BE INDEPENDENT!

It's Time for a Change

Growth should be intentional. Ann Arbor can grow and not lose its charm and what we value. Residents, not land speculators, should have the last word in deciding the future of our city.

Eric Lipson and Mayor Taylor debate (video)

presented by the Orchard Hills Maplewood Homeowners’ Association

Eric Lipson shares his vision for Ann Arbor if elected mayor (WEMU)

Additional videos below.

I believe that our city must:

Promote affordable housing options so our teachers, nurses, and service workers can live here. As examples, University Townhouses, Colonial Square and Arrowwood Hills, member-owned co-ops, have been some of Ann Arbor’s most affordable and diverse communities for many years. Cooperatives are a real answer to affordability.
Take real climate action such as mandating electrically heated buildings when approving NEW development to promote A2Zero sustainability goals, not just ask residents to retrofit their houses and pay more taxes.
Address the long term threat of the dioxane plume to local drinking water. It’s critical that the Gelman Dioxane Cleanup start with strong advocacy for EPA Superfund status which the mayor has resisted. Lobby Lansing for Polluter Pay legislation.
Prevent problems caused by lack of planning that have caused flooded basements, traffic congestion, deteriorating roads and over-taxed infrastructure. We must complete the A2 Comprehensive Land Use Plan before making massive zoning changes.
Recruit minorities to achieve Diversity, Equity and Inclusion goals in hiring and promotion of city staff to correct the city’s shameful past track record of minority hiring and promotion.
Adopt conflict of interest and financial disclosure rules for mayor and council that set forth clear ethics standards and thereby improve government transparency.
Enact Non-Partisan city elections to enfranchise students and others who do not vote in the August Primary. This was vetoed twice by the current mayor and he voted against this on October 7th.
Protect the health and safety of our 50,000 renters by adding rental housing inspectors. There are only 5 inspectors for 25,000 rental housing units!
Explore forming a Municipal Public Power Utility. MPUs have reduced rates and improved reliability in 40 Michigan cities such as Traverse City and Lansing.
Use existing millage money to purchase environmentally sensitive properties, such as Concord Pines, where hundreds of trees were destroyed. We could save landmark trees and natural features with existing dedicated Greenbelt funds within the city as the ordinance requires.
Restore civility to City Council by respecting everyone’s opinion.
Improve staff morale by listening to and acting on their concerns. Stop the turnover of city staff. We've had four city managers under the current mayor.
Bring awareness to substance use disorder stigma and advocate for improved treatment options.

Why Should You Vote for Eric Lipson?

A Mayor for All

Eric has a proven track record of success.

He led the Inter-Cooperative Council, the oldest student housing co-op in the U.S., from a deficit to a surplus in four years, reduced vacancies, improved energy efficiency and reduced water usage by hundreds of thousands of gallons a year.
Under his leadership Recycle Ann Arbor’s Reuse Center went from $200 per day gross to $2000 a day and kept hundreds of tons of material out of the landfill.
Protected tenants rights as a former member of the A2 Housing Board of Appeals, and prioritized neighborhoods while on the A2 Planning Commission.
Wrote environmental impact statements for grant applications for SMART transit in Metro Detroit and parts of Five Year Transit Development Plan for AATA.

We want a mayor who cares about the environment and the community.

Six-year member of the Coalition for Action on Remediation of Dioxane (CARD). CARD has helped accelerate the EPA designating this as a Superfund site.
Member of the Anti-Racism Committee of the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor.
Board member of the Haiti Nursing Foundation.
He builds DecaDomes®, durable, lightweight, quick-to-build shelters, which have been used in Haiti, Bangladesh, California, Washington state and Canada.
UM Law Grad whose first legal job was at UM Student Legal Services, defending students in landlord / tenant and criminal matters.
As a former board member of the Scrap Box of Ann Arbor, he helped diversify their supply chain.
Longtime volunteer at Mott Children’s Hospital.
Former Interim Director of the U of M Lloyd Scholars where he helped in actively recruiting and retaining minority students and LGBTQ students.

Click to see sample ballot

About Eric

ABOUT ERIC

Eric Lipson is a native Detroiter who came to Ann Arbor for Law School in the 1970’s, fell in love with the town and his future wife, and has lived here ever since.

He has advocated for student and pedestrian safety for many years, especially on the issues of better street lighting and services in student areas.

He has a long affiliation with the Fresh Air Society of Detroit and was a camper, staff member and director of their outdoor education programs in the U.S. and Canada. At Fresh Air Camps thousands of school kids were safely hosted at residential programs in the US and Canada.

From 1991 to 1993 he was the Executive Director of Beth Emeth Congregation where he grew the congregation and instituted member management software.

He has worked on numerous environmental causes including the Returnable Bottle Bill and with the Michigan Safe Energy Coalition, an anti-nuclear group. He has spoken to the MI Public Service Commission in favor of true net metering for solar installations.

Eric has sent his Decadomes® to St Vincent Center for Disabled Children and the YMCA of Haiti, as well as homeless encampments in Washington, California and to Hamilton, ON for season 4 of The Expanse, TV science fiction drama.

Eric is married to Lorene Sterner, a staff member at the U of M Kelsey Museum of Archaeology. They have three children, all of whom attended the Ann Arbor public schools, U of M, and WCCC.