John Hieftje
| John Hieftje | |
|---|---|
Hieftje in 2012
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| 60th Mayor of Ann Arbor | |
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In office 2000–2014 |
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| Preceded by | Ingrid Sheldon |
| Succeeded by | Christopher Taylor |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Battle Creek, Michigan |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Kathryn Goodson |
| Children | Josh |
| Alma mater | Eastern Michigan University |
John Hieftje (pronounced /hiːft.jɛ/, HEEFT-yeh or /hiːft.dʒə/, HEEFT-ja) is the former mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Hieftje began his political career in 1999, when he was elected to the city council for Ann Arbor's 1st Ward as a Democrat. He was first elected to the post of Mayor in 2000, and was re-elected in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012. Hieftje graduated from Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan in 1997.
Hieftje was born in Battle Creek, Michigan and grew up in Ann Arbor. Among other jobs he worked for the U.S. Forest Service and as a Realtor.
Hieftje has typically campaigned as a staunch environmentalist, pushing various alternative energy, anti-sprawl, and parks measures. The largest of these was a 2003 ballot initiative in which Ann Arbor residents were asked to approve property tax increases to fund the Ann Arbor Parks and Greenbelt Program. This anti-sprawl program called for the purchase of conservation easements on up to 7,000 acres (28 km²) of land in and around the city in order to preserve farmland and open space. On November 4, 2003, Ann Arbor residents approved this program 2-1, generating about $35 million to purchase land.
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