Issue: Neighborhoods
Mayor Hieftje’s Accomplishments:
Protecting and preserving the character of Ann Arbor’s wonderful neighborhoods is one of Mayor Hieftje’s passions. He was standing up for Ann Arbor neighborhoods even before he was elected to office; Hieftje’s work as a neighborhood and environmental activist led his neighbors to ask him to run for public office back in 1999. John Hieftje has never forgotten his roots as a champion for neighborhoods.
As our Mayor, John Hieftje:
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Developed Ann Arbor’s popular Clean Communities program which is responsible for more than 6,000 property clean-ups
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Led the passage of the first limit on new building heights to ensure that new development respects the community’s character
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Supported a re-organization of the City’s Police Department. Ann Arbor’s crime rate continues to decline over the long term.
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Regularly attends neighborhood meetings to work hand-in-hand with Ann Arbor residents to address their neighborhoods’ unique needs
Thanks to Mayor Hieftje’s leadership:
Under Mayor Hieftje’s leadership, Ann Arbor has repeatedly won awards for our high quality of life:
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4th Most Liveable City, Forbes, 2010
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Heathiest Hometown in America, AARP Magazine (July 2008)
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3rd Best City to Walk In, Prevention Magazine and the American Podiatric Association (2008)
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5th Best City to Live In, “Cities Ranked and Rated,” a comprehensive study of more than 400 North American Cities (2007)
The Future:
In his next term, Mayor Hieftje will push to expand and strengthen the successful Clean Communities program to keep our neighborhoods free of trash and to reduce blight.