Looking Back: A Year of Politics in Birmingham

It was a busy year for politics in Birmingham and Oakland County, whether it was a contentious November election, or the ongoing fight on where county districts will be drawn in the coming years.

Here were the political and government stories that made a splash in Birmingham during 2011.

Incumbents Scott Moore, Tom McDaniel, Gordon Rinschler and George Dilgard won back their seats on the Birmingham City Commission in the Nov. 8 election. The four faced faced a full field of challengers, with nine candidates vying for four seats 

Chris Conti and Robert Lawrence were returned to the Birmingham Board of Education in the same election, while James Suhay, Bob Tera and David Underdown were elected to the Board.

In addition, Birmingham Public Schools also passed its millage renewal, with 85 percent of voters voting yes.

Oakland County redistricting goes to court,  Gov. Snyder's desk

When a reapportionment committee redrew the county district lines in June — a practice that follows every U.S. census — it was the start of a battle.

— made up of representatives from the county Republican and Democratic parties as well as the county prosecutor, clerk and treasurer — Birmingham would change districts, pitting the city's current commissioner, David Potts, against fellow Republican Shelley Goodman Taub from West Bloomfield in the 2012 election.

, challenging the plan by stating it was drawn along party lines, among other complaints.

Though in November, Michigan Republicans , effectively reducing the number of Oakland County commissioners from 25 to 21 as well as nullifying the map drawn up by the apportionment committee in a move to shift redistricting responsibilities to elected officials. The bill was .

City manager settles into new job, home

Feb. 14 was more than Valentine's Day — it also was Birmingham City Manager Bob Bruner's first day on the job.

Bruner, formerly the city manager of Ferndale, was hired after an exhaustive interview process in December 2010 to replace longtime City Manager Tom Markus, who left to take the city manager position in Iowa City, IA.