Official Campaign Launch
My name is Jeffrey Milk. I am officially announcing my candidacy and campaign running for Ward 4, here in Ann Arbor. I am one of four candidates who have announced they will run, and one of three who has pulled petitions to run in Ward 4.
My campaign is about accountability, grassroots policies, and leadership for everyone. We deserve so much more, and so much better, as residents of Ann Arbor. From the money in our politics to the broken primary system in Ann Arbor, we deserve positive change that I support.
I challenge my opponents to honor their commitment to climate change and use only public transit during their campaign, and to work every day - just as I use it every day. Our leaders should not campaign on a public transit system that they would never be caught using, when they expect us to.
I also challenge my opponents to cite their sources. I will never argue without having evidence to back me up. I encourage people to ask me questions and give policy feedback. Raise your issues. Our community will never be completely perfect, but just as our constitution reads, “In Order to form a more perfect Union,” our leadership needs you to speak up. City Council is supposed to be a representation of us. Not someone with a megaphone and a louder voice.
Before I go any further, I pledge to run a fiscally honest campaign that:
Does not accept any corporate or PAC funds, no matter where they come from;
Artificially caps the amount individuals can donate at no more than $50;
Not accept over $1,000 total;
And to use any spare funds at the end of the season for charitable purposes.
This campaign will be powered by neighbors, not insiders. I do not want, and in-fact reject, endorsements from our City Council or people in Lansing. I cite my sources and tell my reasoning - something very rarely done by those in public office. Our government should be based on logic and reasoning, not money and anger. If we don’t have civility and people in local politics, how do we ever expect this for our State or Federal politics?
Beyond my pledges -- we are literally being priced out of the city we love. Housing costs are out of control, and renters remain unprotected with a renter’s commission that is nearly solely symbolic. I, personally, have lost heat during the cold waves, dealt with roaches, blinds flying off my walls and bruising me, backed-up plumbing, and other egregious things as a tenant, and my landlord, Cabrio Properties, wants to raise the price of my single-bedroom apartment from $1,600 a month to nearly $2,600 a month this year. I am not afraid to call out these Corporations, or our City Council for sitting idly while our home gets torn apart by private equity. We have the opportunity to pierce the corporate veil and force divestments to local owners - no more out-of-state buyouts that devour our housing.
The primary system in Ann Arbor does not serve everyday people. Partisan politics do not transfer into our municipal government. We all agree that we need more housing, better public transit, faster services, and so much more. The primary system requires people to take more time off work to vote, research, and cater to a a 2-party system that is tearing our nation apart. The only people it benefits are those in power, as they limit the number of candidates who can enter the race and have a chance to win. Ann Arbor is one of only three cities in Michigan that use partisan local elections - and it’s time to abolish such an outdated, elite-driven system. Mayor Taylor vetoed this proposal from the Council, in a 7-4 majority decision, back in 2020, but I believe it’s time to revisit this.
I also abhor our City Council for abolishing the ability to speak without an appointment at their meetings, led by our Mayor, Christopher Taylor. Decisions governing our lives should not be made before the Council reaches its table. Our feedback should have true impact. No one should have to register to speak about something taxpayers are funding. A few minutes of speaking time is a right when their decisions govern our day-to-day lives. The average person does not have time to read through each agenda, and if someone discovers they have feedback they want to give, they should not be discouraged. City Council is to represent us; they willingly sign themselves up to hear feedback when they decided they were the best candidate for office. We should not expect any less.
I am an everyday person. I ride AATA’s bus routes, and I walk to work and to class afterwards. I am unrepresented, like many tenants and homeowners, on City Council. Ann Arbor should be a city for everyday people, not investors and developers. We need bold action to fix our housing crisis and to address other issues. I, as a City Councilmember, will continue to ride the bus. I will continue to knock on doors. I will continue ask for community feedback. I won’t pass a CLUP with limited feedback - 500 people are not enough to change the fate of all 125,000 of us. Vanity projects are a waste of all of our time.
I invite everyone to contact me through my website, set up coffee hours with (virtual or in-person!), and raise whatever issue they have with the city, no matter how small, in my issue awareness form - if we cannot solve it now, we can start the process of doing it.
I will be hosting an Ask-Me-Anything presentation on March 7th, at the Ann Arbor Downtown District Library, from 4:00PM - 6:00PM. 3rd Floor, Community Room 1.
(343 S 5th Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48104)
This election, we have hope for a brighter future. We can do this, together.
