Editing Pontiac, Michigan (section)

== Government ==
=== Government form ===
{{Prose|date=December 2023|section}}
*1837 - Incorporated as a village by an act of the Michigan Legislature. The first election was held in the same year and voters elected to be governed by a seven member board of trustees.<ref name="Guide">{{Cite web |last= |first= |authorlink= |date= |title=A History of Pontiac Guide 1818-Today |url=https://pontiaclibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/pontiac-history-guide-1818-today.pdf |access-date= |website=Pomntiac Library}}</ref>
*1861 - The State of Michigan redesignated Pontiac as a city which adopted the mayor-council form of government<ref name="Guide" /> with the city divided into five wards with two aldermen elected from each ward and the mayor elected at large.<ref>{{cite book |last= |first= |url=https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/micounty/ARX1007.0001.001?rgn=main;view=fulltext |title=HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY |date= |publisher= |isbn= |pages=93 |quote=From 1861 to 1911 the city had a mayor-council type of government, the city having been divided into five wards with two aldermen elected from each ward, and the mayor elected at large. |authorlink=}}</ref> 
*1911 - The city adopted a new charter providing for a commission form of government consisting of a mayor and two commissioners elected by the city at large on a nonpartisan basis<ref name="Guide" /> each to three year terms of office.<ref>{{cite book |last=Bradford |first=Ernest Smith |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uwRJAAAAIAAJ&dq=pontiac+mayor+two-year+terms&pg=PA155 |title=Commission Government in American Cities |date=1911 |publisher= |isbn= |pages=155 |authorlink=}}</ref> 
*1920 - The city adopted a new charter providing for a  commission-manager form of government consisting of seven commissioners elected by the city at large on a nonpartisan basis and a mayor elected by one of the seven to act as mayor.<ref name="Guide" />
*1982 - The city adopted a new charter providing for a strong-mayor form of government consisting of seven commissioners and a mayor elected by the city at large on a nonpartisan basis for 4-year terms

=== Mayor ===
The mayor of Pontiac is [[Tim Greimel]].

The city of Pontiac operates under a [[Mayor–council government|strong mayor system]]. The mayor serves as the chief executive of the city while holding all responsibilities of the city's executive branch. These responsibilities include proposing a city budget, ensuring that all laws are followed accordingly, as well as delivering a [[State of the City address]].<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |title=Pontiac Municipal Code |url=https://www.codepublishing.com/MI/Pontiac/?PontiacCH/PontiacCH04.html |access-date=2023-12-06 |website=Codepublishing.com}}</ref> The Pontiac mayor also is responsible for appointing several positions in office including deputy mayor as well as overseeing the law, financial, police, and fire departments.<ref name="auto"/>

==== Mayoral history ====
[[Wallace E. Holland]] (1974–1986 and 1990–1994) was the first African American elected as Mayor of Pontiac, and the first directly elected Mayor following the adoption of the revised Pontiac City Charter in 1982.

[[Deirdre Holloway Waterman]], was an ophthalmologist who was elected as Pontiac's first female mayor by more than 68% of the vote on November 5, 2013.<ref name="waterman">{{cite web |title=Deirdre Waterman takes Pontiac mayorship in landslide (with video) |url=http://www.theoaklandpress.com/general-news/20131106/deirdre-waterman-takes-pontiac-mayorship-in-landslide-with-video |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131115004139/http://www.theoaklandpress.com/general-news/20131106/deirdre-waterman-takes-pontiac-mayorship-in-landslide-with-video |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 15, 2013 |access-date=2016-11-27 |website=Theoaklandpress.com}}</ref> She was re-elected in 2017 with 57% of the vote. Her late husband, William Waterman, was a prominent attorney in the community who was appointed in 1988 by Michigan Governor James Blanchard to the District Court in Pontiac and elected multiple times to continue serving; he died in office in 2003. The District Courthouse was renamed in his honor, the William J. Waterman Hall of Justice. Then-incumbent Mayor Deirdre Waterman was removed from the August primary ballot due to unresolved campaign finance violations, but continued as a write-in candidate in the primary election. She was not successful in that effort.

In November 2021, [[Tim Greimel]], who previously served as a Michigan State Representative and Oakland County Commissioner in districts that included Pontiac, was elected Mayor in the general election. He won with 61.66% of votes, while his general election opponent Alexandria T. Riley received 37.50% of the vote. Riley, a frequent candidate for office in Pontiac, previously served as a city employee under Mayor Deirdre Waterman and more recent worked for the Genesee County Land Bank Authority.

==== List of past Mayors of Pontiac ====
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" width=50% align="left"
|-
! style="background:#F5DEB3"|  <small>Mayors of Pontiac, Michigan</small>
|-
|
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! Image
! Mayor
! Years
! Notes
|- style="height:4em"
|-
|
| Harry Mitchell
| 1932–1933
| Resigned April 1933
|-
|
| Frank B. Ruf
| 1933–1936
| 
|-
|
| F. Homer Newton
| 1936–1937
| 
|-
|
| Victor E. Nelson
| 1937–1938
| Appointed mayor after the resignation of his predecessor in January 1937<ref>{{Cite news|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title=  State Briefs |newspaper=[[Lansing State Journal]]|date=January 13, 1937 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal/127644421/ 
  |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
|-
|
| James C. Mahar†
| 1938–1939
| Died in office, August 1939<ref>{{Cite news|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title=Pontiac Mayor Dies |newspaper=[[Battle Creek Enquirer ]]|date=August 9, 1939 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/battle-creek-enquirer/127643831/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
|-
|
| Samuel G. Backus
| 1939–1940
| <ref>{{Cite news|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= Compromise Candidate Named Pontiac Mayor  |newspaper=[[Lansing State Journal]]|date= August 23, 1939|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal/127644007/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
|-
|
| George W. Booth
| 1940–1942
| <ref>{{Cite news|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= Pontiac Mayor Chosen  |newspaper=[[Lansing State Journal]]|date= April 10, 1940|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal/127643639/ |via=}}</ref>
|-
|
| Joseph H. Potts†
| 1942–1943
| <ref>{{Cite news|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title=  Pontiac Mayor |newspaper=[[Petoskey News-Review]]|date=April 14, 1942 |url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/petoskey-news-review/127643403/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Died in office<ref>{{Cite news|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= Pontiac Mayor Dies |newspaper=[[Battle Creek Enquirer]]|date= November 26, 1943|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/battle-creek-enquirer/127643181/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
|-
|
| Phillip R. Sauer
| 1943–1944
| 
|-
|
| Arthur J. Law
| 1944–1948
| 
|-
|
| John C. Cowe
| 1948–1949
| Resigned in August 1949
|-
|
| J. H. Patrick Glynn
| 1949–1950
| Picked by the council after his predecessor resigned<ref>{{Cite news|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title=Pontiac Picks New Mayor   |newspaper=[[Detroit Free Press]]|date= August 4, 1949|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/detroit-free-press/127641889/ |via=}}</ref>
|-
|
| John H. Ridgway
| 1950–1952
| <ref>{{Cite news|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title=Pontiac Faces Liquor Fight   |newspaper=[[Detroit Free Press]]|date=January 1, 1953 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/detroit-free-press/127641643/  |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
|-
|
| Arthur J. Law<br> (2nd term)
| 1952–1954
|
|-
|
| William W. Donaldson
| 1954–1958
|
|-
|
| Philip E. Rowston
| 1958–1962
|
|-
|
| Robert A. Landry
| 1962–1964
|
|-
| [[File:William H. Taylor, mayor of Pontiac.jpg|100px]]
| William H. Taylor
| 1964–1970
|<ref>{{Cite news|first= Dave|last=Hanson |authorlink=   |title= Cities to Share in Recreation Bond Funds, Says Milliken  |newspaper=[[Lansing State Journal]]|date=February 21, 1969 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal/143113460/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
|-
| [[File:Robert F. Jackson, mayor of Pontiac.jpg|100px]]
| Robert F. Jackson
| 1970–1974
| Negotiated the relocation of the [[Detroit Lions]] to Pontiac<ref>{{Cite news|first= Billy|last= Bowles|authorlink=   |title= Ground is Broken for Pontiac Stadium |newspaper=[[The Detroit Free Press]]|date= September 20, 1973|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/detroit-free-press/143111082/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
|-
| [[File:Wallace Holland, mayor of Pontiac.jpg|100px]]
| [[Wallace E. Holland]]
| 1974–1986
| First [[African-American]] mayor
|-
| [[File:Walter Moore, mayor of Pontiac.jpg|100px]]
| [[Walter L. Moore]]
| 1986–1990
| <ref>{{Cite news|first= |last=McDiarmid Jr. |authorlink=   |title=Candidates off voter two views of same city   |newspaper=[[Detroit Free Press]]|date=October 30, 1997 |url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/detroit-free-press/127649558/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1= Hansell|first1= Betsey |title=Agenda 1987: Roads, economy top survey |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/detroit-free-press/143108263/ |newspaper=[[Detroit Free Press]] |date=January 1, 1987 |pages=[https://www.newspapers.com/article/detroit-free-press/143108263/ 1A], [https://www.newspapers.com/article/detroit-free-press/143108588/ 4A] |accessdate= |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
|-
| [[File:Wallace Holland, mayor of Pontiac.jpg|100px]]
| [[Wallace E. Holland]]<br> (2nd term)
| 1990–1994
| <ref>{{Cite news|first= L.L.|last=Brasier |authorlink=   |title= Long time Pontiac mayor faces 9 opponents  |newspaper=[[Detroit Free Press]]|date=September 8, 1993 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/detroit-free-press/127647613/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]]|quote=He has held the post since 1974 with the exception of four years in the 1980s when Walter Moore took the job from him}}</ref>
|-
| [[File:Charlie J. Harrison Jr., Michigan state representative.jpg|100px]]
| [[Charlie Harrison Jr.]]†
| 1994–1995
| Former 62nd district Michigan state representative (1974–1994)<ref>{{Cite news|first=Marian |last=Dozier |authorlink=   |title= Big challenges Face Legislator-turned-mayor  |newspaper=[[Detroit Free Press]]|date=January 11, 1994 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/detroit-free-press/127637260/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><br> Died in office in 1995.
|-
| [[File:Walter Moore, mayor of Pontiac.jpg|100px]]
| [[Walter L. Moore]]<br> (2nd term)
| 1995–1998<br> 1998–2002
| Appointed to complete Harrison's term
|-
|
| Willie J. Payne
| 2002–2006
|<ref>{{Cite news|first=Emma |last= Keith|authorlink=   |title= Willie Payne, former Pontiac mayor and children's book author, dies at 64  |newspaper=[[Detroit Free Press]]|date=October 4, 2019 |url= https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/oakland/2019/10/04/willie-payne-pontiac-mayor-author-obituary/3863939002/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|first= Hugh|last=McDiarmid Jr.|authorlink=   |title=  Payne wins Pontiac squeaker |newspaper=[[Detroit Free Press]]|date= November 7, 2001|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/detroit-free-press/127691040/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
|-
|
| Clarence Phillips
| 2006–2010
|<ref>{{Cite news|first=Diana |last= Dillaber|authorlink=   |title=Former Pontiac Mayor Clarence Phillips dies  |newspaper=[[The Oakland Press]]|date=September 1, 2010 |url= https://www.theoaklandpress.com/2010/09/01/former-pontiac-mayor-clarence-phillips-dies/  |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> 
|-
|
| Leon Jukowski
| 2010–2014
|
|-
|
| [[Deirdre Holloway Waterman]]
| 2014–2022
| First female and first female African-American mayor
|-
|
| [[Tim Greimel]]
| 2022–present
|
|}
|}
{{clear}}

===City Council===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! District
! Member<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pontiac.mi.us/council/council_members/index.php|title=City Council of Pontiac Members |publisher = City of Pontiac }}</ref>
! Position
! In office since
|-
| District 1
| Melanie Rutherford 
|
| 2022
|-
| District 2
| Brett Nicholson
|
| 2022
|-
| District 3
| Mikal Goodman
|
| 2022
|-
| District 4
| Kathalee James
|
| 2022
|-
| District 5
| William Parker, Jr.
|
| 2022
|-
| District 6
| William A. Carrington
| Pro Tempore
| 2022
|-
| District 7
| Mike McGuinness
| President
| 2022 
|-
|}

=== Federal, state, and county legislators ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+[[United States House of Representatives]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hendrickson |first=Clara |date=2024-11-05 |title=US Rep. Haley Stevens reelected to another 2-year term in Congress, defeating Nick Somberg |url=https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/11/05/us-rep-haley-stevens-reelected/75807876007/ |access-date= |website=[[Detroit Free Press]] |language=en-US}}</ref>
!District
!Representative
!Party
!Since
|-
|[[Michigan's 11th congressional district|11th]]
|[[Haley Stevens]]
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} |[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|2023{{efn|Stevens has represented the 11th district since 2019, but the district has only included Pontiac since 2023.|name=fn1|group=lower-alpha}}
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+[[Michigan Senate]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=2022 Michigan State Senate Districts (Linden) |url=https://data.michigan.gov/download/i67p-mi6f/application%2Fpdf |website=Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Senators |url=https://senate.michigan.gov/senators/senators/ |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=Michigan Senate}}</ref>
!District
!Senator
!Party
!Since
|-
|[[Michigan's 7th Senate district|7th]]
|[[Jeremy Moss]]
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} |Democratic
|2023
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+[[Michigan House of Representatives]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=2022 Michigan State House Districts (Hickory) |url=https://data.michigan.gov/download/fjje-2wv6/application%2Fpdf |website=Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-07 |title=2024 MI State House General Election Results |url=https://www.freep.com/elections/results/2024-11-05/michigan/state-house |access-date= |website=[[Detroit Free Press]] |language=en}}</ref>
!District
!Representative
!Party
!Since
|-
|[[Michigan's 53rd House of Representatives district|53rd]]
|[[Brenda Carter]]
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} |Democratic
|2019
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+[[Oakland County Board of Commissioners]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Commissioner Districts |url=https://oakgov.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=4f848e8372074b6b864d919929127fe4 |access-date= |website=Oakland County |via=[[ArcGIS]]}}</ref>
!District
!Commissioner
!Party
!Since
|-
|9
|Angela Powell
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} |Democratic
|2021
|-
|10
|Kirsten Nelson
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} |Democratic
|2019
|}

=== City Tax ===
The city levies an income tax of 1 percent on residents and 0.5 percent on nonresidents.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gibbons|first1=Lauren|title=Michigan State University, city of East Lansing at odds over proposed income tax|url=http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2017/08/michigan_state_university_city.html |access-date=August 16, 2017|work=MLive Lansing|publisher=Mlive Media Group |date=August 16, 2017}}</ref>

=== Pontiac Library ===
{{As of|2024}}, the Pontiac library board consists of Rosie Richardson (chairperson), Yvette Brinker Marion (vice chairperson), Mattie Mckinney Hatchett (treasurer), Angela Allen (secretary), and H. Bill Maxey (trustee).<ref>[https://pontiaclibrary.org/library-board/ Library Board] Pontiac Library. Retrieved March 19, 2024.</ref>

===Oakland County Service Center===
The East Campus of the Oakland County Service Center is located in Pontiac. It includes the county courthouse and jail for adults.<ref name=Complexmap>"[https://www.oakgov.com/maps/Documents/occomplexmap.pdf Complex Map]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20150710032719/https://www.oakgov.com/maps/Documents/occomplexmap.pdf Archive]). Oakland County Government. Retrieved on July 9, 2015.</ref>