Election season spawns the usual inflated claims

Hamtramck’s city finances have long been up and down.
But some folks out there are claiming that the city’s current balanced budget is a first-ever historical moment.
Bunk.
We know this is an election year, and there are going to be a bunch of inflated claims — that goes with the territory.
The fact is, though, that the city has also experienced a balanced budget in the past – just several years ago, in fact. Hamtramck has lately experienced a number of financial gains that were the result of hard work by previous administrations, as well as by the current one.
And the city has been the recipient of state and federal grants that have greatly offset costs – some just temporarily.
While those grants are welcome, they are not permanent solutions.
The future of Hamtramck’s financial stability remains in question. For anyone paying attention, it was recently explained that financial projections show that Hamtramck will once again experience deficit spending in a few years.
Another tall tale being peddled is that, “for the first time,” development projects are happening in the city, or about to happen. Again, what a load of BS.
Guess what?
Development projects have been steadily going on during the past several years, each one building upon the last.
So, good grief, stop with the revisionist history – and that goes for certain elected leaders who are also making these false claims.
On top of all this, despite Hamtramck’s long history of fragile finances, there are some city council candidates promising to lower property taxes. What they don’t offer, unsurprisingly, is how they propose to keep the city funded if they are successful in reducing those taxes.
The whole notion of promising to lower taxes is such a tired and worn out cliché that all it does is immediately disqualify someone as fit to help run this city.
Candidates, you can do better than this – but, if you can’t, then you have no business seeking public office.
Posted June 23, 2023