Now that the state has pulled out, time to roll up our sleeves
We’re not surprised that state officials abruptly returned local control to the city. We speculated earlier in the year that this would be the year the state ends Hamtramck’s receivership.…
‘It’s time to take a stand and use our voices’
By Charles Sercombe Hamtramck High School students joined students nationwide in a walkout on Wednesday morning. The event, called a “controlled walkout” started at 10 am. and lasted for…
City manager search clouded in secrecy
By Charles Sercombe Some 38 people recently applied to become Hamtramck’s new city manager. Out of that field, only three met the qualifications set by the city charter.…
City officials have to agree to disagree and then move on
Did Hamtramck blow a chance to hire a highly-qualified city manager? That’s been a matter of debate in city hall during the past few weeks, and it’s an issue that…
Breaking news … State returns local control to Hamtramck
By Charles Sercombe That didn’t take long. The Michigan Department of Treasury issued a press release today (Friday, March 2) announcing that local control has been fully returned…
Breaking news … State Treasury Department is seeking the return of local control to the city
UPDATE: The state-appointed Receivership Transition Advisory Board unanimously voted to follow the state Treasury Department’s recommendation and end its oversight of the city’s finances. The process of returning local control…
Search for new city manager put on hold until charter is changed
By Charles Sercombe It looks like Hamtramck won’t have a permanent city manager in place for at least several months. At a special meeting Monday evening, a bare majority…
Get ready for another party
By Charles Sercombe Just as Paczki Day fades away, there is another yearly party coming up. The 5th Annual Hamtramck Music Festival will roll out starting on March…
Paczki Day is a success but there is room to improve
It’s probably safe to assume that Paczki Day in Hamtramck will continue to attract thousands of visitors each year. Our local bakeries are the preferred place to get these seasonal…
City reaches a fair deal for water bill snafu
Recently, city officials agreed on a deal to settle up on water bills with a few hundred property owners. What happened was that the city’s meter equipment underreported actual consumption…
