Mayor John Hieftje is scheduled to give an unofficial "state of the city" address before the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor on Wednesday afternoon.
Hieftje, now in his 13th year as mayor, will report on what's happening in city government, while reflecting on changes made over the past decade or so and the reasons behind them. The luncheon takes place at noon inside the Michigan Union at the University of Michigan.
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Mayor John Hieftje says the city has made it out of the recession and its finances are in order now.
Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com
He added, "We've made it through the recession. Ann Arbor has become an incredibly efficient government — I don't think there's any fat left."
Hieftje also is expected to provide an update on progress toward achieving the goals of one of his signature programs — the Greenbelt initiative — and discuss the major issues facing the city and ideas for solving them in years to come.
Rotary luncheons are for club members only, but members are allowed to bring a guest. Due to space constraints, the event is not open to the general public.
But members of the public can hear Hieftje give a similar speech on Thursday.
Hieftje told AnnArbor.com he'll deliver similar remarks at the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber of Commerce's luncheon scheduled for 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at Weber's Inn, 3050 Jackson Road. The event is $25 for members and $40 for non-members. Register here.
Hieftje previously stated he would consider not seeking re-election in 2014 if it's clear the city has emerged from the recession and is on a positive track.
He told AnnArbor.com this past week he won't be making a decision on whether he'll run again until early next year — possibly in January or February.
Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.
