Title
Resolution to Adopt the Revised FY2023 City Council Legislative Policy Agenda
Memorandum
City Council Legislative Policy Agenda is a document that serves as a statement of values for the City of Ann Arbor and provides policy guidance for city leaders when engaging with state and federal policymakers. In July of 2022, with the guidance of Dykema and at the direction of the Council Policy Agenda Committee, the document was reformatted to indicate high priority and medium priority legislative and administrative lobbying actions to orient staff toward specific objectives. In addition, the document still contained a full statement of values from the City and provided direction to pursue lobbying efforts in support of a wide array of issues such as LGBTQ+ rights, gun control, and climate change.
With the fall 2022 election, however, a new Democratic majority has been elected in both chambers of the legislature for the first time in nearly 40 years. This necessitates a strategic change in the city’s policy agenda activities, and therefore its policy agenda document. The attached revised document encompasses a much broader array of specific policy proposals, some of which are well-worn ideas whose time has come and others are new ideas intended to make progress on the city’s core policy values.
This document was approved with amendments at the December 6, 2022 Council Policy Agenda Committee Meeting and has been shared with our incoming local legislative delegation for feedback. It is now provided to the Council for your consideration and approval.
The prioritization of issues in this document will serve as the basis of performance reporting back to the Council Policy Agenda Committee and as the basis for the formal evaluation of the City’s lobbying efforts.
Staff
Prepared by: John Fournier, Deputy City Administrator
Reviewed by: Council Policy Agenda Committee
Approved by: Council Policy Agenda Committee
Body
Whereas, The City of Ann Arbor is positioned to exercise influence over the adoption of policies and direction of funds at the state and federal level that may have a significant impact on the quality of life of our citizens;
Whereas, The City’s efforts to influence these policies are much more effective when they are coordinated, when our city’s leadership and communication are strategically aligned, and when we work together and in common purpose; and
Whereas, The Council Policy Agenda Committee carefully directed the drafting of the document to prioritize its efforts and reflect its intentions;
Whereas, The new Democratic majority in the legislature presents an historical opportunity for policy change in the state of Michigan and has opened new opportunities for the City of Ann Arbor to influence those changes;
RESOLVED, That the City Council of the City of Ann Arbor hereby adopts the revised FY2023 Ann Arbor City Council Policy Agenda and directs the City Administrator to pursue its ends.
Sponsored by: Councilmembers Eyer, Radina, Watson, and Harrison