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City of Garden City

6000 Middlebelt
743-793-1600

The City of Garden City, Michigan, is a predominantly bedroom community of almost 28,000 residents located in western Wayne county in the Detroit metropolitan area.

Garden City is a city in Wayne County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,692. The city is part of the Metro Detroit region.

The origins of Garden City started with the transfer of the property to John Lathers from Andrew Jackson for 160 acres (0.65 km2). The city was patterned after the "garden city" concept that became popular in England during the 19th century, with most home sites sectioned off into 1-acre (4,000 m2) plots to allow adequate farming area to support the family with fruit and vegetables. Now, most sites are considerably smaller, some as small as 40 feet by 135 feet, with little room for gardening of fruits and vegetables, though the city maintains some large lots where an extra street has not been placed between two of the older streets, such as between some parts of Bock Street and John Hauk Street where Donnelly Avenue does not cut through.

In June 1927, Garden City became a village, with Arnold Folker as Village President. Six years later the village became the city of Garden City. Areas of interest in Garden City include the first Kmart store (still in use), the first Little Caesars (also still in use), and the first dine-in McDonalds in Michigan. The honeymoon cottage of Henry Ford and his wife, Clara Jane Bryant, was moved here from Dearborn in 1952.

Garden City is a Michigan home rule city with a council-manager form of government in which a seven-member elected city council appoints a professional city manager to manage the daily operations of the city government. The mayor and six council members comprise the city council, or legislative body, with the mayor being elected every two years and council members elected to two- or four-year staggered terms depending upon the number of votes cast for each candidate. The city council appoints the city attorney and city manager. The mayor serves as the ceremonial head of the city government, presides over city council meetings, and possesses one vote on all matters coming before the city council. The city manager appoints all other heads of city departments with the approval of the city council and is responsible to the city council for the efficient and effective operations of the city government. On April 11, 2011, the city council unanimously appointed Darwin McClary as its permanent city manager. McClary had been serving as interim city manager since September 2010.