County owes Hamtramck an explanation on what it plans for jail

Amid the good news city officials received about Hamtramck’s yearly budget projection, there has been one lingering dark cloud hanging over things.
Wayne County is expected to transfer its jail operations in Hamtramck to a new county jail that is about to open in Detroit.
Once that happens, according to terms it has had with the city, the county will no longer be obligated to pay roughly $1 million a year to the city as it has been previously doing, in lieu of paying property taxes.
That’s a healthy chunk of the city’s $20 million budget. While some here say it’s a hit that the city can absorb, that’s nonsense.
According to budget projections, in a few years the city will once again face spending more money than it takes in, with absolutely no room to cut costs.
What the city needs to know from county officials is, what are they going to do with the jail?
Despite meeting with the county continuously, no concrete plan has been shared with our city officials.
For goodness sake, county officials, you owe it to Hamtramck to give us something. No city should have to twist in the wind, financially-speaking, like Hamtramck is having to do.
Hamtramck deserves an answer, so that our own officials here can start their planning in turn.
Posted April 28, 2023