<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3zDLNi_1GtfP8le00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3zDLNi_1GtfP8le00" width="1200" height="798" ><figcaption>Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor speaks during a City Council meeting Thursday evening. Vivian Tai/DAILY. Buy this photo.</figcaption></figure>Outgoing Mayor Christopher Taylor took his seat in the mayor’s chair in Larcom City Hall for the last time at Thursday’s City Council meeting, concluding his 12-year tenure as Ann Arbor mayor. At the meeting, the council reflected on his tenure, discussing Taylor’s leadership on the city’s climate action and housing construction.The meeting also marked the end of the terms of Councilmembers Chris Watson, D-Ward 2; Ayesha Ghazi Edwin, D-Ward 3; and Dharma Akmon, D-Ward 4, as the city prepares to welcome Mayor-elect Yousef Rabhi along with three new councilmembers — Ryan Bartholomew, Sandy Aldrich and Aidan Sova — in December.Taylor was first elected mayor in 2014 after representing Ward 3 on City Council for six years. During the meeting’s public comment session, Taylor’s friends, family members and fellow public officials praised him for his commitment to improving Ann Arbor. U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Ann Arbor, presented Taylor with a plaque of a Congressional resolution thanking him for his service.“No matter where you are on issues, we need to thank people for public service,” Dingell said. “The mayor has been serving the people of Ann Arbor since 2008, first on city council — almost for 20 years — and for the last 12 years. He loves his city, and people don’t know how hard public service is these days.”Ann Arbor resident Chuck Warpehoski, who served on the City Council from 2012 to 2018, praised Taylor for leading with respect to his own values.“People have strong feelings — sometimes they’re not treating you with kindness and respect or councilmembers with kindness and respect, but you always show them kindness, respect, a thank you, a courtesy,” Warpehoski said. “I’ve also seen a strong commitment from you to let your internal sense of what is right guide your policy decisions over political calculations.”Ruby Taylor, Christopher Taylor’s daughter, called into the meeting to express gratitude for her father’s commitment to both the city and his family.“I am genuinely so proud of what I’ve seen him do and how much he’s given himself to the city and his constituents over those years, but without ever sacrificing being a deeply loving and present parent,” Ruby Taylor said.Rabhi, a Democratic Socialist and Washtenaw County Commissioner, defeated Christopher Taylor in the Aug. 4 primary and was officially elected the city’s next mayor Nov. 3. Rabhi will begin his term on Dec. 1 alongside the new councilmembers. They are expected to participate in their first meeting on Dec. 7.Councilmember Travis Radina, D-Ward 3 is the mayor pro tempore, who fulfills the mayor’s duties in their absence. He will serve as mayor until the Dec. 7. meeting, when Rabhi will take over and the council will vote for the next mayor pro tem. Councilmember Jen Eyer, D-Ward 4, expressed gratitude for Christopher Taylor’s role in advancing housing and sustainability efforts, including the A2Zero carbon neutrality plan, the Sustainable Energy Utility, the climate action millage and the affordable housing millage.“These initiatives required vision, they required political courage, and they required the skill and ability to bring people together around hugely ambitious goals,” Eyer said.Councilmember Jon Mallek, D-Ward 2, praised Taylor’s optimism and steady leadership while also expressing admiration for departing Councilmembers Akmon and Ghazi Edwin.“You have a remarkable ability to walk into even some of the toughest situations with a smile and energy I wish I could match,” Mallek said. “I also want to thank councilmembers Akmon and Ghazi Edwin. When the two of you speak, my most frequent thought is, ‘Dang, I wish I’d thought of saying that.’”Mallek also commended Councilmember Watson, with whom he served alongside to represent Ward 2, for his commitment to the role. “I got to see the amount of time, care and thought you put into even the most routine email responses,” Mallek said. “Time and time again, I watched you go above and beyond to meet the needs of Ward 2 residents. That dedication to the role and to Ward 2 gave me the best possible example of what it means to be a city councilmember when I first joined.”Ghazi Edwin thanked Christopher Taylor for always maintaining a respectful approach, even when facing harsh backlash from residents. “Thank you just for always demonstrating civility, even when people are screaming at the top of their lungs at you, always ending every comment with a ‘thank you,’” Ghazi Edwin said. “It really just shows so much. Just the character that you have — and that’s why you were perfect for this job.” Christopher Taylor concluded the meeting by expressing gratitude to his colleagues and each Ann Arbor resident who entrusted him to serve their city. “Ann Arbor believes in a community that works for everyone, today and tomorrow, and we have the ambition and the ability to get it done,” Taylor said. “You have entrusted me to be part of that project, and that has been the honor of a lifetime.” Daily Staff Reporter Niko Wilson can be reached at nikow@umich.edu. </div></body>

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Outgoing Mayor Christopher Taylor took his seat in the mayor’s chair in Larcom City Hall for the last time at Thursday’s City Council meeting, concluding his 12-year tenure as Ann Arbor mayor. At the meeting, the council reflected on his tenure, discussing Taylor’s leadership on the city’s climate action and housing construction.

Christopher Taylor concludes 12-year tenure as Ann Arbor mayor

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Outgoing Mayor Christopher Taylor took his seat in the mayor’s chair in Larcom City Hall for the last time at Thursday’s City Council meeting, concluding h

Christopher Taylor concludes 12-year tenure as Ann Arbor mayor

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