Tag Archives | Michael Brown

Judge sends Flint Emergency Manager Michael Brown packing – for now.

By on March 20, 2012 in Emergency Managers

Take your victories where you can get them

Flint Mayor Dayne Walling

As I mentioned earlier, a judge had put a restraining order on Flint Emergency Manager Michael Brown due to potential violations of the Open Meetings Act. The hearing was this afternoon and, now that it’s over, Michael Brown is unemployed and Dayne Walling is mayor again. Not only that, everything Brown has done as Emergency Manager is reversed.

For now.

I have no doubt that the Snyder administration will simply go through the proper motions this time and redo the whole thing. I am sure that, within a month, Flint will have an Emergency Manager again.…


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The artlessness of the Snyder administration’s approach to imposing Emergency Managers

By on March 14, 2012 in Detroit, Emergency Manager Law, Emergency Managers, Joe Harris, Pontiac, Rick Snyder

You don’t have to be a jerk about it

Last spring when I published exclusive audio of Benton Harbor Emergency Manager Joe Harris talking about crushing the unions, I was shocked at what he said and, more to the point, how he said it:

So, I’ve laid off twenty-five people. I’ve laid off nine police officers. I’ve laid off four fireman. I’ve haven’t’ done that yet but this Friday — after the townhall meeting. Oh, they know it’s comin’! They know it’s comin’! And I’ve laid off four EPW — I had nine major equipment or heavy equipment operators but only five pieces of heavy equipment.…

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Wednesday afternoon Emergency Manager news round-up – 2/15/2012

By on February 15, 2012 in Emergency Financial Managers, Emergency Manager Law, Public Act 4

All the news that’s fit to make you cringe

Lots of news to get to today. Lots more after the jump, too, so make sure you click through.

UPDATE: My article for The Nation magazine on Michigan’s Emergency Manager law will be in the issue that goes to print today and will hit the stands later this week. It may or may not be online unless you are a subscriber. I’ll keep everyone posted when it’s available.

  • Michigan Forward to turn in petition signatures February 29th
    Michigan Forward’s petition drive to repeal Public Act 4 is near its end and they will turn in well over 200,000 signatures on February 29th.

    • …


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Rainbow Push Detroit responds to closing of Highland Park school + Flint EM holds meetings

By on January 31, 2012 in Emergency Managers, Highland Park

Let’s get right to work, shall we?

New Highland Park schools Emergency Manager Jack Martin got right to work yesterday, his first day on the job. He closed Barber Focus School.

Parents and students of Highland Park schools learned Monday evening how the newly appointed emergency manager will change the troubled district, starting with a closure that will leave only two schools.

The moves follow a Highland Park school board member asking a judge Monday to void the recommendations of a state-led financial review team that resulted in the appointment of Jack Martin.

Martin began work Monday saying Barber Focus School for K-8 children would close in the coming week for the rest of the school year and students would move to Henry Ford Academy.

…


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Monday afternoon Emergency Manager news round-up – UPDATED

By on January 30, 2012 in Emergency Manager Law, Emergency Managers

Anyone wanna buy a sewer?

Lotsa Emergency Manager tidbits to report today.

  1. Highland Park schools Emergency Manager takes the reins
    As I reported last Friday, a new Emergency Manager has been appointed in Michigan, this time it’s the Highland Park school district that has been taken over. You can read about Jack Martin HERE. He’s also on the team that is looking over Detroit’s finances which has raised some eyebrows.

    UPDATE: A community group has formed to oppose the imposition of a Emergency Manager for Highland Park schools:

    Community leaders opposing Highland Park Schools new emergency financial manager held a news conference Monday to make sure their thoughts were known.

    2. …


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Emergency Managers, sticklers for detail? Uhhh…not so much

By on January 18, 2012 in Emergency Managers

When you put a single man in charge of the city of Flint, a non-elected financial guy with no accountablility to the local residents, answerable only the Governor, you’d probably want to choose someone who pays crazy close attention to detail, wouldn’t you? Someone who is truly gifted at dotting the the “I”s and crossing the “T”s?

Well, apparently that is not a job qualification for our Michigan Emergency Managers. Flint Emergency Manager Michael Brown released a 19-page “Financial and Operating Plan” this week. Right square in the middle of the document, is the date: January 15, 2013.

Yup, he got the date wrong.…


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Flint Emergency Manager decides to let City Council open and adjourn meetings

By on January 13, 2012 in Benton Harbor, Emergency Managers, Joe Harris

This is so damn patronizing. Flint Emergency Manager Michael Brown has issued an order restoring City Council meetings which he had previously cancelled.

Here’s the agenda of the meetings (unless Brown modifies it):

  1. Call to Order by the Council President
  2. Roll Call by the City Clerk
  3. Pledge of Allegiance
  4. Presentation of Minutes
  5. Report by the Emergency Manager and/or his designee(s)
  6. Council Questions and Answers
  7. Closing Comments by the Emergency Manager
  8. Public Comment
  9. Adjournment

In other words, Brown is allowing the Council members to open the meeting, ask questions and adjourn the meeting. Not too different from what Benton Harbor Emergency Manager Joe Harris did when he issued an order allowing City Commissioners to (1) call the meeting to order, (2) approve meeting minutes, and (3) adjourn the meeting.…


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Flint’s Emergency Mgr rewards Mayor & City Council for good behavior, Benton Harbor teachers take cuts

By on December 21, 2011 in Benton Harbor, Emergency Manager Law, Emergency Managers

It’s probably a crass way of looking at it, but I can’t see THIS as anything more than the Mayor of Flint and the City Council being rewarded for their obedience.

Flint’s emergency manager is giving back some responsibilities to the city’s mayor and city council.

One of the first things Michael Brown did after the governor appointed him was to eliminate the pay and benefits for Mayor Dayne Walling and the entire Flint city council. He also canceled future city council meetings.

This week, Brown reinstated 60 percent of the mayor’s salary, as well as his full benefits. Mayor Walling will also get some of his powers restored, including his role in economic development, master planning, intergovernmental affairs, and community engagement.

…


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Mich GOP: No attempt to make interim Emergency Manager law referendum-proof

By on December 9, 2011 in Emergency Manager Law, Emergency Managers, Rick Snyder

With the news that Michigan Republicans are already writing legislation to replace the Emergency Manager law if it is stopped by the referendum petition drive being conducted by Michigan Forward, many of us are concerned that they will put an appropriation into the bill. If this is done, it will make the law “referendum-proof” because Michigan law prohibits referendums on bills with appropriations (money set aside for some particular use.)

These are worthy fears since the GOP has already done this on a number of occasions this year. For example, in the bill to “reform” Michigan’s no-fault auto insurance rules, there is a $50,000 appropriation.…


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Flint’s new Emergency Manager starts off by violating the city charter, fires staffers, mayor & City Council

By on December 6, 2011 in Emergency Manager Law, Emergency Managers

Buried in the lede of the news about Flint Emergency Manager Michael Brown firing seven staffers and essentially firing the the Mayor and City Council, as well, is this little tidbit:

In his first orders as emergency manager, Michael Brown on Friday fired seven City Hall staffers — including the mayor’s second-in-command — and eliminated pay and benefits for the mayor and Flint City Council. [...]

Although the roles of the city ombudsman and Civil Service Commission are mandated by the Flint City Charter, Brown’s order removing Purifoy and Parker cited state law that says an emergency manager can remove any local government appointee.

…


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