In Our Opinion … City officials turn down a revenue source

We understand that there are sensitivities when it comes to marijuana dispensaries setting up shop in any town.
Hamtramck is no exception.
City officials here have successfully blocked a would-be dispensary owner from opening at a vacant retail outlet on Jos. Campau and Evaline. The operator thought he had the go-ahead to proceed with opening, but it turned out that was a faulty assumption.
So, the city won a court case and federal appeal, which most likely signals the end of the road for this business, as far as Hamtramck being involved anyway.
We can’t help but think that this is a hollow victory.
Why?
Hamtramck closed the door on a business that would have generated over $50,000 for the city in taxes and fees. While that may seem like a small about of revenue, to us, that seems like a decent amount of money for a small community to pass up – especially one that is suddenly facing a $1 million budget deficit.
And, it’s especially baffling considering, one, that city officials got rid of the city’s parking meters, which means a loss of about $300,000 a year in revenue and two, the loss of revenue from the Wayne County jail here in town, which amounts to about $1 million a year.
Hamtramck officials may have thought they won this battle, but instead they are losing the financial war.
Posted May 29, 2026