City council calls for special meeting

Former City Manager Max Garbarino

By Charles Sercombe
Hamtramck’s city council is holding a special meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m.
But what will be discussed will be done in a closed session. In the closed meeting, the council will hear an update on the lawsuit filed by former City Manager Max Garbarino.
Garbarino was fired several weeks ago following the results of an investigation performed by the law firm Miller Johnson into Garbarino, former police chief Jamiel Altaheri and police officers David Adamczyk.
The reason for Garbarino’s firing is not entirely clear. The Miller Johnson investigation faulted Garbarino for recommending the police chief hire investigator Adamczyk, and for not acting soon enough to take disciplinary action against Chief Altaheri.
Since his firing, Garbarino filed a lawsuit against the city accusing the city council of violating the Michigan Whistleblowers Act.
His lawsuit also alleges:
o Councilmember Hassan “stormed” into Garbarino’s office and demanded he fire City Clerk Rana Faraj after she reported that a surveillance camera at city hall captured him dropping off a bundle of absentee ballots.
o The mayor and city council held a closed meeting in violation of the state’s Open Meetings Act to discuss suspending Garbarino.
o Garbarino, who is white and non-Muslim, “raised concerns” that the mayor and council were acting with an ethnic bias to suspend him. The mayor and council are all Muslim.
There are no other topics listed on the agenda, which was posted today, Monday, Nov. 17.
However, the council can add topics for discussion at Tuesday’s meeting.
Posted Nov. 17, 2025