| James R. Fouts | |
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7th Mayor of Warren, Michigan
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office November 9, 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Mark Steenbergh |
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| Profession | Teacher |
James R. "Jim" Fouts a politician who currently serves as mayor of Warren, Michigan, the third largest city in Michigan.
Fouts served 26 years on the Warren City Council starting in 1981 until he was elected mayor in 2007, running against then City Clerk Richard Sulaka, whom he defeated 62 percent to 38 percent. Campaign finance reports show that Sulaka outspent Fouts $332,000[1] to $225,000.[2] [3] Sulaka described Fouts as a “maverick” and attributed his victory to voters seeking an alternative to the previous administration.[4] Fouts' predecessor was mayor Mark Steenbergh.
Fouts grew up in Hazel Park, Michigan where his father was city manager. He spent his career as a social studies teacher in the Warren Consolidated School District. His last approximately ten years of teaching were as at Sterling Heights High School.
As mayor, Fouts has tried to live up to his long-standing opposition to perceived wasteful government spending. He sought to end the city's contract with Arthur Miller as a lobbyist in Lansing but was told by city lawyers that he could not veto the council's extension of Miller's contract.[5] He has also opposed allowing members of Warren's many commissions and boards to receive gifts from people with interests in decisions the boards have made or will make.[6]
Nevertheless, Fouts has still to fulfull his campaign promises and spending plans to restore the Veteran's Pool,and Warren Police Helicopter Unit. Despite his past heavy opposition to Downtown Development Authority-funded projects, Fouts now proposes to fund several projects through the DDA, including the mixed-use community center/library/police mini-station at Nine Mile and Van Dyke Roads.
Fouts has also been criticized for his opposition to various projects, including the redevelopment of the closed Tank Plant, the development of the city’s community center, development of a downtown and construction of a new city hall. As council president, Fouts was criticized for his inability to chair city council meetings, allowing one meeting to drag on. Another of his long-standing issues has been with vacant and abandoned buildings. He has made a 24 hour telephone hotline available to report such problems. Since the beginning of the mayors attack on blight, the mayor has had over 1,000 vacant houses inspected, rehabed over 75 and demolished over 250 homes. Including in the program, Public Service and Property Maintenance over the past two years have covered over half of the city, block by block to combat residential and commercial eyesores, over 13,000 inspections are done per year with a 90% compliance rate. [7]
Sources
- November 7, 2007 Detroit News
- March 27, 2008 Detroit News
- November 7, 2007 Macomb Daily
- ^ http://campaignfinance.macombcountymi.gov/IndexedDocs/48295467.PDF
- ^ http://campaignfinance.macombcountymi.gov/IndexedDocs/48304116.PDF
- ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/26/AR2009052603151.html
- ^ http://www.macombdaily.com/articles/2007/11/07/local/20071107-archive1.txt
- ^ http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080327/NEWS04/803270348/1006/NEWS04
- ^ Fouts presses council on amended ethics ordinance
- ^ City of Warren
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