Hamtramck Requests Bankruptcy Protection

[7miledog]

http://www.freep.com/article/2010111...for-bankruptcy

Is Detroit far behind? If not, would that be bad?

[woodwardboy]

Royal Oak, Troy, Southfield next in line...

[Danny]

It's time for Hamtramack to be annexed to Detroit

[BrushStart]

I see Detroit filing bankruptcy very soon with Snyder and Bing at the helm. And, I think it may be the best thing that could happen for the city. Clear out all of the old debt obligations, shake up entrenched bureaucracies, force change with DPS and other groups that have refused to be reasonable for many years, rewrite the budget by funding priorities, such as police, fire, schools, infrastructure, etc. Lay out a plan to lower taxes over the next 10 years to levels comparable with other major metros. Detroit could come out of bankruptcy lean, mean, and swinging for the fences. I know it's a different example, but just look at how much more competitive bankruptcy made GM. Detroit could achieve similar results and be the golden boy of efficiency in the region- both Chicago and Cleveland are in very precarious financial situations as well and aren't too far behind. Detroit could be the first one to plow through the process and get it over with.

[Hypestyles]

it's 2010, all of these micro-cities with separate government departments need to be scaled down.. hamtramck and highland park need to be somehow merged with the city of detroit, give each community a seat on the city council, especially now that the re-districting of city council is taking place with the city charter commission, this can clear the way for less layers of government in the state of michigan..

[Lowell]

It's time for Hamtramck to be annexed to Detroit

I think they would prefer to be annexed by Grosse Pointe or...

[DetroitPlanner]

For every Hamtramck we take we should get a Pointe just to balance things out!

[Detroitnerd]

There are three main reasons Hamtramck may go bankrupt.

1) Hamtramckans are resisting any tax hikes to pay for services.

2) American Axle shifted production to Mexico.

3) Detroit is withholding Hamtramck's share of TIFA revenues from Poletown.

Re: No. 3, since Detroit's been withholding Hamtramck's money, Hamtramck has been withholding Detroit's payments for water and sewerage. Given this acrimony, it's unlikely Hamtramck will be much interested in sharing anything political with Detroit, or annexation.

[EastSider]

re: #1...Hamtramck has all of the expenses of living in "the big city" without any of the perks. The millage rate is about 47, car insurance is out-of-sight, and the city has an income tax.

When you look at the poverty rate, Hamtramckans are right to oppose tax increases. They don't have the money to pay it.

[Detroitnerd]

re: #1...Hamtramck has all of the expenses of living in "the big city" without any of the perks. The millage rate is about 47, car insurance is out-of-sight, and the city has an income tax.

When you look at the poverty rate, Hamtramckans are right to oppose tax increases. They don't have the money to pay it.

Oh, there's money to pay it, and all this could be avoided if it were just raised a bit, to the legal limit and not beyond, but it's just that so many of Hamtramck's city "leaders" don't want to pay any more taxes. So, the city will likely go into receivership.

Then again, you can't just thank Hamtramck taxpayers for this mess: As somebody who spends most of his time in Hamtramck, I would like to thank the city of Detroit for shafting Hamtramck big-time, and not providing the documents, making the city manager file numerous FOIAs to get the papers, and for generally stalling, hoping for the little city to kick the bucket. Thanks, Detroit...

[EastSider]

It's always "just a little bit," though, isn't it? But then that little bit turns into "not enough."

[Detroitnerd]

It's always "just a little bit," though, isn't it? But then that little bit turns into "not enough."

Yeah, everyone is feeling the squeeze, and even formerly prosperous cities like Troy are in a pinch. This is a much larger problem than Hamtramck, which is actually well-run by Mayor Majewski and City Manager Bill Cooper. I guess what galls me the most is Detroit's game of chicken, which is forcing the issue. Illegally, I might add, or else why are they hiding the audit that they say justifies withholding the revenue?

[RaumVogel]

It's time for Hamtramack to be annexed to Detroit

It's time for Detroit to be annexed to Hamtramck.

/ Fixed

[1KielsonDrive]

If Hamtramck goes into receivership, look for our newly elected leaders in Lansing to attempt privatization/merger/consolidation of everything possible, including police, fire, municipal services, schools.............

[Detroitnerd]

If Hamtramck goes into receivership, look for our newly elected leaders in Lansing to attempt privatization/merger/consolidation of everything possible, including police, fire, municipal services, schools.............

Oh, yeah, that sounds TERRIFIC.

[1KielsonDrive]

When Schimmel took over in Ecorse, I received calls from friends saying, "I went into work today and I no longer have a job". He closed the DPW, sold the equipment, closed the ice rink and sold it, and closed their library, which I think took about 10 years to reopen. Wayne County Sheriff's patrolled Jefferson Ave, Southfield and Outer Drive. City hall was put up for sale, though I don't believe it ever sold. There was talk of merging with River Rouge and Detroit. No one was willing to merge with Ecorse. We all know why. So, don't expect any takers for a merger, unless they're in worse shape than Hamtramck, and even then.........

[rjk]

3) Detroit is withholding Hamtramck's share of TIFA revenues from Poletown.

This issue must be 10X more complicated than I think or the people involved are as inept as I think. This debate between the two cities has been going on for some time.
Can't someone in Lansing bring the two sides together and settle this issue? The whole thing comes across as very Mickey Mouse.

[hamtown mike]

We're really dancing around the issue... legacy costs ie pensions.

Hamtramck has cops pulling overtime like crazy to beef up their salaries. A Hamtramck cop's pension is based on his top 2 productive years of earning. One officer is rumored to have recently earned 130K.

I'd really consider biting my tongue when it comes to harping on the taxpayers of Hamtramck. I pay my property taxes and my city income tax... for what? The priveldge of living in a city with sewers so faulty our basements become cesspools every time it mists? Cops that show up to the scene of the crime with a hello kitty notepad [[if they show at all)? Roads that haven't been maintained in decades? City owned crap shacks sitting burnt out and empty?

Back off the taxpayers, we've been paying our taxes and not gotten squat. So we should pay more taxes to just maintain that level of "squatness"? We've been getting raped for years- Maybe try looking at the rapists for a change.

I've attached a copy of the letter to the state from the city of Hamtramck for your review.

[1KielsonDrive]

This issue must be 10X more complicated than I think or the people involved are as inept as I think. This debate between the two cities has been going on for some time.
Can't someone in Lansing bring the two sides together and settle this issue? The whole thing comes across as very Mickey Mouse.

What makes you think anyone in Lansing cares enough, much less could bring the two sides together? Lansing is about as divided as anywhere in the country right now. When newly elected ?leaders? take office in a month or two, there may be a bit more consensus, but it'll be much uglier for Detroit, Hamtramck and other cities. Lansing won't be giving any help. They may be ordering radical changes not to the liking of the cities residents. I hope I'm wrong, but with the ?leaders? we now have in office nationally as well as statewide, cities are just plain, out and out, going to suffer.

[1KielsonDrive]

We're really dancing around the issue... legacy costs ie pensions.

Hamtramck has cops pulling overtime like crazy to beef up their salaries. A Hamtramck cop's pension is based on his top 2 productive years of earning. One officer is rumored to have recently earned 130K.

I'd really consider biting my tongue when it comes to harping on the taxpayers of Hamtramck. I pay my property taxes and my city income tax... for what? The priveldge of living in a city with sewers so faulty our basements become cesspools every time it mists? Cops that show up to the scene of the crime with a hello kitty notepad [[if they show at all)? Roads that haven't been maintained in decades? City owned crap shacks sitting burnt out and empty?

Back off the taxpayers, we've been paying our taxes and not gotten squat. So we should pay more taxes to just maintain that level of "squatness"? We've been getting raped for years- Maybe try looking at the rapists for a change.

I've attached a copy of the letter to the state from the city of Hamtramck for your review.

A very accurate and completely understandable post. I share much of your sentiments and I've likely been around Hamtramck a much shorter time than you have.

[Detroitnerd]

This issue must be 10X more complicated than I think or the people involved are as inept as I think. This debate between the two cities has been going on for some time.
Can't someone in Lansing bring the two sides together and settle this issue? The whole thing comes across as very Mickey Mouse.

Well, since they've said they don't have to pay Hamtramck, all they have to do is show the audit that they're using as justification to not pay Hamtramck. If they did that, then Hamtramck would have to look at it very closely, but if Detroit were right, then there couldn't be much more arguing. Detroit refuses to release the audit, which is public information. Which suggests it ain't that complicated; Detroit's grabbing all the money and ain't talkin'.

[Detroitnerd]

We're really dancing around the issue... legacy costs ie pensions.

Hamtramck has cops pulling overtime like crazy to beef up their salaries. A Hamtramck cop's pension is based on his top 2 productive years of earning. One officer is rumored to have recently earned 130K.

I'd really consider biting my tongue when it comes to harping on the taxpayers of Hamtramck. I pay my property taxes and my city income tax... for what? The priveldge of living in a city with sewers so faulty our basements become cesspools every time it mists? Cops that show up to the scene of the crime with a hello kitty notepad [[if they show at all)? Roads that haven't been maintained in decades? City owned crap shacks sitting burnt out and empty?

Back off the taxpayers, we've been paying our taxes and not gotten squat. So we should pay more taxes to just maintain that level of "squatness"? We've been getting raped for years- Maybe try looking at the rapists for a change.

I've attached a copy of the letter to the state from the city of Hamtramck for your review.

Not to mention that Hamtramck traffic officers have been writing $60,000 worth of tickets a month to pay for their staffing over there. Anybody seen the Monday morning kangaroo court in Hamtramck with people lined up down the hall for a left turn on green?

[woodwardboy]

Public Act 312 is on the line. Hamtramck is the test case. If Hamtramck is able to file bankruptcy, all pension obligations are on the line. Every city in Michigan is watching this story play out.

[rjk]

http://www.detnews.com/article/20101...-of-bankruptcy

[RYANGUARD]

What happened to all of the parking meter money?Since they've taken care of the people who were pilfering it,they should have at least a couple of dollars in revenue from that,shouldn't they?