- Detroit City Council
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The Detroit City Council is the legislative body of Detroit, Michigan, United States. The City Council consists of nine members elected for a four-year term in a single election conducted on an at-large and non-partisan basis. According to the city charter, the candidate who receives the highest number of votes becomes president of the Council, and the member receiving the second highest number of votes becomes the president pro tempore.[1]
The City Council was first constituted as the legislative body of the city in 1824, and was called the Common Council until July 1, 1974. Prior to 1918, the council was elected from city wards. However, starting in 1918, all city council members were elected at large, unusual for a city of Detroit's size. On November 4, 2009, city voters overwhelmingly approved a referendum to once again elect most of the council by districts beginning in 2013, while allowing for two at-large seats.[2]
Contents
Vacancies and special elections
If a vacancy occurs 30 days or more before the filing date for a city-wide general election or previously scheduled city-wide special election, the vacancy will be filled in that election for the remainder of the term. If the vacancy occurs less than 30 days before an election filing date, then a subsequent special election will be called by the City Council for the purpose of filling the vacancy for the remainder of the term. No special election will be held for a vacancy occurring after March 1 in the year of a city-wide general election.[1]
Current members
- Charles Pugh - Council President
- Gary Brown - Council President Pro-Tem
- Saunteel Jenkins
- Ken Cockrel, Jr.
- Brenda J. Jones
- Andre L. Spivey
- James Tate
- Kwame Kenyatta
- JoAnn Watson
Former members
Starting in 1919, nine Detroit City Council members were elected at large. Members of the council, from 1919 to the present, are:[3]
Year Detroit City Council Members 1919 John C. Lodge James Vernor John C. Nagel Sherman Littlefield William P. Bradley
(Died June 1938)Charles F. Bielman
(Died 4/16/1920)Fred W. Castator David W. Simons John Kronk Richard M. Watson
(Elected 11/21/1920)1922 Robert G. Ewald 1924 John Stevenson Arthur E. Dingeman Phillip A. Callahan 1926 1928 George A. Walters John Kronk 1930 John C. Nagel John S. Hall
(Died 1/19/1934)1932 Frank Couzens John W. Smith Richard Lindsay
(Died 1/7/37)John C. Lodge Eugene Van Antwerp Edward Jeffries 1934 George Engle
(Until 6/23/37)Arthur E. Dingeman
(11/13/34 - Oct. 1935)1936 Robert G. Ewald
(Out 5/26/1942)John Kronk
(Elected 4/5/37)1938 Philip Breitmeyer Harry I. Dingeman
(Out 4/10/41)Henry S. Sweeny John W. Smith
(Elected 11/8/38,
Died June 1942)1940 Charles E. Dorais
(Rsgd. 5/27/47)John Hamilton
(Out 4/2/41)James H. Garlick 1942 William G. Rogell George C. Edwards William A. Comstock
(Died 6/16/49)Frank Cody
(Elected 11/3/42,
Died April 1946)1944 Fred C. Castator 1946 Charles G. Oakman Patrick J. McNamara
(Elected 11/5/46)1948 Louis C. Miriani Charles F. Edgecomb Leo J. Nowicki
(Resigned 4/14/48)Del A. Smith John A. Kronk
(Died 2/13/54)James H. Garlick Edward Connor[disambiguation needed 
]
(Elected 11/2/48,
Resigned 12/31/66)1950 Edward Jeffries
(Died 4/2/50)Mary Beck William G. Rogell Eugene Van Antwerp
(Elected 11/7/50,
Died 8/5/62)1952 1954 Charles Youngblood Blanche Parent Wise James H. Lincoln
(Elected 11/2/44,
Resigned 5/5/60)1958 Ed Carey William T. Patrick
(Resigned 12/31/63)Charles N. Youngblood
(Elected 11/8/60)1962 James H. Brickley
(Resigned 1/15/67)Anthony Wierzbicki Mel Ravitz Phillip J. Van Antwerp
(Elected 4/1/63)Thomas L. Poindexter
(Elected 11/3/64)1966 Louis C. Miriani Nicholas Hood Robert Tindal
(Elected 11/5/68,
Died 7/30/71)Anthony J. Wierzbicki
(Elected 11/5/68)1970 Carl M. Levin David Eberhard Ernest C. Browne, Jr. Erma Henderson
(Elected 11/7/72)1974 Clyde Cleveland Maryann Mahaffey Jack Kelley 1978 Kenneth Cockrel, Sr. Herbert McFaddend Jr.
(Died 9/21/81)1982 Mel Ravitz Barbara-Rose Collins
(Resigned 11/90)John W. Peoples 1986 1990 Gil Hill Rev. Keith Butler Kay Everett 1994 Alberta Tinsley-Talabi Nicholas Hood III Sheila M. Cockrel Brenda M. Scott
(Died 9/02/02)1998 Kenneth Cockrel, Jr. 2002 Sharon McPhail Barbara-Rose Collins Alonzo W. Bates JoAnn Watson
(Elected April 29, 2003)2006 Monica Conyers Kwame Kenyatta Martha Reeves Brenda Jones 2010 Charles Pugh Gary Brown Saunteel Jenkins Andre L. Spivey James Tate See also
References
- ^ a b About the City Council, Detroit City Council website, accessed March 1, 2009
- ^ Josar, David (4 November 2009). "Plan to elect council by districts wins". The Detroit News. http://www.detnews.com/article/20091104/METRO01/911040379/1006/rss01. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
- ^ "Detroit City Council, 1919 to present". Detroit Public Library. http://www.detroit.lib.mi.us/mrl/Council.htm. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
External links
- Detroit City Council Website
- About City Council. Detroit City Council.
Categories:- United States city councils
- Government of Detroit, Michigan
- Government agencies established in 1824
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