Editing Takoma Park, Maryland (section)

==Government==
[[File:Community Center (4508165787).jpg|thumb|right|Takoma Park Community Center]]
Takoma Park's electorate and its elected officials are known for their liberal and left-of-liberal values, which have led to the enactment of several municipal laws.  For instance, Takoma Park has allowed [[Right of foreigners to vote in the United States|non-U.S.-citizen residents to vote in its own municipal elections]] since 1993,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wilkinson |first=Nolan |date=14 February 2025 |title=Non-citizen voter rolls considered public, city emphasizes |url=https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/politics_and_government/elections/non-citizen-voter-rolls-will-be-public-city-emphasizes/article_adf50d0c-2a72-5661-a14b-36386b8212f3.html |access-date=14 February 2015 |work=[[The Frederick News-Post]] |type=Paper}}</ref>{{Rp|page=A10}}  and has lowered the voting age for city elections to 16.<ref name= grants/> The city was also forbidden, by statute, from doing business with any entity having commercial ties with the [[government of Burma]] (Myanmar),<ref>{{Cite news |last=Zapana |first=Victor |date=2012-07-07 |title=A "post-hippie" Takoma Park? |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/a-post-hippie-takoma-park/2012/07/07/gJQAXgtSUW_story.html |url-status=live |access-date=October 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907123458/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/a-post-hippie-takoma-park/2012/07/07/gJQAXgtSUW_story.html |archive-date=September 7, 2018 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> though after a [[Supreme Court of the United States|U.S. Supreme Court]] decision [[Crosby v. National Foreign Trade Council|struck down]] [[Massachusetts Burma Law|a similar Massachusetts law]], enforcement of the provision was suspended in the year 2000. {{As of|2007}}, the Free Burma Committee is inactive.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 27, 2007 |title=Agenda |url=http://www.takomaparkmd.gov/clerk/agenda/items/2007/010807-4.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927064918/http://www.takomaparkmd.gov/clerk/agenda/items/2007/010807-4.pdf |archive-date=September 27, 2007 |access-date=November 13, 2016 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> In 2008, the city unanimously approved a resolution to oppose [[foie gras]].<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Marimow |first1=Ann E. |last2=Spivack |first2=Miranda S. |date=July 10, 2008 |title=Takoma Park Officials Frown Upon Foie Gras |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/09/AR2008070901547.html |url-status=live |access-date=May 24, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108154010/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/09/AR2008070901547.html |archive-date=November 8, 2012 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Takoma Park is the only Maryland municipality with a [[Rent control in the United States|rent control law]].<ref>Armando Trull, [https://wamu.org/story/15/09/17/rents_at_takoma_park_building_help_spur_debate_over_md_tenant_protections/ Rents At Takoma Park Building Help Spur Debate Over Maryland Tenant Protections], WAMU (September 17, 2015).</ref>

Like a handful of other U.S. municipalities, Takoma Park has declared itself a "[[nuclear free zone]]"; under a 1983 law, contractors working for the city must also sign a notarized document that they are not "knowingly or intentionally" "engaged in the development, research, production, maintenance, storage, transportation and/or disposal of nuclear weapons or their components."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-03-04 |title=Takoma Park Nuclear Free Zone Act |url=http://www.takomaparkmd.gov/committees/nfz/nftpcord.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130304164940/http://www.takomaparkmd.gov/committees/nfz/nftpcord.htm |archive-date=2013-03-04}}</ref><ref>Carlos Moncada, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1983/12/15/takoma-park-votes-itself-a-nuclear-free-zone/e8664144-8055-47ac-8a4e-1925ce22b6e4/ Takoma Park Votes Itself a Nuclear-Free Zone], ''Washington Post'' (December 15, 1983).</ref> Waivers have been given in the past, including a 2012 waiver to purchase a library system from Userful Corporation that includes computers made by [[Hewlett-Packard]], a company that has also worked on nuclear weapons programs for the federal government.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Zapana |first=Victor |date=June 19, 2012 |title=Takoma Park Grants Waiver to 'Nuclear-free Zone' Ordinance |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/takoma-park-grants-waiver-to-nuclear-free-zone-ordinance/2012/06/19/gJQADMB2oV_story.html |url-status=live |access-date=September 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003230551/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/takoma-park-grants-waiver-to-nuclear-free-zone-ordinance/2012/06/19/gJQADMB2oV_story.html |archive-date=October 3, 2017 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> 
   
Under a local ordinance, Takoma Park residents must obtain a permit or waiver from the City arborist ("[[urban forest]] manager") to cut down any tree on their property with a diameter of 7 5/8 inches or greater.<ref>Daniella Byck, [https://www.washingtonian.com/2019/10/08/inside-takoma-parks-ongoing-tree-war/ Inside Takoma Park's Ongoing Tree War: A fight over foliage tests the suburb's hippie values.]. ''Washington Post'' (October 8, 2019).</ref><ref>[https://takomaparkmd.gov/government/public-works/tree-care-and-resources/urban-forestry/ Urban Forestry], City of Takoma Park.</ref> The minutes of all Takoma Park City Council meetings are available on the Takoma Park City website.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-clerk/takoma-park-archives/ | title=Takoma Park Archives &#124; City of Takoma Park }}</ref>

===Mayor===
[[File:Current and former Takoma Park mayors.jpg|thumb|right|(left to right): Ed Sharp (mayor 1990-7), Kate Stewart (mayor 2015-22), Bruce Williams (mayor 2007-15), Kathy Porter (mayor 1997-07) at a dinner party in 2017]]
Takoma Park is governed by a city council composed of a mayor and council members for each of six wards. The current mayor of Takoma Park (the 24th) is Talisha Searcy (mayor since 2022).<ref name="mayor">{{Cite web |title=Mayor Information Page |url=http://www.takomaparkmd.gov/citycouncil/info/mayor |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023093535/http://www.takomaparkmd.gov/citycouncil/info/mayor |archive-date=October 23, 2013 |access-date=November 4, 2013 |website=City of Takoma Park |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Former mayors of Takoma Park
! Number!! Name !! Entered office !! Left office 
|-
|1 || [[Benjamin Franklin Gilbert]]|| 1890 || 1892 
|-
|2 || Enoch Maris || 1892 || 1894
|- 
|3 || Samuel S. Shedd || 1894|| 1902
|-
|4 || John B. Kinnear || 1902|| 1906
|-
|5 || Wilmer G. Platt || 1906|| 1912
|-
|6 || Stephen W. Williams || 1912|| 1917
|-
|7 || Wilmer G. Platt  || 1917|| 1920
|-
|8 || James L. Wilmeth || 1920|| 1923
|-
|9 || Henry Taff || 1923 || 1926
|-
|10 || Ben G. Davis || 1926 || 1932
|-
|11 || Frederick L. Lewton || 1932 || 1936
|-
|12 || John R. Adams  || 1936 || 1940
|-
|13 || Oliver W. Youngblood || 1940 || 1948
|-
|14 || John C. Post || 1948|| 1950
|-
|15 || Ross H. Beville || 1950|| 1954
|-
|16 || George M. Miller || 1954 || 1972
|-
|17 || John D. Roth  || 1972 || 1980
|-
|18 || [[Sammie Abbott]] || 1980|| 1985
|-
|19 || Stephen J. Del Giudice || 1985 || 1990
|-
|20 || Edward F. Sharp  || 1990 || 1997
|-
|21 || Kathy Porter  || 1997 || 2007
|-
|22 || Bruce Williams || 2007 || 2015
|-
|23 || Kate Stewart || 2015 || 2022
|-
|24 || Talisha Searcy || 2022 || 
|}

===Voting===
In the November 5, 1991, election the voters approved a referendum (1,199 for and 1,107 against) to change the Takoma Park City Charter "to permit residents of Takoma Park who are not U.S. citizens to vote in Takoma Park elections."<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 6, 1991 |title=Election Results, 1991 – 2012 |url=http://citycouncil-takomapark.s3.amazonaws.com/election/tp-election-results1991-2012.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140605160748/http://citycouncil-takomapark.s3.amazonaws.com/election/tp-election-results1991-2012.pdf |archive-date=June 5, 2014 |access-date=October 12, 2014 |website=City of Takoma Park |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In the 2005 election, an advisory referendum to adopt [[instant-runoff voting]] (IRV, also called "ranked choice voting") for municipal elections passed with 84% approval. In 2006, the City Council amended the City Charter to incorporate IRV, making Takoma Park one of a small but growing number of municipalities across the nation to adopt IRV (and the first in Maryland to do so).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bartolanzo |first=Adam |date=2007-03-29 |title=Research Report: Assessing Instant Runoff Voting in Takoma Park (MD) |url=https://www.fairvote.org/assessing-instant-runoff-voting-in-takoma-park-md- |website=FairVote}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Wayback Machine |url=https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-clerk/elections-and-voter-registration/IRV/IRV-FAQ-Takoma-Park.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230626170637/https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-clerk/elections-and-voter-registration/IRV/IRV-FAQ-Takoma-Park.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2023-06-26 |access-date=2023-11-24 }}</ref>

In the 2009 election, Takoma Park used the [[Scantegrity]] voting system. This marked the first time an [[Open-source software|open source]] voting system was used in a public sector election in the United States, as well as the first time a system with [[End-to-end auditable voting systems|end-to-end verifiability]] was used.

In 2013, Takoma Park became the first city in the U.S. to allow sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds to vote.<ref name= grants/>

Convicted felons on parole and probation were also given the right to vote in Takoma Park elections in 2013.<ref name= grants/>

In 2017, the Takoma Park City Council changed the City Charter to schedule City elections in even numbered years (called "Election Synchronization") beginning in 2020.  The Council elected in 2017 would serve a three-year term.<ref>{{Cite web |title=PLANNING FOR CHANGED DATE OF CITY ELECTIONS |url=https://takomaparkmd.gov/initiatives/project-directory/election-date-change-planning |website=City of Takoma Park}}</ref>

In 2020, Takoma Park held its first ever vote-by-mail election, with 6549 ballots counted, more than 2 1/2 times the number of votes in the 2015 and 2017 elections.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 2020 |title=December 2020 newsletter |url=https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/news/newsletter/2020/TakomaPark-Newsletter-December2020.pdf |website=City of Takoma Park |volume=59 |number=12}}</ref>

===Federal government===
The [[United States Postal Service]] operates the Takoma Park Post Office,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-09-11 |title=TAKOMA PARK |url=https://tools.usps.com/go/POLocatorDetailsAction!input.action?locationTypeQ=all&address=Takoma+Park%2C+MD&radius=20&locationType=po&locationID=1434466&locationName=TAKOMA+PARK&address2=&address1=6909+LAUREL+AVE&city=TAKOMA+PARK&state=MD&zip5=20912&zip4=9997&tollFree=800-ASK-USPS%26reg%3B%26nbsp%3B%28800-275-8777%29&fax=301-270-0201&tAddress=&tAddress1Ams=&tAddress2Ams=&tCityAms=&tStateAms=&tZipAms=&tCarrierRouteAms=&latitude=38.974015&longitude=-77.012354&sWithin=20&&&&&&&&& |website=United States Postal Service}} "6909 LAUREL AVE TAKOMA PARK, MD 20912-9997"</ref> as well as the Langley Park Post Office; the latter has a Hyattsville, Maryland postal address.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-09-11 |title=LANGLEY PARK |url=https://tools.usps.com/go/POLocatorDetailsAction!input.action?locationTypeQ=all&address=Adelphi%2C+MD&radius=20&locationType=po&locationID=1434419&locationName=LANGLEY+PARK&address2=&address1=1325+HOLTON+LN&city=HYATTSVILLE&state=MD&zip5=20783&zip4=9997&tollFree=800-ASK-USPS%26reg%3B%26nbsp%3B%28800-275-8777%29&fax=301-422-3982&tAddress=&tAddress1Ams=&tAddress2Ams=&tCityAms=&tStateAms=&tZipAms=&tCarrierRouteAms=&latitude=38.989784&longitude=-76.9731929&sWithin=20&&&&&&&&& |website=United States Postal Service}} "1325 HOLTON LN HYATTSVILLE, MD 20783-9997"</ref><ref name="TakomaParkMap">{{Cite web |title=Ward Map (2013 Redistricting) |url=https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/documents-council/WardMapAdopted201311x17.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911120906/https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/documents-council/WardMapAdopted201311x17.pdf |archive-date=September 11, 2018 |access-date=September 11, 2018 |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-09-11 |title=Street Plan |url=https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/documents-council/street-directory-with-wards-2013-04-13-corrected.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911120758/https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/documents-council/street-directory-with-wards-2013-04-13-corrected.pdf |archive-date=September 11, 2018 |access-date=September 11, 2018 |website=City of Takoma Park |df=mdy-all}}</ref>