YPSILANTI, MI - Ypsilanti voters will elect a new mayor when they go to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 6.

Mayor Amanda Edmonds is stepping down and five candidates have stepped up to run, including two write-ins.

The three candidates on the ballot are Beth Bashert, a Democrat who represents Ward 2 on the City Council, and Mickeila Tate and Adrienne Hirschfelder, both running as independents.

Sheila McSpadden and Anne Brown have filed to run as write-in candidates.

Brown, an Ypsilanti council member from 2014 to 2016, intended to challenge Bashert in the Democratic primary in August, but she failed to turn in enough qualifying petition signatures to get on the ballot. She said her only option at that point was to run as a write-in.

MLive has partnered with the nonpartisan League of Women Voters of Michigan to provide information about candidates and proposals on the ballot via the LWV Education Fund voter guide at Vote411.org.

Two of the Ypsilanti mayoral candidates -- Bashert and Brown -- responded to voter guide questions about their backgrounds and thoughts on issues facing the city, while Hirschfelder filled out her basic bio and pointed readers to her social media pages.

Tate has a Facebook page and McSpadden does not appear to have a campaign presence online.

Four of the candidates in the race, all but McSpadden, participated in a recent forum hosted by the LWV.

Watch it here:

Here's some of what they had to say in the voter guide:

Campaign website:

Bashert: bashert4ypsi.com

Brown: get2knowanne.com

Hirschfelder: fb.me/adrienneforypsi

Number of years as resident:

Bashert: 28

Brown: 40

Hirschfelder: 9

What in your education and experience make you the best qualified candidate for this position?

Bashert: I am a current Ypsilanti elected councilperson and I've been a community organizer with demonstrated accomplishments in Ypsilanti municipal politics for over 20 years.

My past work includes being a co-chair of the volunteer campaign to pass our city's nondiscrimination ordinance in 1997 and the successful effort to defend it at the ballot box in 1998.

I was the campaign manager for our current mayor. And I'm the elected city council representative for Ypsilanti's Ward 2. I've worked to end homelessness in my personal and professional life, as well as secure Choice for women, and green spaces for all.

The reason I've been successful at passing legislation, getting elected in Ypsilanti, and winning public service awards is that I care deeply about my community, and I have a thoughtful, collaborative leadership style which is what it takes to build consensus and get things done in our city. With me as mayor, I think that we will accomplish even more of our goals than we have with me on co [answer cut off]

Brown: I have a Degree in Public Administration which gives me the core skills to understand the fundamentals of municipal government and how it works to improve the lives of citizens.

My public service experience includes 1) District Manager for State Representatives Alma Wheeler Smith and David E. Rutledge, 2) Southeast Michigan Council of Government Water Resource Task Force, 3) Executive Director, Center for Health Education and Advocacy, 4) Executive Director, Detroit Primary Care Network, 5) W.K Kellogg Foundation Youth Development Fellow and 6) Organizer for the Hauser Center Building Movement Project.

I have also taken local government classes and attended trainings through the Michigan Municipal League and SEMCOG. In each position or opportunity, I worked to build the capacity of others, build community and work across boundaries to ensure diversity and equity were a part of the outcome. As we work to create new policies they must address the needs of people and build resilience.

Hirschfelder: I really appreciate the role the LofWV has played in educating voters and facilitating democracy throughout the United States. My answers to these questions and much more can be found on my social media sites. Facebook: AdrienneforYpsi; Twitter and Instagram: @adrienneforypsi.

What are your goals should you be elected and how will you work to accomplish them with current resources?

Bashert: My major goal is to help Ypsilanti overcome its struggles and make lasting progress for all residents. We have struggled as a rustbelt city and throughout the economic recession, yet we've weathered it and now have the chance to begin recovery.

That means a balanced and effective municipal budget, and bringing back services after years of austerity. It means expanding our solar power leadership and working towards a carbon-neutral city with a healthy, pleasant river. It means growing and supporting the already thriving arts & musical culture that we are becoming known for. It means improved public safety, supporting our beleaguered parks, and improving our downtown areas.

It means public transit connecting Ypsilanti to Ann Arbor and Detroit and the airport by Amtrak, commuter rail, and buses as part of a multicounty transit authority. And most of all it means that together we are closing the gap of income and employment disparities that many of our citizens struggle with every day.

Brown: My primary goal as Mayor is to assist City Council and the City Manager in advancing the vision, mission, goals and objectives of Ypsilanti. I will to do this by proposing three guiding principles: investing in people, responsible growth and protecting our environment, and aligning resources as necessary.

What are the most serious problems facing the City of Ypsilanti and how will you work to solve them?

Bashert: The most serious problem facing Ypsilanti is supporting thoughtful development for our city; it must inclusively benefit all residents, support brownfield cleanup, be sustainable, and employ local people. With careful guidance to provide more tax revenue, our city will thrive. We can't rely on the state to fulfill its promised revenue sharing--Ypsi will have to do it for ourselves.

Another problem is that many municipal discussions are stressful and rancorous. With thoughtful, calm processes and the legacy of the recession slowly dissipating, we can solve many problems and make lasting progress together. There's no magic bullet: we must tackle our challenges together. I'll do my part by taking broad and contextual input on important questions in advance, being open about my decision-making process, holding town halls and office hours, and working tirelessly to reach out to hear all disparate views with the goal of reaching a group consensus on the way forward.

Brown: The most serious problem identified by residents to date is infrastructure. Ypsilanti is not alone in needing road repair but infrastructure can also include sewers, utilities, sidewalks and green infrastructure. I will propose and work to identify and repair city infrastructure issues.

What are Ypsilanti's greatest assets and how can they be used to help the city thrive?

Bashert: Ypsilanti's greatest assets are our people and our location. We are a cultural powerhouse, punching well above our weight in education, culture, food, and art. We have a food scene that rivals Ann Arbor's, a university proportionally double the size of UM, and a rich and diverse history. Ypsilantians are friendly, creative, tenacious people. With modesty, I would just point out that we won WWII single-handedly--and we did it all with a key piece of municipal infrastructure once voted the most phallic object in the world!

Ypsi is located at the exact center of Washtenaw County, just one-hour's drive from Detroit, Lansing, Flint, Toledo. We are a hub of the growing self-driving car industry and 15 minutes from an international airport. All this and a small town personality. Ypsilanti is fabulously walkable/bikeable, and the home of numerous festivals including Elvis Fest and Beer Fest! Ypsi is both affordable and dynamic, both laid-back and exciting, with both continuity and opportunity.

Brown: The rich diversity and ethnicity of our community is an asset. Our campaign tagline Together, We Rise speaks to the need for us to recognize and honor the value we each bring to the table and how that should be used to build community and build resilience. Every voice matters and should be filtered into our decision making. People and their contributions make a city thrive.

The Huron River, a nationally recognized water trail, runs through the city of Ypsilanti. This asset can be used as an economic driver. Working with the Huron River Watershed Council we installed a floating dock and received funding to address invasive species at Peninsular Park. The DIA Inside Out Project was held in every park along the river; and kayak trips can be planned with Ypsilanti as a destination. Our current concern is the presence of PFAS in the Huron River and its impact on the environmental and recreation opportunities.

How would you describe your leadership style and how will that help the City of Ypsilanti become a better place?

Bashert: As a leader, I'm a thoughtful mediator, not a domineering policy wonk. I don't have the world's deepest knowledge of every topic, and I know it. That's why I'm constantly trying to study and explore an issue, learn from everyone around me, think carefully about what to do, get critical expert advice, and share what I've learned and what I'm thinking. And I think that kind of open-minded, collaborative style is going to be key to de-escalating the rancor of municipal politics in Ypsilanti. There's an old saying: the answer to every important question is "it depends," because if there were a simple answer it wouldn't be an important question.

Municipal politics is about finding answers to these important and complex questions that work for the whole community, and it takes the whole community to find out which answers work. Uniting the community, not necessarily behind every answer but behind a collaborative process to find the answer, is my leadership style and it's what Ypsilanti needs

Brown: I have been described as being both a thought leader and a transformational leader because I bring forward thinking, insight and actionable ideas to the table.

Ypsilanti is at a cross road which is going to require thoughtfulness, creativity and action to address the critical issues we face. Responsible growth that focuses on job growth and creation through support of existing businesses, sustainability, developing neighborhood economies and fostering economic development is an expectation.

Additionally, Ypsilanti has many opportunities for advancement but with advancement comes the responsibility to provide excellent core services, reduce the tax burden, provide affordable housing and increase access to food, health, and other goods and services. As a transformational leader I will work with City Council, residents and businesses to proactively address these issues.

More info:

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 6.

All responses in the Vote411.org voter guide were submitted directly by the candidates and have not been edited by the League of Women Voters, except for necessary cut if a reply exceeded character limitations. Spelling and grammar were not corrected. Publication of candidate statements and opinions is solely in the interest of public service and should not be considered as an endorsement. The league never supports or opposes any candidates or political parties.