Christopher Taylor (born 1967) is an American attorney and politician who has served as the mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan since 2014.
He has earned four degrees from the University of Michigan, and served on the boards of directors of various Ann Arbor non-profit organizations before being elected to public office. In 2008, Taylor was elected to Ann Arbor City Council as a Democrat, on which he served a total of three terms before announcing his mayoral campaign in 2013. After winning a highly contested Democratic primary in August 2014, he was elected Mayor of Ann Arbor on November 4, 2014, winning 84.21% of the vote as he easily defeated independent candidate Bryan Kelly.
Taylor's philosophy generally resembles that of his predecessor, John Hieftje, including his emphases on development, infrastructure, and the relationship between the city and the University of Michigan.
Taylor is a corporate and commercial attorney, and he practices with the law firm Hooper Hathaway in Ann Arbor.[2] Prior to joining Hooper Hathaway, he worked with Butzel Long, also in Ann Arbor, and Ropes & Gray in Boston; he was additionally a law clerk for Bruce Selya, a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.[3] Prior to being elected to public office, Taylor served on the boards of directors of the Ann Arbor non-profit organizations 826michigan, Ann Arbor in Concert, and FestiFools.[2][4]
Political career
Ann Arbor City Council
In 2008, Taylor ran for Ann Arbor City Council as a Democrat on a platform that included restraining spending, balancing development with the city's character, investing in infrastructure, protecting the city's parks and recreation offerings, and supporting its neediest residents.[5] In the election, he defeated fellow Democrat Stephen Kunselman by a two-to-one margin for a seat on the council. He would not be challenged in an election again until he ran for mayor in 2014.[4] Taylor served a total of three terms on Ann Arbor City Council, where he represented the city's Third Ward.[2] In 2010, he announced that he would seek re-election due in part to the effects of the Great Recession on the city.[5]
During his tenure, Taylor participated in the City Council's Budget Committee, City Administrator Search Committee, Council Rules Committee, Parks Advisory Commission, Senior Center and Mack Pool Task Force, and Taxicab Board.[2] As a Council member, Taylor gained a reputation for supporting Ann Arbor's local crosswalk law, advocating for more commercial and residential recycling, maintaining zoning boundaries and downtown building height limits, opposing digital billboards, and subsidizing public art;[4][5] in December 2013, he co-sponsored a proposal to contribute $10,000 to help fund the 2014 Ann Arbor Street Art Fair.[4]
Mayoral campaign
Taylor officially announced his campaign for mayor on December 20, 2013, when he submitted the 250 signatures (50 each from Ann Arbor's five wards) required to run for the office.[6] At the time, MLive reporter Ryan Stanton described him as one of then-mayor John Hieftje's "closest political allies"; for his part, Hieftje called Taylor "incredibly competent and highly qualified" and opined that he would "make a fine mayor".[4] In August 2014, Taylor took 47.57% of the vote and the party nomination in the Democratic primary, edging fellow Council members Stephen Kunselman, Sabra Briere, and Sally Hart Petersen in a highly contested race. During his campaign, Taylor spent more money than any of his competitors: a total of $75,698.[7] One thing Taylor has been vocal about during his campaign is campaign financing. This has caused controversy during mayor Taylor's four terms.[8] Mayor Taylor signed an affidavit saying his campaign finances were in order. The county clerk saw that Taylor's campaign treasurer did not disclose his expenditure on multiple Facebook ads for his campaign. This caused questions on whether mayor Taylor would be disqualified from running in the 2022 election.[9] Mayor Taylor also has been vocal on companies financing campaigns. In his statements about Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance company he explains his disapproval of the company for financing politicians that believe in the Big lie conspiracy.[10]
Mayor of Ann Arbor
On November 4, 2014, Taylor was elected Mayor of Ann Arbor, winning 84.21% of the vote as he easily defeated independent candidate Bryan Kelly.[2][7][11] Andrew Cluley of WEMU described the result as one that would not bring any major changes to Ann Arbor's municipal government, opining that while "a few names may be changing...most of the policies are expected to remain the same".[11] Taylor was sworn in on November 10, 2014, at the city clerk's office.[12] In a December 2014 interview, he outlined some of the most pressing issues facing the city and his administration: among them, the need for greater residential density downtown, making the city more affordable for the working class, better supporting the arts, and determining the future direction and development of Liberty Plaza, a downtown park.[13]
Ann Arbor Observer writer James Leonard described the similarities between Taylor and his predecessor, Hieftje, as "striking";[14]Michigan Daily reporter Emma Kerr noted that Taylor's philosophy echoed Hieftje's on several key issues, including development, infrastructure, and the relationship between the city and the University of Michigan.[7] More specifically, Taylor expressed his intentions to individually evaluate construction projects and amend then-current zoning regulations, maintain and repair local roads (although he acknowledged that much of this work was being done at the county level), and meet with University President Mark Schlissel.[7] Both Taylor and Hieftje consider transportation to be among the most important and impactful of the city government's responsibilities, including its local bus service and a proposal for commuter rail.[14]
Leonard also noted what he perceived to be key differences between the two mayors, describing Hieftje as "at heart a salesman who truly loves his product" and Taylor as "at heart an attorney who persuades through reasoned discussion"; he added that Taylor's "cooler approach could accomplish as much while alienating fewer people".[14]
In preparation for his 2022 midterm election, Taylor sat down with the Michigan Daily to talk about his contributions as a mayor and the plans for the future. Mayor Taylor plans to improve roads with a road bond that was passed through prior to this midterm election. He also talks about parks, affordability in housing and land use. Taylor mentions sustainability and even how their 10 councilmember will affect these changes.[15]
In 2022 elections, Mayor Taylor won his re-election and his party gained control of the 10 member city council. Taylor is optimistic and looks forward to working with this new council. Taylor is also optimisitc due to the Democratic state House and Senate along with a Democratic governor, he believes this will give many opportunities for the future.[16]
2023 Proclamations
Proclamations are official documents, released by the City Government, and used by a Mayor in order to bring public awareness to a certain topic. It can help those within a community to be informed as to what their Mayor thinks of as important. Mayor Christopher Taylor released 18 proclamations in 2023, a few examples include:[17]
2023 Honoring Little Amal
Little Amal is a large puppet resembling a 10 year old Girl who is a refugee from Syria. The puppet is seen as an internationally recognized symbol of human rights. This proclamation aims to bring more attention to the refugees within the city's community. It also thanks those within this community for their hard work.[17]
2023 Gun Violence Survivor Week
This proclamation aims to bring more attention to gun violence and asks the city's community to support efforts against gun violence. It also informs citizens of the unique amount of Americans affected by gun violence.[17]
2023 Groundcover News Vendor Appreciation
This proclamation brings attention to a specific newspaper company within the city. This company gives impoverished or homeless people an opportunity to obtain a job.[17]
2023 UM Creative Campus Voting Project
This proclamation brings awareness to a project held at the University of Michigan which helped students there become registered to vote. This project helped to increase the number of voters and absentee ballots in the city of Ann Arbor and increased the sense of democracy within the community.[17]
Personal life
Taylor is married to Ann Arbor native Eva Rosenwald, and the couple have two children.[2][3] Outside of his political and professional careers, Taylor has also performed with a large number of community theaters and local choirs.[2]
Mayor Taylor has officiated multiple weddings in the Ann Arbor town hall as a mayor. He has officiated over 300 weddings. This is different from his predecessor who officiated 2 to 3 weddings a year.[18]
Electoral history
City Council
2008
2008 Ann Arbor City Council Ward 3 Democratic primary[19]
