On the Issues

Carsten is committed to:

• High-Quality City Services
  We have to get the basics right—from sidewalk repair to street maintenance. We must work to deliver high-quality services comprehensively and affordably within a balanced budget that protects vital police, fire and solid waste services.
  
  
• Strong Neighborhoods and Our Downtown
  Our neighborhoods and downtown are the anchors of our quality of life. It's important that we preserve our neighborhoods by protecting and maintaining our parks, natural areas, and historic districts. We also need to grow our vibrant, pedestrian-friendly, and locally-owned downtown core, while maintaining the unique character of Ann Arbor and balancing economic and community devleopment.
  
  
• Civil and Human Rights
  As a community we must be committed to equality for all and understand the challenges of our fixed and low-income neighbors. We should support vital human services and housing programs that keep Ann Arbor diverse, fair and affordable.
  
  
• Fiscal Responsibility
  We must work within a balanced budget, adequately fund future liabilities, and not burden tomorrow’s citizens with outsized debt. It's critical that we work towards expanding our regional partnerships and providing a broader range of efficiently delivered, high-quality services.
  
  
• Environmental Leadership
  Ann Arbor should seek to be a leader in environmental stewardship. We should expand our recycling system to incldue more commercial waste, incentivize green construction practices, and broaden our transportation infrastructure to support more sustainable transprotation including biking, walking, rail, and bus. We must move towards these goals, and toward land-use decisions that factors in the impact on our watershed and is friendly to alternative transportation.
  
  
• Open, Honest Communication
  We have to do the hard work of having productive conversations as a community and building a shared vision of the future. I schedule time in all of our neighborhoods to seek out all of the voices in the 5th Ward. I hope you'll join your neighbors and me. I also set aside office hours every Saturday. Meaningful citizen engagement is one of Ann Arbor's greatest assets.