Student drops from running for open city council seat

By James Restivo
Daily Staff Reporter  On  January 22nd, 2001

When LSA senior Chiddima Ozor heard about the vacant seat on the Ann Arbor City Council, she applied with hopes of giving back to the city where she has spent her entire life. "I was interested in doing a little more for the community and this was a means for me to do it," Ozor said. "I didn"t feel like I was a part of the place where I had grown up." Ozor asked Thursday to be dropped from consideration for the Ward V council seat because she said her current status as a student would hamper her ability to be an effective city council member. "Since I"m a student, taking a full load, I stepped out of the race," Ozor said. "The position could easily turn into a 20-30 hour a week job and it wouldn"t be best for the city if I stayed." Although Ozor isn"t being considered anymore, she brought important student issues to the proceedings, including parking, affordable housing and the cooperation between the city and the University. "There needs to be more communication between the University and the city," Ozor said. "There is not enough understanding or accommodation specific to students." Ozor and eight other residents went through intensive questioning last Tuesday by the city council and again from community members on Thursday. Remaining candidates are Augustine Amaru, Jean Bogan, Willie Cambell, Susan Crabb, Angela Jackson, Ira Mark, Rebeckah Warren, and Wendy Woods. All are residents of Ward V, which includes downtown Ann Arbor and the western parts of the city. Susan Pollay, interim public information officer for the city of Ann Arbor, said the candidates offer a wide range of opinions and experiences for council to choose from. "We had a pretty exciting array of people," Pollay said. "There are many topics that have a great bearing on students and the community." Issues such as underground sewage, the State Street renovation and parking may be looked at in the next year, Pollay said. Council members face the decision of choosing someone for the vacant seat who will sit until elections this November. Jean Carlburg (D-Ward III) said the council "will have no difficulty" choosing a well-qualified replacement from the applicants. "I was very pleased that they all had a lot of experience in the community," Carlburg said. "We just need to figure out what"s the best choice for the city." Councilman Joseph Upton (R-Ward II) said last week"s two and a half hour questioning gave him a very good feel for the candidates because none focused on only a single issue. "We have to try to evaluate if they are qualified and if they have a strong background in community service," Upton said. "We need someone who would represent that ward well." Ozor said the questioning was beneficial to her because it taught skills she will need for her professional life. "A lot of students are ill-equipped for the length and the intensity of an interview," Ozor said. "There was no way of knowing what they would ask it provided me a lot on an individual level." The other eight candidates should find out by today whether they have received the seat or not, Upton said. "It"s a tough decision, but the council will choose a good person someone who will serve well." The victor may be sworn in at tonight"s city council meeting, which starts at 7:30 p.m.

Printed from www.michigandaily.com on Sat, 26 May 2012 21:53:02 -0400