Ypsilanti voters must stop the tax grab on May 8
Stop City Council’s tax grab! The poor financial condition of the City of Ypsilanti was largely caused by the people who now want to raise our taxes. They want city residents to vote in favor of a city income tax and an uncapped Water Street debt retirement millage, on Tuesday, May 8, 2012.
Former Mayor Pete Murdock goes back years in Ypsilanti city politics. His flip-flopping (Mitt Murdock?) on the city income tax issue is a betrayal of many of his loyal supporters. After leading the fight against the city income tax in 2007, the anti-tax voters of his ward helped him return to City Council in 2008. But now, in 2012, Pete is leading the pro-tax campaign!
Former Mayor Cheryl Farmer, who is still very influential in Ypsilanti City politics, has always been an advocate of big government and big spending. Her belief that “government knows best” is one of the main reasons that Water Street was turned into and continues to be nothing more than a huge vacant lot.
Pete and Cheryl, along with the current mayor and numerous City Council members, past and present, are responsible for the dire predicament the city is in today. And now they expect us to pay for their failed policies.
Once again, the city is threatening to cut back on the number of police and firefighter positions in Ypsilanti. Don’t let their scare tactics frighten you into voting for the tax increases. If city officials would negotiate realistic, fiscally responsible contracts, there would be no need to reduce the number of police and firefighter jobs.
Don’t believe the city’s politically motivated “budget projections.” Government projections are rarely, if ever, correct. 
 

Remember that the more money we give them, the more over-spending they will do and the more money they will demand in the future. Since the millage is uncapped, City Council will be able to vote to increase it in the future. The voters will have no say in the matter.
Vote to STOP the City Income Tax and vote to STOP the Water Street Millage. Vote NO on both proposals on Tuesday, May 8.
John Wagner
Ypsilanti
Comments
Martin Church
Wed, May 2, 2012 : 5:17 p.m.
I believe the city has negotiated with the union in good faith. that the firefighters have taken a have large hit by the city to reduce costs. I also know that we are currently at dangous levels for fire support. while the police have the citizens academy to assist them, I believe a similar program should be developed for the fire fighters. However bad choices made by the city is what is the problem. they could not tell us the correct figures then or now. They can not admit they made a mistake in attempting to look like Ann Arbor. Now is the time to make cuts starting in City Hall. restructure the manager's office. cut the city council and Mayors wages to nothing and no benefits. Find ways to consolidate what services we should be offerering (do we really need to spend 600,000in missing revenue on medical for the poor when the feds are doing the same.) I want an independent team to look at water street and determine the best way to proceed. from individuals who have nothing to gain. I will vote NO. on both. And if you thought Murdock was against taxes you forgot his term as mayor and city council many years ago.
ypsi 1
Wed, May 2, 2012 : 3:22 p.m.
Wrong Mr. Wagner! The millage is dedicated to Water Street debt entirely. As the city can contribute or property is sold and developed, the millage goes away. This has been stated over and over and still the anti-tax forces spread false info. The list of contributors to the Vote NO reads like the local GOP membership list (with a former mayoral candidate the closet Republican leading it)
pseudo
Wed, May 2, 2012 : 2:14 p.m.
John Wagner, just about every posit in this "opinion" is factually inaccurate. Mayor Farm exerts or 'has' little influence in Ypsilanti politics. Pete has been incredibly clear about why he has changed positions and your analogy to Mitt Romney fails on the face of it. The city has presented the facts, figures, regulations, and legal requirements transparently and fully in several forums and on the website. I am left wondering if your opinion is credible at all.
AdmiralMoose
Wed, May 2, 2012 : 1:07 p.m.
Mr. Wagner, you are wrong. The people who caused Ypsilanti's fiscal situation are NOT in office. This city council did NOT authorize the Water Street Project. But they have to help clean it up! You can be angry, but you can't take it out on the people in office now. So, we're STUCK with paying for Water Street. GET OVER IT. Find a way to pay for it RESPONSIBLY. The rest of our fiscal situation is caused by the loss of tax revenue. Every dollar your property taxes went down was a dollar that the city lost. Your taxes went down because your property is worth less than it was. The city council didn't cause that. The bursting housing bubble, rampant unemployment and the Great Recession caused it! And RESPONSIBLE people have cut city services and staff to match the lowered revenue. To me, you anti-tax Ypsilantians sound like a bunch of petulant children. "I don't wanna! You cheated me so I'm not playing with you anymore!" Fine. Take your glove and go home. But you're going to put Ypsilanti in the hands of an emergency financial manager when we fail to make our payments.
eastsidemom
Fri, May 4, 2012 : 11:30 a.m.
Sorry Moose but the peeps that brought us water street are all in the same flock, they plot together still, they fund raise together for the Yes campaign and are working to gather more of their ilk to run for office. Our very Mayor was handpicked by this former fiscally exuberant group.