JANUARY 24, 2025 ANN ARBOR Ann Arbor put $1 million aside to brace for Trump's administration changes, but is it enough? MIKE JONES Groundcover vendor No. 113 ANNA GERSH Board President On December 16, 2024, Ann Arbor City Council voted 9-1 to pass a contingency fund of $1 million to prepare for president-elect Donald J. Trump’s coming administration. On January 20, 2025 Donald J. Trump was sworn into office. Concerned citizens and those in local and state government are waiting to see what he will do concerning many issues. On January 21 we already started getting answers. He pardoned all those who were convicted in the January 6 insurrection. He has put a “freeze” on immigration and he has signed a collection of executive orders, some of which have already triggered legal push back. Americans and individuals around the world are worrying about these as well and other actions including pulling the United States out of the Paris Climate Agreement (again!) and the World Health Organization. Trump has been saying what he will and will not do all throughout his campaign. He pledged mass deportations of immigrants and steep cuts to education and other departments. He’s created a Department of Government Efficiency, a presidential advisory committee to help him select as many opportunities as possible to cut spending, although we believe he is still making plans to continue cutting taxes for the super wealthy and bloated corporations who have made record profits in recent years. Former President Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders have warned of excessive concessions to the rich like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos. They warn of a world where the super wealthy will have greater influence on government in the United States. This transparent new order was on full display at the inauguration where these billionaires stood on the dais with the incoming president and his family. As a result of uncertainty about federal funding for local human services, Ann Arbor City Council voted 9-1 to actively prepare for President Trump — but will that be enough? This $1M was set aside and taken from the $2.8M that was approved by council from general fund reserves. This $2.8M was to be used for many planned projects including strengthening our energy alternatives, public safety support, parking subsidies to city employees and improvements to the James L. Crawford Elks Lodge, one of the City’s bicentennial legacy projects. City Administrator Milton Dohoney said at the city council meeting that part of the reason for wanting this set-aside is that “we feel the need to be proactive in this instance; we’re talking about a coming uncertainty and we don’t know the speed with which it will come. Anything can happen.” Groundcover News reached out to the city administrator for an interview to discuss both the limitations and the goals of such an allocation. Mr. Dohoney responded personally but declined an interview, stating that without knowing what sorts of requests might be made on the funds, he wasn’t prepared to guess how this million dollars might actually be spent. Ann Arbor Mayor Chistopher Taylor, lacking details, said funds could be used in a multitude of ways like “immigration and city projects.” He also went on to say the city is seeing a surplus in their funds due to property taxes coming in above budgeted amounts and more money coming in from marijuana businesses. With extra money, the city has voted to invest in city projects and city employee pay and now this set-aside can help us address potential emergency funding. “We have put aside $1 million so that we are able to be responsive to the needs of our residents in the event that the directionality from the federal government changes quickly,” the mayor said. Ann Arbor Councilwoman Jen Eyer says the all-Democrat City Council is trying to be proactive and there’s no underlying political motive. We decided to hit the streets and see how the residents of Ann Arbor were feeling about the $1M reserve. We started at the heart of the city, 5th and Liberty, found a good spot out of the wind and asked passers by if they’d mind sharing their thoughts on this action with our readers. Here's what they said. Bradley: I voted for Trump this time; I think he was making a lot more sense. Am I nervous he’ll make a lot of cuts? If we voted him in, that’s the best we can do. John: That’s insane. A lot of people come here for help. Ann Arbor does a lot more than a lot of places, and I think the sentiment is great, but if there are real needs it won’t be enough. Sophia: I guess I don’t know enough about it to have an opinion. I want to know what the city plans to do with the money. Greg: It’s a great gesture, but it’s a drop in the bucket. Sunday, February 9 • 10am–5pm Downtown Library NO WAY HOME from last page gun and holding it up in the air after her husband threatened to kill him and his son. She stated to the police that she wanted to help him. We have been scraping constantly, dodging all the crap thrown at us by the State: taking his Social Security away for two years without any explanation and constantly denying his appeal. We've had to move from state to state trying to find help. All with no family support. My cousins insult me, calling me dumb. Several have said to me, “Don’t worry — when you find out you're gonna kill them!” Now I know why; I was too blind to see what my mother and my sister were doing all along. I have always believed and said: time tells everything, so you better be good, because time will tell on you! Pray for us, it’s going to be a battle! Author's note: Thank you Truth Or Lies fans I apologize for the delay. I was writing my third book. A comedy mystery “The Ad-Dam Fam,” available on Amazon. Granna was a True story. Please help me and my family. We are homeless once again asking for your blessing. Vendor number 234. This fiber-filled day will have a full slate of demos and presentations, with a lobby full of local vendors. This year we’re focusing on the history and origin of fiber arts. Drop-in for a sampling of fiber arts projects and hands on quilting, spinning, and weaving activities! View the 2025 vendor list and more at aadl.org/aafax. GROUNDCOVER NEWS What’s Happening at the Ann Arbor District Library Open 10am–8pm Daily Hang out in any of our five locations across town, browsing books, magazines, newspapers, and more, or check out movies, CDs, art prints, musical instruments, and home tools— you name it! Study and meeting rooms, fast and free WiFi, and plenty of places to sit and hang out. Unusual Stuff to Borrow There’s more to borrow at AADL than books, music, and movies. To name a few, there are games, telescopes, stories-to-go kits, and home tools. Check out these unusual yet handy items during your next library visit. Fifth Avenue Press AADL founded Fifth Avenue Press in 2017 to support the local writing community and promote the creation of original content. The imprint publishes works by authors who live in Washtenaw County. Consider submitting your finished manuscript to Fifth Avenue Press today at fifthave. aadl.org. FEATURED EVENT 5
6 Publizr Home