of proportional representation. It is responsible for approving tax levels, preparing the annual account, and the business report. In addition, it can issue regulations. The term of office is four years. In the last two elections the parties had the following representation: At the district level, some elements of the government remain a direct democracy. There are optional and obligatory referendums, and the population retains the right to establish an initiative. Executive The executive authority is the town council (Stadtrat). The term of office is four years, and its members are elected by a plurality voting system. It leads and represents the municipality. It carries out the resolutions of the assembly, and those requested by the canton and national level governments. The seven members (and their party) are: Dr. Hanspeter Hilfiker (FDP) (City President) Werner Schib (CVP) (City Vice President) Angelica Cavegn Leitner (Pro Aarau) Franziska Graf (SP) Daniel Siegenthaler (SP) Hanspeter Thür (Grüne) Suzanne Marclay-Merz (FDP) National elections In the 2007 federal election the most popular party was the SP which received 27.9% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP (22.1%), the FDP (17.5%) and the Green Party (11.8%). Coat of arms The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Argent an Eagle displayed Sable beaked langued and membered Gules and a Chief of the last. Notable people Born in Aarau Ferdinand Rudolph Hassler (1770–1843), first director of the United States Coast Survey Hans Herzog (1819–1894), Swiss army General. Carl Feer-Herzog (1820–1880), politician, President of the Swiss National Council 1874 Friedrich Mühlberg (1840-1915), a Swiss geologist Hans Renold (1852-1943), a Swiss/British engineer, inventor and industrialist in Britain Friedrich Zschokke (1860–1936), zoologist and parasitologist, grandson of Heinrich Zschokke Emil Hassler (1864–1937), physician, ethnographer, naturalist and botanist Maximilian Bircher-Benner (1867–1939), physician, pioneer nutritionist popularised muesli Frederick Sutermeister (1873–1934), a Swiss theologian and pastor Martha Burkhardt (1874–1956), painter and photographer Otto Hunziker (1879–1940), politician and author Eugen Bircher (1882–1956), politician Edmund Heuberger (1883–1962), art director, screenwriter and film director Karl Ballmer (1891–1958) painter, anthroposophical philosopher and writer Felix Hoffmann (1911-1975), graphic designer, illustrator and stained glass artist Erika Burkart (1922–2010), writer and poet Fritz Vogelsang (born 1932), decathlete, competed at the 1960 Summer Olympics Hansruedi Jost (1934–2016), hammer thrower, competed at the 1960 Summer Olympics Klaus Merz (born 1945), writer Martin Schlumpf (born 1947), musician, composer, conductor, improviser and academic teacher (born 1947), author Charlotte Walter