This week, Ann Arbor City Council considers extensive amendments to Council rules, new amendments to the snow-removal ordinance, the issuance of capital improvement bonds for the Housing Commission, a...

The A2Council Update summary of the Ann Arbor City Council meeting on May 6, 2024.For more information about this meeting, including voting charts, agenda su...

This week’s agenda (both consent and regular) is extremely long and includes nine public hearings. There will be public hearings for increases to water/stormwater/sewer rates, a rezoning at 711 Church...

In the 1970s, Democrats and Republicans were actively engaged in Ann Arbor City government. One of the leading Republicans of the era was Louis (Lou) Belcher. As chair of the Ann Arbor Republican Party, he ran unsuccessfully for Mayor in 1971, represented Ward 5 on City Council from 1974 to 1978, and served as Mayor from 1978-1985. In the Mayoral race of 1977, then-Council Member Lou Belcher challenged incumbent Democratic Mayor Al Wheeler. In that tight election, Wheeler won by a single vote. The discovery of invalid ballots - cast by people ineligible to vote - resulted in court challenges. Wheeler’s term was extended by one year to allow for a “do-over” election in 1978, which Belcher won. The contested election of 1977 prompted debates and discussion among college students around the country-- as coordinated by the national republican party, Lou travelled to these college exercises as the "mystery mayor." In part 3, Lou Belcher talks about how he advocated for hydropower at the City dams, helped establish the Hands On museum in the former City fire station, negotiated annexation policies with neighboring townships, and promoted City funding for the Ann Arbor Summer Festival. (Interview conducted in February 2024) If you’d like to learn more about Lou Belcher and this period of local Ann Arbor history, I encourage you to visit the links below: (1) https://digital.bentley.umich.edu/midaily/mdp.39015071754514/623 (2) https://digital.bentley.umich.edu/midaily/mdp.39015071754365/15 (3) https://aadl.org/node/398190 (4) https://aadl.org/node/627217 (5) https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/03/26/returning-ideas-bill-brock-may-save-republican-party/ (6) https://aadl.org/node/219603 (7) https://aadl.org/node/89261 (8) https://aadl.org/node/219544 (9) https://aadl.org/node/219561 (10) https://aadl.org/node/71970 (11) https://digital.bentley.umich.edu/midaily/mdp.39015071754498/674 (12) https://aadl.org/node/625090 (13) https://www.nytimes.com/1979/06/17/archives/around-the-nation-michigan-fuel-plant-burns-after-tank-truck.html (14) https://digital.bentley.umich.edu/midaily/mdp.39015071754621/30 (15) https://aadl.org/node/627203 (16) https://aadl.org/node/627162 (17) https://aadl.org/node/266948 (18) https://aadl.org/node/627169 (19) https://aadl.org/node/222218 (20) https://aadl.org/node/224105