Saginaw, Michigan
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Saginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 61,799 (Census Bureau estimate for July 2004 is 59,045 residents). It is the county seat of Saginaw County6.
The city is served by MBS International Airport, which is located in Freeland, a central point for two other nearby cities, Midland and Bay City. The city is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township.
The city's main entertainment can be found in the downtown area, where places such as The Dow Event Center and the newly-restored Temple Theatre offer live entertainment. The Dow Event Center is also home to the city's junior ice hockey team, the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League. The downtown area, which contains a number of office building from the early 1900s, is located near the Saginaw Club (local businessmen's club founded in 1889) and an educational complex. Two formerly grand hotels have been converted into section 8 housing. Once vibrant, the downtown area has been in decline in recent years and presently struggles with an elevated crime rate. Downtown is not to be confused with the Old Town/West Side City area on the other side of the bridge where many of the popular bars are located.
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Crime Problem Solutions
As of early 2006, the City has seen a large increase in criminal shootings. The City's budget woes and a disfunctional police/union and police racial/political relationship are widely blamed. A proposal has been placed on the county ballot to tax the entire county as an additional public safety tax, with the money to be given to the non-Saginaw City major police departments in the county, who would hire officers using that money and be responsible for the retirement and health benefits of those officers.
The officers would then be assigned to a task force, sworn as deputies by the sheriff to gain county wide powers, and would function as a second police force for the City. It is thought that as they will be outside the current political and union problems they will be able to effectively patrol and arrest criminals.
An additional internal City ballot proposal seeks additional taxes within the City to maintain the current level of officers, but is not expected to pass.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 47.1 km² (18.2 mi²). 45.2 km² (17.4 mi²) of it is land and 1.9 km² (0.7 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 3.96% water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 61,799 people, 23,182 households, and 15,114 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,368.2/km² (3,542.9/mi²). There were 25,639 housing units at an average density of 567.6/km² (1,469.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 47.02% White, 43.26% African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 5.86% from other races, and 3.03% from two or more races. 11.75% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 23,182 households out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.9% were married couples living together, 27.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the city the population was spread out with 31.6% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 87.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,485, and the median income for a family was $29,945. Males had a median income of $31,614 versus $22,714 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,816. 28.5% of the population and 24.7% of families were below the poverty line. 40.2% of those under the age of 18 and 16.3% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Government and politics
Saginaw is governed by an elected at-large Council. The members of the Council elect a mayor and a mayor pro-tem. However, the real executive power is vested in a "manager," who is a city employee. The manager position has been caught up in an ongoing, sometimes racial, fight for city control. Many of the employees filling the position have been fired after short periods of time in office.
The city itself is in an extreme budget crisis. A "cap" on property taxes was imposed in the 1970s, on both the method of imposing the tax and on the total amount that can be collected. The city, formerly numbering over a quarter million, is trying to support itself with an income tax imposed on those businesses which still remain within city limits — and those persons still employed who reside within the city. However, the many retired city employees require a large amount of the city's budget, and police, fire, and recreation have all suffered. Saginaw owns a large and very popular water park, but it has been closed for three years (as of 2006).
A Charter Commission was elected by the voters of the city (2005) with the express purpose of changing the nature of the city government and the process of selecting the Council. It is also possible to move from a manager to mayor form of government. The Commission appears, based on media reports, to have bogged down in politics and results are not expected.
Saginaw does own a water treatment system which supplies drinking and industrial water to most of the surrounding areas within the county. Recently, the city has forbidden any new residents or employers from moving into the county unless their neighboring governments agree to "425 Agreements," which are state-permitted agreements under which the city can impose its property and income taxes on residents or employers moving into the county.[1]
Education
Public high schools
- Arthur Hill High School
- Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy
- Saginaw High School
- Saginaw Swan Valley High School
- Carrollton High School
- Saginaw Heritage High School
- Buena Vista High School
Private high schools
- Michigan Lutheran Seminary
- Valley Lutheran High School
- Grace Christian School
- Nouvel Catholic Central High School
Saginaw in entertainment
There is a memorable reference to Saginaw in Paul Simon's song America which was written at the Saginaw YMCA after a concert. Country music singer Lefty Frizzell recorded a hit song entitled Saginaw, Michigan.
On an episode of Seinfeld, characters Newman and Cosmo Kramer conduct a plan to drive empty pop cans to Saginaw to receive Michigan's ten cents-per-can deposit while transporting mail from New York City to the regional mail sorting facility.
Tin Pan Alley artist Isham Jones was raised in Saginaw. It was while he was working in a coal mine and daydreaming about being a musician that he crashed his mule train. Even though no one was injured, it scared him so much that he left and never came back.
In addition, the city is mentioned in numerous episodes of the TV show, Home Improvement.
Notable natives
- Alphonso Boone, NFL
- Larry Borjas, recording artist "? and the Mysterians"
- Louis Campau, Michigan pioneer
- E. Irving Couse, artist
- Darvin Ham, NBA
- Jerome Jackson, University of Michigan running back
- Isham Jones, musician
- Stephen Lynch, comedian and musician
- Mark Macon, NBA
- Kenyon Martin, NBA
- Tim McCoy, cowboy actor
- S. Epatha Merkerson, actress (Law & Order)
- Richard Mudd, grandson of Samuel Mudd
- Robert Nickle, artist
- Daniel J. Petrowski, CEO
- James Reed, NFL
- Jason Richardson, NBA
- Theodore Roethke, poet
- Anthony Roberson, ACC freshman of the year
- Charles Rogers, NFL
- Stuart Schweigert, NFL
- Sonny Stitt, jazz musician
- Sam Sword, NFL
- Brian Thompson, University of Michigan running back
- Serena Williams, tennis player
- Lamarr Woodley, University of Michigan defensive end
- Stevie Wonder, musician
External links
- City of Saginaw
- Saginaw County Chamber of Commerce
- Saginaw News
- Saginaw Club
- Saginaw Jaycees
- Historical Society of Saginaw County
