Dave Zeglen

Housing Landlords maintain vacancy to control the supply of housing. A vacancy tax compels landlords to rent units at lower rates and house tenants faster. Wages / Job Benefits The city must model appropriate union contracts along with cost-of-living adjustments and proper family leave affordances. The city can also use their regulatory, tax, and purchasing powers to promote better employment practices in the private sector. Criminal Justice / Public Safety Establish an unarmed emergency response program completely independent of the AAPD and embed community social workers in the neighborhoods they serve. Infrastructure / Transportation Build modern, comfortable, and more dignified bus shelters across the city. Add dedicated lanes for rapid transit that can connect multiple high-density hubs with residential neighborhoods where workers live. We also need more community engagement on transit in the city. Foreign Policy Dave will push for a resolution to divest all city funds from companies and other entities that profit from genocide as well as call on our federal representatives to oppose military aid to Israel. Wages / Job Benefits State law prevents cities from setting wages for employers. We need a powerful coalition of Michigan cities and counties applying relentless pressure on Lansing to restore “Home Rule” for wages. Only then will Ann Arbor be able to set a wage that reflects our cost of living. Housing Airbnbs impact affordability by taking long-term housing off the market. Dave will enforce bans on non-owner occupied short-term rentals in areas where they have been prohibited. Immigration Our immigrant neighbors are under attack from a rogue federal agency and we have already seen ICE start to operate in our community. We must stand up to Trump and ICE’s agenda. Dave will introduce an ordinance to prohibit all city resources, personnel, or property from being used for immigration enforcement and to prevent collaboration between municipal agencies and ICE. Environment / Energy The toxic Gelman 1,4-dioxane plume continues to migrate closer to Ann Arbor’s water supply. This environmental disaster must be remediated with support for Superfund cleanup status from the EPA. Environment / Energy Everyone should have the freedom to enjoy nature. We must retain mature trees and support native plantings on public and private properties. Public park land must also be retained for both open space recreation and natural areas. Sidewalk gaps must also be thoughtfully managed by balancing hardscape and greenscape. Housing To protect all of the city’s renters, we need the AATU’s tenant bill of rights that includes the right to organize, rent control, and eviction protections. Wages / Job Benefits A job should keep you out of poverty, not keep you in it. Dave will support local unions in their struggle for fair contracts with the raises and benefits that workers deserve. Immigration ICE and other law enforcement agencies must be subject to transparency, accountability, and should not be able to operate in anonymity. Dave will fight for an ordinance banning all law enforcement officers from wearing masks and requiring them to provide identification. Government Reform Keep essential municipal services controlled and operated by the city instead of privatizing them to non-union profit-seeking enterprises. Environment / Energy Ann Arbor must pre-emptively protect against data center development and publicly support nearby municipalities in their struggle against these polluting data centers. Government Reform Ban city procurement sources that rely on exploitative labor in sweatshop conditions, including digital sweatshop labor that powers AI. Housing Housing is a human right. The immediate expansion of public housing, cooperatives, and land trusts that meet the needs of the people guarantees this right. Environment / Energy Support A2P2’s ballot initiative to establish a municipal electric utility to be governed by a utility board. We need a city-owned, 100% renewable energy grid controlled by Ann Arbor residents instead of private, profit-seeking monopolies.