Higgins (D-Ward 4), Stephen
Kunselman (D-Ward 3), Ste-
phen Rapundalo (D-Ward 2),
face opponents - three who
are Republican and one with
no party affiliation. City Coun-
cil member Sabra Briere (D-
Ward 1) is running unopposed.
Former Republican Council
member Jane Lumm is chal-
lenging Rapundalo and run-
ning as an independent. She
said she wasn't planning on
running in today's race, but
when both Democrats and
Republicans asked her to run,
she reconsidered.
Lumm said she hopes resi-
dents will be inspired to run in
future elections by seeing her
run without a party affiliation.
She added that one day, she'd
like to see Ann Arbor have non-
partisan elections.
"Ann Arbor has always been
described as an outlier when
it comes to partisan municipal
elections," Lumm said, adding
that most municipalities hold
non-partisan elections. She
explained that she is running
as an independent because she
describes herself as "socially
liberal" and "fiscally conserva-
tive."
Republican David .Parker, a
public accountant and financial
planner, is challenging Kunsel-
man for his Ward 3 seat on the
council. In an interview at the
Oct. 5 League of Women Vot-
ers debate, Parker said though
he is running as a Republican,
he describes himself as a Lib-
ertarian. He added that unlike
many of his Republican coun-
terparts, he supports the full
legalization of marijuana.
Competing in Ward 4 is
See CHALLENGERS, Page 3
Cityproposals to askvoters
about sidewalk, street repair
Third proposal
regards Employees'
Retirement Board
By ANNA ROZENBERG
Daily Staff Reporter
Voters headed to the polls
today will be asked to take a
stance on three citywide pro-
posals dealing with funding for
street and sidewalk repairs and
appointments to the city's retire-
ment policy board.
Proposal 1: Street and Bridge
Millage
Proposal 1 would replace a
current tax that funds street
reconstruction between the
years of 2012 and 2016. The pro-
posal would raise an estimated
$9,091,000 in the first year after
its implementation.
While federal and state funds
are used to repair potholes with-
in the city, the proposed millage
would be used for resurfacing or
reconstruction of roads that need
repair and would replace Ann
Arbor's millage that expires this
year.
City Council member Sabra
Briere (D-Ward 1) said she is in
See PROPOSALS, Page 8
Baits I to close after winter 2012
With closure, 'U'
avoids $6 million
repairs for boilers
and fire system
By HALEY GOLDBERG
Daily StaffReporter
For the 571 students currently
* living in Baits I Residence Hall,
their year in the North Campus
housing complex may mark the
end of the Baits I legacy.
This past week, University
Housing informed residents and
staff in Baits I of the University's
intention to close the complex
at the end of this academic year,
according to University Housing
spokesman Peter Logan.
The decision was made after
the University determined that
replacing boilers in the building
and installing a fire suppression
system for the complex to meet
University standards would cost
an estimated $6 million, accord-
ing to Logan. He said the boilers
cannot be used safely for anoth-
er school year.
"We realized that over the
UNIVERSITY FACULTY
SACUA discusses affect
of sexual assault policy
on investigation of cases
Former SACUA
chair: 2 of 41 sexual
assault cases
investigated last yr.
By MARY HANNAHAN
Daily Staff Reporter
With only two of 41 reported
sexual assault cases inspected
at the University last year, and
under the pressure of federal
guidelines, the leading faculty
governance body is debating the
issue of investigation in sexual
assault cases.
In a meeting with the Senate
Advisory Committee of Uni-
versity Affairs yesterday, David
Potter, chair of the Student
Relations Advisory Commit-
tee and former chair of SACUA,
discussed how policies out-
lined in a letter sent by the U.S.
Department of Education to col-
leges will affect the treatment
of sexual assault allegations for
undergraduate students at the
University. The letter proposes
that each sexual assault case be
investigated and also calls for
the standard of evidence to be
lowered in the investigation.
In the "Dear Colleague" letter
sent in April, the Department of
Education setguidelines forhow
federally funded universities
can be in compliance with the
Title IX, which prohibits dis-
crimination based on sex in aca-
demic institutions. In response,
the University's Sexual Assault
Prevention and Awareness Cen-
ter and other offices drafted an
interim policy for the University
and plan to implement a long-
term procedure this winter.
An interim policy that lowers
the standard of evidence from
clear and convincing - in which
it is highly probable that an
assault occurred - to a prepon-
See SACUA, Page 3
Baits I is scheduled to close at the end of the current academic year.
years, Baits I has not met the
expectation of students ... and
to really upgrade those facilities
would really require a lot more
than $6 million," Logan said.
"... It's really difficult right now
at this point to justify spending
a significant amount of student
dollars on infrastructure and
renovation for Baits I."
University Housing Direc-
tor Linda Newman said anoth-
er main reason for closing the
building is that Baits I - which
opened in the mid-1960s - does
not embody the principles of
University Housing's Residen-
tial Life Initiatives. The project
includes creating dynamic resi-
dential neighborhoods and com-,
See BAITS, Page 3
WEATHER HI: 57 GOT A NEWS TIP? NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM
L: 36 Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail Lupe lights up EMU Convocation Center
TOMORROW news@michigandaily.com and let us know. MICHIGANDAILY.COM/BLOGS/THE FILTER
INDEX AP NEWS ..................3 ARTS .....................6
Vol.CXXII,No.44 OPINION .....................4 CLASSIFIEDS...............6
20 tThe MichiganDaily SPORTS,............5 NEWS .........................7
michigondodty corn
I A
,.