About Us

Mission Statement

Management's Mission Statement:

We firmly believe in Philosopher John Locke's Social Contract Theory that-

"Government exists for the benefit of the governed not those governing."

That is...

"The City of Harper Woods exists not to serve those who are employed here, but for the residents who have placed us here to serve."

We Believe...

The City's business is service to our community.

That our service to the community should be helpful, caring and responsive.
That the success of the City organization is dependent on teamwork, mutual respect and commitment to the following values:

Participation by all segments of the community.
Effective Communication within and among our constituents.
Integrity in everything we do.
Innovation in meeting the present and future needs of the City.
Accountability to our elected officials and the Trust our citizens have places in them.
Responsibility for the services entrusted to us.
Pride in what we do, always striving to serve in the best interest of the community as a whole.

Harper Woods Information

The population as of the 2020 census is 15,492.

It has an area of 2.63 square miles, and is located in southeast Michigan bordering the cities of Detroit, Eastpointe, St. Clair Shores and Grosse Pointe Woods.

The City has a City Council/City Manager form of government. There are seven people who sit on City Council including the Mayor. The Mayor is elected to a two year term, and the Council members are elected to staggering four year terms.

The City has approximately 6,504 dwellings.

There are twelve city departments.

City Clerks Office
City Manager
Assessing
Building
Community Development
Finance
Library
Parks and Recreation
Public Safety
Public Works
Treasurer
32A District Court

resolution adopted october 19, 2020 by city council

RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF TRANSFORMATIVE AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE

WHEREAS, the mission of the City of Harper Woods is expressly for the benefit of the governed and in service to our residents;

WHEREAS, the City of Harper Woods strives for justice, equity, and compassion in all human relations;

WHEREAS, the City of Harper Woods should serve as a beacon of peace, liberty, and justice for all;

WHEREAS, allowing injustice to go unchallenged violates the mission of our City;

WHEREAS, tragic and violent deaths have occurred because of institutionalized racism and police brutality that disproportionately impacts African Americans and persons of color;

WHEREAS, the City of Harper Woods Public Safety Department is committed to excellence in law enforcement, the preservation of life, and officers are held to the highest standards of loyalty, integrity and honesty, and are expected to work toward critical responsibilities including de-escalation, crisis intervention, and community policing;

WHEREAS, the Mayor and City Council of Harper Woods recognizes that we must advance substantive law enforcement policies to create a community that ensures the rights of all our residents;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Mayor and City Council of Harper Woods will do whatever is within our power to protect the residents of this City from all forms of oppression;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Mayor and City Council of Harper Woods will work with organizations and our community toward justice, with the recognition of the interconnected nature of racism and systemic oppression based on socio-economic status, ability, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, and language;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Mayor and City Council of Harper Woods recognize the fight for diversity, accessibility, equality, equity, and civil rights continues, and we urge all people to demand justice against racist and discriminatory practices;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Mayor and City Council of Harper Woods recognize the importance of, and commits to, developing and establishing just and inclusive policies and practices designed to dismantle racism and all forms of oppression;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the Mayor and City Council of Harper Woods will work actively to enhance educational efforts aimed at understanding, dismantling, and addressing racism and how it affects health, education, human services, social services and economic development in our Public Safety, Court, and Government as a whole;

SO FINALLY, we collectively announce that the Mayor and City Council of Harper Woods are committed to fair, transformative, and restorative actions and policies that are accountable to our community, and that we will actively work to eliminate racism and other forms of injustice by working to make organizational structures more inclusive, enact changes in our policies, systems, practices and perceptions, so that we can create a fair and just community for all residents;

social media

Our Mission

The City of Harper Woods exists not to serve those who are employed here, but for the residents who have placed us here to serve.

The City serves all residents, not just a few. City Officials have recently learned of residents circulating misinformation on social media platforms and defining themselves as "in the know."

Officials would like to emphasize that no resident is above another and no resident has access to City services or information over their neighbor. To counter the misinformation, officials encourage all residents to think about accuracy and the sentiments triggered by what they see/read before sharing anything online. If the information does not come from the City, consider your source.

The City is committed to transparency and we have a "contact us" feature link on our website to obtain information or advise of concerns across the city. Residents can also attend monthly City Council meetings to voice their concerns or make comment to their elected officials.