Ann Arbor might be faced with some difficult budget decisions, but city officials should think twice before cutting deeper into the police and fire departments, says Tim Hull.

Hull, a 2nd Ward candidate for the Ann Arbor City Council, spoke of the need to protect public safety during a debate Wednesday night with incumbent Stephen Rapundalo.

Hull and Rapundalo face off in the Aug. 2 Democratic primary.

"We may have to make difficult decisions come budget time, but these can be less painful if we adequately prioritize what is most important for the community," Hull said.

Rapundalo and other council members recently voted in favor of eliminating 20 positions in the police and fire departments effective July 1.

Tim Hull

"I feel like we need to take a broader approach to our budget and look at what we can do," he said. "I know there are lots of so-called 'buckets' that are various things like Percent for Art and other things like that. I think we need to look at which of these buckets — can we change them, can we make them more accessible for other uses and free the funds up?"

As chairman of the council's labor committee, Rapundalo has publicly spoken out against the city's police and fire unions in recent months, criticizing them for not agreeing to concessions on health care costs that could have saved some public safety jobs.

Rapundalo said he thinks every member of council, himself included, places public safety as a high priority. But he said there's no more fat to trim in the city's budget, and police and fire account for about half the city's general fund expenses.

"The question is how do we deliver those services," he said. "Do we have to continue with past service models or are there other creative ways that can be designed by which the same level of services can be done more efficiently with perhaps less personnel?"

Rapundalo said despite the cuts, the number of officers on patrol hasn't gone down and residents should feel secure that city officials are looking out for their safety.

But the Ann Arbor Police Officers Association claims city officials are perpetuating a misconception by saying there hasn't been a drop in services. The union points out the city had 191 sworn officers less than a decade ago, and now that's down to 118.

Wednesday's debate was hosted by the League of Women Voters of the Ann Arbor Area in CTN studios. It lasted about 30 minutes and included seven questions touching on public safety, parks, communication with residents, a proposed transit center on Fuller Road, the city administrator search process and issues unique to the 2nd Ward.

Rapundalo, whose background is in pharmaceutical research and development, is president and CEO of Ann Arbor-based MichBio, the state's life sciences association. He was first elected to the City Council 2005 and has been reelected twice, including an unopposed race in 2009.

"In short, experience matters, as does leadership," Rapundalo said, suggesting the challenges facing the city call for perspective his opponent doesn't have. "This is not the time to be resorting to somebody who is going to have a steep learning curve."

Rapundalo described himself as an engaged and accessible council member, one who doesn't shy away from tough issues and does his due diligence.

He referenced his past involvement in the community as a neighborhood association president and chair of the Park Advisory Commission. He pointed out he now is a sitting member of the city's budget committee and chair of the labor committee.

Hull, a computer programmer at the University of Michigan and a member of the city's Taxicab Board, has been a regular face at City Council and Ann Arbor Transportation Authority meetings for at least the past two years. He speaks publicly on city issues semi-regularly.

Hull said he has the dedication to fight for the issues that matter to residents and will work to ensure that Ann Arbor continues to be a great place to live.

"The unique character of Ann Arbor must be protected," he said. "This character can be seen in our neighborhoods, parks, natural beauty and sense of community."

Hull demonstrated a strong understanding of the 2nd Ward, acknowledging its diversity and the unique aspects a representative of the ward should know.

"I mean, there's the students there, there's the retirees, the working people, dense housing, not-so-dense housing," he said. "I've definitely been talking to lots of people."

Rapundalo said he would focus first and foremost on fiscal responsibility if re-elected, and that includes continuing to push for cost containment in labor contracts. He also said he wants to discuss options for revenue restructuring, but he didn't go into detail.

Hull said it's important to look at creative solutions to the city's budget woes, while working cooperatively with the unions to reduce costs throughout the organization.

In response to a question that touched on Ann Arbor's new pedestrian safety ordinance and the fact that most motorists haven't gotten the message, Hull said the council members could do more to engage constituents through newsletters and public forums.

Rapundalo said if he had his way the city would install appropriate signage at all crosswalks in the city, warning people to stop for pedestrians.

"I think we need to engage the public better," he agreed.

Two questions touched on city parks and the proposed Fuller Road Station project, a collaboration between the city and the University of Michigan to build a parking structure on a site that eventually, in theory, would include a new Amtrak train station.

Stephen Rapundalo

"The fact of the matter is that the city ordinance and state law are very clear we cannot sell park land without going to the voters," Rapundalo said. "And I don't think any current council member or future council member would contemplate doing such a thing, especially one of our more major pieces of land. So the parks are there for the enjoyment of many generations to come."

But city officials aren't planning to take the Fuller Road Station project to voters because the land isn't technically being sold. Hull thinks it should go to a vote anyway.

"I do think park land is public land and belongs to the public and it should not be sold," he said. "Furthermore, it should not be leased long-term without consent of the voters."

Hull said he still has questions about the project, including what Ann Arbor stands to gain and what is the real likelihood of trains coming.

"I feel like I want to be somewhat skeptical, just not rush in to do this before doing our due diligence as to what our benefits are," he said.

Rapundalo recalled that the project has been talked about extensively for at least two years and quite a bit of design and discussion has gone into it.

"I think it's important for Ann Arbor's future to have a multimodal transportation hub," he said. "I think that coincides with Ann Arbor's image as a progressive city. We need to be able to move people around, particularly in proximity to the largest employer that we have."

That employer is the University of Michigan Health System. Rapundalo noted U-M also is in the process of repurposing the former Pfizer research campus on Plymouth Road, and that's something city officials should be paying attention to in the next two years.

Hull brought up the Huron Hills Golf Course as an issue. The city last year rejected a proposal to privatize management of the city-owned course.

"Huron Hills, obviously that's located right in the heart of the 2nd Ward," Hull said. "I feel like that's important to many people and that's something I'd definitely like to address and make sure that it stays a golf course for public use."

Rapundalo agreed with his opponent on Huron Hills.

"Certainly I'm in favor of, foremost, preserving that as a community-based golf course," he said. "But no matter what, it will always be an open space."

Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's e-mail newsletters.