Ann Arbor voters passed a pair of special election ballot measures in August of 2025 that would hopefully put to rest: what should be done with the "Library Lot," a surface parking lot sited north of the Ann Arbor District Library's (AADL) Downtown main branch? Voters overwhelmingly approved measures to sell the site to the Ann Arbor District Library, and repeal the restrictions on its use, convinced by the vision of a "bigger better downtown library" as part of a larger development of the site.
Perhaps lost in the heat of this hard-fought election, it eventually came to light that one group found themselves on the wrong side of campaign finance laws, eventually settling with the state to the tune of thousands of dollars in fines. That group? The Library Green Conservancy (LGC), a group that, despite the name, held no connections to the AADL.
A short history of the site:
The saga over this surface parking lot has spanned generations now. The most recent chapter began with a multi-story planned multi-use development by Core Spaces, a deal that was effectively terminated in 2018 after voters narrowly approved a charter amendment to hold the lot "in perpetuity" as a city commons and public park. Supporters made various claims that such a commons would be easy to build, support, and finance, and a number of committees were formed to make these hazy dreams a more workable reality. The Center Of The City Task Force, and later The Council of the Commons were formed, and meetings dragged on for years. But once the Core Spaces development had been blocked, LGC’s energy and enthusiasm to raise the considerable funds needed and create the public space dispersed, like a puff of smoke. Eventually, in 2023, the Council of the Commons was dissolved, with nothing beyond increasingly confusing org charts to show for years of work, and prompting some exasperated citizens to call for closure.
In this stalled environment, the city and library began a collaborative process, and eventually stepped forward and proposed an ambitious new plan for a larger library with a multi-use development spanning both sites, leading to the approved referendum in 2025 and where we are today. Of course, the election was not without controversy...
Solicited advice goes bad
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| The Board of Library Green Conservancy, 2025 |
Prior to the election, the LGC was a nonprofit with a board made up of Rita Mitchell (president) Frank Wilhelme (treasurer), Jeff Crockett (secretary), and directors Lynn Borset, Will Hathaway, and Alice Ralph. The city and Library's plans did not sit well with the LGC, who saw themselves–still, after years of inaction–as the guardians of the site. Despite finding no workable path to accomplishing a public park and commons, the LGC opposed the proposals presented by the Library and city, and set about to try to convince voters to, yet again, block a development on this site.
The nonprofit LGC had a stated goal to "support public and private fundraising efforts to transform the Center of the City into a sustainable central park for the Ann Arbor community," Up to this point the LGC had collected tens of thousands of dollars, money that donors could reasonably expect would be spent in service of this mission. But facing a ballot measure, and sitting on thousands in unspent funds, LGC leadership pivoted, and turned their previously fundraised money for a park into an election slush fund. Instead of planting flowers and trees, the group began to purchase targeted mailers, print full page ads in the Ann Arbor Observer, and flood social media with ads in opposition to the ballot proposals.
LGC's lawyer Tom Wieder took to social media to defend the nonprofit. He boasted that LGC "had spent $59,000 on the election"--despite campaign finance laws limiting the ways a nonprofit like the LGC could spend donated funds to influence an election. Wieder argued that LGC’s campaigning was permissible because it did not "contai[n] express words of advocacy of election or defeat.” University of Michigan researcher Andrew Robbins promptly filed a complaint with the state, alleging the LGC had broken campaign finance laws. The state investigation found Wieder's claims were false: LGC’s mailers and website urged voters to “vote NO” and to “vote against” Proposals A and B–both well-established phrases of “express advocacy” under Michigan election law. Perhaps to the chagrin of LGC leadership, Wieder’s own social media posts were used in the complaint as evidence of wrongdoing.
A judgement, a resolution
The Michigan Department of State, unsurprisingly, agreed with Mr. Robbins, finding sufficient evidence to support the complaint and to conclude that LGC’s expenditures were probably unlawful.
"The Library Green Conservancy used “vote against” and “vote no” on printed materials opposing the Ann Arbor ballot proposals which constituted express advocacy. The express advocacy by Library Green Conservancy required them to either register a ballot questions committee under Section 24 or file and independent expenditure report under Section 25 with the appropriate filing official."
- James Biehl, Regulatory Attorney, Regulatory Division , Bureau of Elections , Michigan Department of State
The eventual resolution that the State of Michigan negotiated with LGC was to post-hoc create a ballot committee called "Respect Ann Arbor Parks," organized in January of 2026, well after the August 2025 election had concluded. The LGC then attributed all their election spending to this newly minted organization, which was then forced to pay a $2,300 late filing fee. Finally, the state issued a formal warning to the organization over their improper handling of funds.
Obviously none of the election material - mailers, social media, or other - included the phrase "paid for by Respect Ann Arbor Parks" as this organization did not yet exist at the time of election, but in regards to election law the state's preference is to bring organizations into compliance to the extent possible, and after the formal warning and fine, the matter was considered closed. Today, the LGC appears to be a shell of an organization, their website shuttered.
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