Ann Arbor, Michigan

Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 114,024, which includes about 30,000 students. A person from Ann Arbor is called an "Ann Arborite." The city itself is often called A2 ("A two") or A² ("A-squared"), and less commonly Tree Town (or, usually tongue-in-cheek, The People's Republic of Ann Arbor). Recently, some youth have taken to calling Ann Arbor Ace Deuce or simply The Deuce.

Government and politics

Ann Arbor has a mayor-council form of government. The mayor, who is elected every even-numbered year, is the presiding officer of the City Council and has the power to appoint all Council committee members as well as board and commission members, with the approval of the City Council. The City Council has ten members, two from each of the city's five wards, with the mayor wielding the tie-breaking vote. Council members serve two-year terms, with half the council elected in annual elections.

Related Topics:
Mayor - Council

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Ann Arbor is located in the 15th Congressional district, and is represented by Representative John Dingell (D), the longest-serving member of the U.S. House. On the state level, the city is in the 18th district in the Michigan Senate. In the Michigan State House of Representatives, the city of Ann Arbor is in the 53rd district, while northeastern Ann Arbor and Ann Arbor Township are in the 52nd district. As the seat of Washtenaw County, the city is the location of the county's trial, civil, and criminal courts. Ann Arbor is also the site of a United States district court, whose downtown building also houses a post office.

Related Topics:
John Dingell - D - U.S. House - Michigan Senate - Michigan State House of Representatives - Washtenaw County - United States district court - Post office

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Left-wing politics have been particularly strong in municipal government since the 1960s – an orientation evident in the passage of rent-control and strong antidiscrimination ordinances as well as voter-approved charter amendments that have lessened the penalties for possession of marijuana (1974) and that aim to protect access to abortion in the city should it ever become illegal in the state of Michigan (1990). In 1974, Kathy Kozachenko's victory in an Ann Arbor city-council race made her the country's first openly gay or lesbian candidate to win public office. In 1975, Ann Arbor became the first U.S. city to use instant-runoff voting for a mayoral race. Adopted through a ballot initiative sponsored by the local Human Rights Party, which feared a splintering of the left/liberal vote, the process was repealed in 1976 after use in only one election. As of 2005, Democrats hold the mayorship and control the council by a 9–1 majority.

Related Topics:
Left-wing politics - 1960s - Rent-control - Antidiscrimination - Lessened the penalties - 1974 - Abortion - 1990 - Kathy Kozachenko's - Gay - Lesbian - 1975 - Instant-runoff voting - Human Rights Party - 1976 - 2005 - Democrats

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The city of Tübingen in Germany is Ann Arbor's sister city. Other sister cities include Belize City, Belize; Hikone, Japan; Peterborough, Ontario, Canada; Juigalpa, Nicaragua; and Dakar, Senegal.

Related Topics:
Tübingen - Germany - Sister city - Belize City - Belize - Hikone - Japan - Peterborough, Ontario - Canada - Juigalpa - Nicaragua - Dakar - Senegal

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