Crossing the line of their authority

At a recent city council meeting, Mayor Amer Ghalib made an interesting comment that caught our attention.
Speaking on the internal investigations into the police chief and background checks on candidates, the mayor lashed out, saying those investigations were not authorized.
“This body decides who gets investigated here or not,” Ghalib said, in reference to himself and the city council.
Let that statement sink in for a moment.
According to Mayor Ghalib, it would be up to him and the city council to decide whether anyone of them committed election law violations, or may not be a resident, or whether there is wrongdoing in any city department.
What do you think the chances are that the mayor and council members would OK an investigation into themselves?
Yeah, the chances are, pretty much, zilch.
That’s a preposterous claim by the mayor, and clearly reveals his lack of understanding of the limits of his authority, as well as that of the city council.
In the past, city managers have conducted internal investigations into department heads and employees without anyone’s prior knowledge.
It is ludicrous to think that city managers need to get a green light from elected officials in order to investigate them.
We point this out only because the mayor and council have continued to redefine their roles as the managers of city affairs.
And that’s just not the case.
Clearly, this city needs a reset on the subjects of authority and control. Otherwise, Hamtramck could grind to a halt in dysfunction.
Our advice? Stay in your lanes, people.
Posted July 18, 2025