Complex sentence: He was a member of the Detroit City Council for 17 years, nine of them as its president, and served as mayor of Detroit three times: in 1922,1924, and 1927-1929.
Split into simpler sentences: He was a member of the Detroit City Council for 17 years before being elected mayor, nine of them as its president. He served as mayor of Detroit three times: in 1922,1924, and 1927-1929.