Second Ward

Eugene Kang

If LSA senior Eugene Kang wins the primary he will be one step closer to becoming the first University student elected to the City Council in 30 years.

The life-long Ann Arbor resident said he has been dissatisfied with the relationship he has seen between City Council and students, and that “students don’t feel like they have a place to be venting.”

Kang said some Ann Arbor residents think that because students are not likely to live in the city after college, their opinions are changing and they are not rooted into the city. Kang said individual students may come and go, but their concerns remain.

“Student issues will stay even though student names may change,” Kang said.

Kang said that City Council needs a progressive, proactive and bold member, and while Rapundalo has the support of most of the council, he is not necessarily the best option for the city.

Kang said he believes that greater downtown density is good, and in order to address affordable housing the city needs to focus elsewhere in the city. He said that utilizing underdeveloped properties or areas around Ann Arbor is necessary. Kang also opposes a city income tax.

Stephen Rapundalo

Stephen Rapundalo, an 18-year resident of Ann Arbor and research scientist at Pfizer Inc. is seeking to represent the Second Ward for Ann Arbor City Council in Tuesday’s primary election.

Rapundalo, a former GOP mayoral candidate said he became a Democrat this year because he shares more views with Democrats, especially on social issues. Rapundalo said he agrees with most Democrats on the City Council because they are centrist and pragmatic like him.

Rapundalo enters the primary having served on the Parks Advisory Commission and the Sanitary Sewer Overflow Advisory Task Force.

These experiences may motivate people to vote for him, Rapundalo said. Rapundalo said that Kang, his opponent, can be vague when addressing city issues, and that his “naïveté” or lack of information may explain this.

Rapundalo said “ideas have to be rooted in some real-life experiences,” and that his opponent, Eugene Kang, “simply does not have that experience.”

Rapundalo said City Council has “failed, in general, to reach out to its constituents.” He also said he sympathizes with University students and wants to encourage and strengthen communication between students and City Council.

Rapundalo said he admires certain council members, but does not identify with any because he has always considered himself an independent thinker.

Fourth Ward

Eric Lipson

Eric Lipson, an attorney and Ann Arbor resident for three decades, is seeking the Democratic nomination against Higgins in the Fourth Ward.

Lipson has previous work experience in Student Legal Services and currently serves on the City Planning Commission.

Lipson said he was motivated to run for City Council after he and others on his street contacted Higgins when they wanted to have traffic calmed on Rosewood Street. He said Higgins was not very responsive.

“She has not been a person who has instituted a lot of change,” Lipson said.

Lipson said he sympathizes with students and feels that items pertaining to them should not be introduced or passed when most students are gone during the summer.

While working for SLS, he fought against landlords who he said were not keeping promises made to tenants and providing substandard housing.

Lipson said that he supports public transportation and making the city more bike-friendly.

Lipson said he wants simpler downtown zoning to allow for mixed-use developments and that he will approach the idea of a city income tax with an open mind.

Marcia Higgins

Marcia Higgins is running for a fourth term in the Fourth Ward.

She is an administrative assistant at Borders bookstore and a former Republican candidate for mayor.

Higgins said that a lot of the things that she has been working on while serving City Council are just coming to fruition and she would like to see them through.

Higgins said she wants to improve the city’s “archaic” and prohibiting zoning laws.

While on the council, Higgins said she has been proud of her contributions to the visioning for downtown, and her deciding vote that approved an Environmental Commission.