State owes it to the city to insure fair elections

We know the wheels of justice can grind ever-so slowly.
But Hamtramck has serious issues surrounding our election integrity, and an important upcoming election on Nov. 4 – just a few weeks away.
Word has come down that there may be no additional investigations into some very suspicious ballot handling issues. An ongoing question about the residency of two city councilmembers may also be failing to gain further legal traction.
We are crossing our fingers these are still active investigations going forward. But it would behoove Hamtramck residents, and all supporters of free and fair elections, to get involved and let the powers that be know that Hamtramck matters.
This city is tired of the games being played come election times, as some see this as a sport and Hamtramck as a political playground.
To state the obvious: All elections matter, no matter how large or small the city or the ledger of candidates.
That’s because corruption can spread, and turn things rotten quickly.
Right now, the city has a not-rosy financial picture for the coming years, according to a recent independent financial report. In other words, the city is now in deficit spending, and will continue in this direction.
That means we have burned through our budget surplus, and we are on track to soon be in a position where that extra cash is gone. At that point, the city will not be able to pay its bills.
And that would be a recipe for another state takeover, unless some critical and unpopular financial decisions are made. Either we do it ourselves, or someone appointed by the state will come here to make those decisions.
We’ve seen these state takeovers happen twice before, and those have not been pleasant times for Hamtramck.
Speak up, people, and let those who are looking into any election fraud know that the public has a right to be able to fully trust in its elections results.
Posted Oct. 3, 2025