City Council member Barry LaRue, D-ward three, decided not to run again after serving the council for 12 years.

"I've considered it a privilege," LaRue said. "I'm looking forward to being a council watcher."

However, LaRue said he wants to focus on his involvement with the Riverside Arts Center on N. Huron Street.

The group is in the process of adding a new elevator and stair case that will connect the Masonic Temple to the former DTE Energy building, which is one block to the south.

"Once we've got an elevator we need to go somewhere," LaRue said.

A life-long resident of Ypsilanti, LaRue's father and grandfather lived and worked in Ypsilanti.

LaRue, 50, attended Roosevelt High School as a youth. After high school he enrolled at EMU and graduated with a bachelor's degree in speech and dramatic arts.

It was while attending college that he met his wife Kim Clarke, who is now a speech writer for the University of Michigan.

LaRue and Clarke had two children together; Adelle, 25, and Ned, 21. Adelle currently lives in Washington D.C. and works as a lobbyist with the American Insurance Organization. LaRue said Ned is "finding himself."

At one time, LaRue also owned rental property in Ypsilanti. He said he is proud that he has had three separate properties on the Ypsilanti Historical Home Tour, all of which were located on N. Hamilton Street.

It is LaRue's solid roots in Ypsilanti that made him feel like a good candidate for city council when he first ran in April of '91.

"I have the perspective of a homeowner, landlord and something in common with Eastern students," LaRue said.

LaRue was 34 when he first ran for city council. At that time there were five wards and a city council term lasted two years.

After serving two consecutive two-year terms, LaRue lost his seat to another incumbent after their wards were merged in '95.

Three years later LaRue came back and ran for his seat again in '98. He then served two consecutive four-year terms ending with the finish of this term in the fall.

"There are a number of things I feel positive about," LaRue said of his history on city council.

"I was the prime mover to have an architectural study performed on city hall," LaRue said.

The study, LaRue said, resulted in the removal of the "cheese-grader," a large gold-anodized aluminum structure outside the building he described as a "giant pigeon roost."

LaRue feels better about the relationship between EMU and the city than he did when he first took office.

"It was pretty chilly in the early 90s," LaRue said. "At least now we have the ability to talk about common problems, even if we don't agree 100%."

Finally, Downtown revitalization was also something LaRue felt was an accomplishment.

"I always felt good working with the Downtown Development Authority," LaRue said.

Specifically, LaRue sited his part in the Hyatt and Palma plan.

"It has been a blue-print for how we have revitalized downtown," LaRue said.

A big concern with a lot of people is the Water Street Project. "Water Street has been a bit disappointing for everyone," LaRue said.

"At least the last few years have had some positive movement," LaRue said.

He went on to say, "I have hopes that before I get off council in the fall we'll have a contractual arraignment to have something built."

LaRue said his biggest disappointment throughout his term is the "failure of the state to recognize the needs of local government."

According to LaRue, the state support for local governments has been declining since '95.

"We need to find a solution," said LaRue, "or the fate of Ypsilanti is in jeopardy."

LaRue said this might not be the last of his city council involvement. He explained why he ran for city council in the first place, "I love Ypsilanti and I love the spirited competition."

"It's in my blood," LaRue said. "I think of this as just a break."

Ward Three Race

There are two candidates for LaRue's city council seat.

Both candidates, Roderick Johnson and Brian Robb, are running under the Democratic ticket.

This means both will face- off at the primaries in Aug. The winner of the primaries will go on to the Nov. general election as a Democratic candidate.

Roderick Johnson

Rod Johnson, 58, announced his intentions to run for city council's third ward seat soon after LaRue announced he wasn't.

Johnson sits on the board of directors for his neighborhood association, the Historic East Side Neighborhood Assosiation.

"I will strive to further strengthen the various neighborhood associations," Johnson said.

"When you talk to the people," Johnson said, "it's all about ordinance enforcement and crime prevention."

Neighborhood associations are how Johnson feels that these goals can be accomplished. He cites neighborhood watch programs as an example.

Johnson plans to push the establishment of a neighborhood association in the area between the water tower and Huron Street along Washtenaw Ave.

"It's a pretty vital section," Johnson said. "Those families need some sort of spirit there."

Aside from his involvement with HESNA, Johnson was also the chair of the Recreation Commission in '99, of which he had been a member since '95.

After chairing the Recreation Commission, Johnson went on to join the Planning Commission in 2000.

"That was a very rewarding experience," Johnson said, "because I got to see the workings of the city."

In 2005 Johnson became the chair of the commission. Johnson described the position as "a growth thing."

"That's were I met the city council," Johnson said. "I got this feeling of competency during the discussion of down zoning in the mid-town area."

Johnson prides himself with his participation in the Planning Commission.

"Coming in from the Planning Commission," Johnson said, "I don't think I need to appease any political entity."

"It's too fashionable to say 'no on taxes' if you're talking about receivership," Johnson said about a proposed city income tax.

"State revenue has drifted downward," Johnson said. "We shouldn't write a poor budget and assume the state's just going to take care of us," he said. "That's just not going to happen."

"Let's see if we can go at it without income taxes," Johnson said. "But I'm not willing to let the city go into receivership."

Johnson remains positive about the future of the Water Street Project.

"The city has learned a lot about how this should be done," Johnson said. "It looks like [Freed and Associates] has the where-with-all to do it."

However, Johnson sees the issue as urgent.

"Water Street has held a lot of people up," Johnson said. "They need to be running on this."

Another issue Johnson feels is important for the city is public transportation.

"It's a great need," Johnson said, "council needs to find a way to keep the buses on the road."

However, Johnson does not think the charter amendment being petitioned by Keep Ypsi Rollin' is good for the city.

"The petition is one-sided," Johnson said. "Is it worth losing one police officer?"

The petition, if passed, would allocate .65 of the city's existing millages per year toward paying for Ypsilanti bus service.

Johnson moved to Ypsilanti in 1984 with his wife Shari and daughter Caitlin. "This seemed like a great neighborhood to raise kids," he said.

Johnson's oldest daughter is now 22 and will be graduating in Dec. from UofM with a bachelor's degree in engineering.

His younger daughter, Carly, is 19 and studying graphic arts at W.C.C.

"I thought I was capable of doing it," Johnson said when asked why he was running. "I have the ability to look out there and get the opinion of others."

Brian Robb

Brian Robb, 34, is making his second bid for a city council ward three seat for this year.

Robb said he ran for the same spot as a write in candidate in 2004 and took 10-11 percent of the votes. "It was an interesting experience," he said.

Robb said when he ran the first time "there hadn't been a contested Democratic primary since '98."

"If we want success as a city, we need to talk about the issues," Robb said.

He decided to put himself on the ballot this year.

"I want to do it the right way now," Robb said. "Since 2004, my whole reason for running has grown."

He said, "I believe I can help the city. I think I offer a fresh perspective."

Robb said his main platform is communication between the city and its citizens. "I'm a big fan of transparency in the government," Robb said.

At one of the budget planning sessions last week, Robb said, the city approved $205,000 to be paid to the previous developer of the Water Street Project, Biltmore Properties Corporation. The city owed the money to Biltmore.

Robb said the money came out of the city's general fund. In the Water Street Frequently Asked Questions page, on the city's website, the answer to question 14 says, "The City's general fund has not been used to support the Water Street project to date, nor is it anticipated to do so in the future."

"That's an example," Robb said of the city's decision, calling it a "surprise."

"People have a fear of government," Robb said. "If you make information available, people like that."

"It should be a jewel for the city," Robb said about Water Street.

"We've had some troubles," Robb said, "but now we have a developer. It can be a success."

Robb said, "I think public transportation is good for the city."

"You have to hand it to KYR," Robb said, "for shining the spotlight on this situation."

Robb went on to say, "[The petition] was an action by an organization that didn't feel they were getting the attention they need."

However, Robb doesn't feel the petition is necessary. He thinks it allocates too much money to transportation that could be used for other purposes.

"I appreciate the idea," Robb said of KYR's ballot initiative, "but you're going to generate too much funds and it will be difficult to balance the budget."

Robb said he is "absolutely against" any proposed city income tax.

"We cannot tax ourselves out of our problems," Robb said. "Even with an income tax, by the year 2014 we'd be back in the red."

"If we go and implement an income tax," Robb said, "then we send the message to the state that we don't need their help."

"We need to be forming coalitions with other cities to lobby people in power in Lansing," Robb said. "And make every dollar count."

Robb lives with his partner of 13 years, Kate de Fuccio, and their two cats, Lilly and Sofie, in Ypsilanti's Historic East Side.

Robb and de Fuccio, 35, moved from Penn. when Robb took a job with Ford as a design engineer after graduating from Lafayette College.

Running several Web Pages about Ypsilanti, Robb thinks the internet should be the new way for the city to communicate with its citizens.

East-Cross.com, YpsiCrime.org and voterobb.com all are run by Robb.

Robb's ideas include building a wireless network for Ypsilanti, pod-casted city council meetings and video reports from city officials posted on the city's website.

"The more open and honest you are," Robb said, "the more people trust you."