On the Issues

Carsten is committed to:

• High-Quality City Services
  We have to get the basics right—from sidewalk repair to street maintenance. I’ll 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. I’ll work to preserve our neighborhoods by protecting and maintaining our parks, open spaces, and historical districts. I'll also work for sensible building height limits, and actively seek out community input on the direction of our vibrant, pedestrian-friendly, and locally-owned downtown core.
  
  
• 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. I’ll 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. I'll 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. I’ll work towards these goals, and for 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 will reach out and spend time in all of our neighborhoods to actively listen to and incorporate citizen input. I'll have weekly office hours in our neighborhoods and seek out all of the voices in the 5th Ward. Meaningful citizen engagement is one of Ann Arbor's great assets and I'll work hard to nurture it.