About Livonia

Livonia is a suburb of Detroit that consists of 36 square miles with about 97,000 residents and roughly 4,000 businesses. 

Livonia Township was founded on March 17, 1835. Our modern city was incorporated on May 23, 1950. Throughout its history, Livonia has built a reputation as a city that puts “Families First” (which is the city’s motto) and has worked hard to build its reputation for public safety, good schools, and parks and public services.

Over the years, Livonia has received many accolades (from the City’s website): 

• Among the 25 Safest U.S. Cities (Reviews.com, 2019)
  
• In the Top 100 Best Cities in which to Raise Kids in the country (National Council for Home Safety and Security, 2017)
  
• No. 8 in the nation among Best Cities in which to Retire (Chamber of Commerce, 2019)
  
• Home to one of the Hottest Real Estate Markets in the Nation for millennial homebuyers (48154 Zip Code for 2018 and 2019, Realtor.com) 
  
• 10th Happiest Mid-Sized City in the Country (2016)
  

While Livonia enjoys a some prestige, it is not without its problems. 

Its largely aging population is predominantly white, and the city’s lack of diversity has led to accusations of racial profiling and discrimination within the Livonia Police Department and city services. This is an issue the Livonia Democratic Club is tackling through resolutions, conversations with Livonia officials, and campaigning. As of the 2010 Census, Livonia consisted of: 

• White: 92% 
• Black: 3.4% 
• Hispanic or Latinx: 2.5%
• Asian: 2.5%
• Mixed Race: 1.4%
• Other: 0.4%
• Native American: 0.2%

Beyond racial issues, Livonia grapples with many problems common to cities around the United States. It’s aging infrastructure and roads are a perennial complaint of residents, the gender gap resulted in a median income of $62k for men and only $42k for women, and 7.8% of Livonia’s population lives below the poverty line. 

Your Government

Livonia’s municipal government is jointly led by the Mayor and the City Council, all of whom are elected officials. The current Livonia government consists of:

• Mayor Maureen Miller Brosnan (Livonia’s first female mayor)
• City Council President Kathleen E. McIntyre
• City Council Vice President Scott Bahr
• City Council Member Rob Gjonaj Donovic
• City Council Member Jim Jolly
• City Council Member Brandon McCullough
• City Council Member Laura M. Toy
• City Council Member Cathy K. White

Beyond our elected officials, Livonia relies on multiple boards and commissions, along with appointed officials and career staffers to run the city. Working directly with these boards and commissions can be one of the more effective ways to create change in our city. Currently, they consist of: