My husband and I share the concerns of many Ypsilanti voters about responsible city fiscal management and the protection of our historic buildings. This is why we are troubled by recent city council action to take developer Stuart Beal to court over the Thompson Block before there was any opportunity to work through an agreement addressing safety and other issues, after a fire nearly destroyed the building last September.

The deciding vote to take Beal to court was cast by Pete Murdock, Mayor Paul Schreiber’s opponent in the upcoming Aug. 3 primary. Rather than working through the issues identified and means to address them in a document agreed to by both Beal and city officials, Murdock chose to waste city resources and take Beal to court.

This should have been the last resort. Now the city is paying legal fees for mediation to work through an agreement already hammered out between Beal and the city, and it’s clear that whatever good will might have remained on the developer’s part has evaporated as well. Is this the way to move this project forward and attract new development to the city?

The city had a widely held reputation for being anti-business during Murdock’s previous time in office. He insists that his many years of experience make him the best candidate for mayor, but this recent action is only one example of how his inclination to constantly take an adversarial path makes him unfit to lead Ypsilanti in a positive direction through the difficult times still ahead.

Paul Schreiber is a level-headed professional who has consistently demonstrated behind-the-scenes leadership to quietly and effectively strive for the common good of all Ypsilanti citizens. That’s why we’re voting for Paul Schreiber on Aug. 3 and urge others to do the same.

Mary Ann McDonald Ypsilanti