ANN ARBOR – Chuck Warpehoski (D) is running for re-election for the Ward 5 city council seat. He is seeking a fourth consecutive term as a council member.
He has lived in Ann Arbor for 16 years and has served as the director of local nonprofit the Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice for 15 years.
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He is married with two children.
The following interview was conducted via email.
In your opinion, what are the main issues in your ward? How do you propose to solve them?
1. Core services, especially roads. I have addressed this by increasing funding for road repair and by spending that money smarter by doing more preventative maintenance so our pavement lasts longer.
2. Affordable housing for low and middle-income people: I have secured $12M in additional local affordable housing funding to expand our supply of housing for very low income families. I plan to support using City-owned land to expand the number of units and review our zoning rules to incentive a better mix of housing options.
3. The Pall/Gelman dioxane plume: I plan to address this by continuing our legal strategy to get the polluter to fund a better cleanup and more extensive monitoring system to prevent human exposure to 1,4 dioxane.
What do you feel are the biggest issues in Ann Arbor?
Same as above.
What do you love about Ann Arbor?
I love our great neighborhoods, our diverse and eclectic community, our progressive commitment to inclusion, our amazing arts scene, our parks and natural areas, and our walkablility and bikeability.
What could Ann Arbor do better?
The rising cost of housing is a threat to the diversity that makes Ann Arbor special. This is a challenge caused by good things -- high quality of life that attracts people to work, live, and study here. We could do a better job of finding ways to accommodate this demand while maintaining the sense of place that makes Ann Arbor special.
Why did you decide to run again for City Council?
I decided to run so that I could put my progressive values of environmental protection, care for the vulnerable, and commitment to equity to serve the public. In my day job as director of the Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice I advocate for affordable housing, mass transit, environmentally sound policies, and racial equity. Being on City Council creates another platform to advance these issues.
If you could describe yourself in one word, what would it be?
Hard-working.
Describe what you think it means to be an Ann Arborite.
There are many ways to be an Ann Arborite. My job as a City Council member is to serve them all: artist and accountant; liberal and conservative; driver, cyclist and pedestrian; Wolverine and Spartan.
For more information about the upcoming election, including polling place locations and voter tips, read: What you need to know ahead of Ann Arbor's Aug. 7 primary.