James R. Fouts
| James "Jim" Richard Fouts | |
|---|---|
| 7th Mayor of Warren, Michigan | |
|
Assumed office November 9, 2007 |
|
| Preceded by | Mark Steenbergh |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
August 8, 1942 Hazel Park, MI |
| Political party | Independent |
| Alma mater | Central Michigan University |
| Profession | Educator (Retired), City council member, mayor |
James R. Fouts (born August 8, 1942) is the current mayor of Warren, Michigan, a post to which he was elected in 2007 after serving 26 years on the city council.
Fouts grew up in Hazel Park, Michigan where his father was the city assessor then city manager. He spent his career as a government and psychology teacher in the Warren Consolidated School District. His last approximately ten years of teaching were at Sterling Heights High School.
In 1976, James Fouts ran as a Republican for the Michigan state house of representatives in the 70th District. James R. Fouts was elected to the Warren City Council in 1981 where he served for 26 years. During his tenure, he had initiated several anti-tobacco proposals.
In 2007 Mark Steenbergh had reached the term limit as mayor of Warren and did not seek re-election. James R. Fouts ran against City Clerk Richard Sulaka for the open seat and won, 62% to 38%. In the 2007 campaign, finance reports show that Sulaka outspent Fouts $332,000 to $225,000. Sulaka described James R. Fouts as a “maverick” and attributed his victory to voters seeking an alternative to the previous administration. The election also saw Warren citizens electing a new clerk, new treasurer and a majority of new council members.
In 2008, Fouts endorsed Republican John McCain for president.
His enforcement of local building codes led to the demolition of dilapidated buildings and the promotion of neighborhood "clean sweeps" by city inspectors and was touted as a model for other mayors.
In response to the challenges facing the automotive industry, an industry which employs many Warren residents, he initiated a "Buy American Products" policy for automotive purchases by heads of city departments.
His 2011 re-election campaign was endorsed by the Detroit Free Press who said the campaign had become "way too focused on legal battles over Fouts' age" which became an issue when his opponents filed suit to remove him from the ballot because he had refused to place his age on the candidacy form. He won the lawsuit and the election with more than 80% of the vote against City Councilwoman Kathy Vogt.
In 2012 he acted to ban smoking within 100 feet of any city building without legislative approval, but the court said he did not have the authority and had the "No Smoking" signs removed. Fouts brought the measure back to the city council, after they had tabled it in September.
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