Update: City manager’s job safe – for now

Hamtramck City Manager Max Garbarino

By Charles Sercombe
City Manager Max Garbarino was not fired Friday in a city council meeting, but it also became clear that Mayor Amer Ghalib is not pleased with him.
In a two-hour-plus special council meeting Friday afternoon, no action was taken against the city manager, as anticipated.
On Thursday, Garbarino issued a statement saying he expected to be fired: “Let me be unequivocally clear: any such action would be retaliatory, unlawful, and a blatant abuse of power.”
His employment status was not even discussed.
The meeting was officially called to discuss “volatility within city hall’s administration.”
Specifically, the discussion focused on Police Chief Altaheri being suspended with pay while the FBI investigates allegations of possible criminal wrongdoing that included domestic abuse, receiving a stolen car and arranging a payment to President Trump for a pardon of a New York City financier friend of Chief Altaheri.
(On Friday, FBI agents came to city hall to gather materials related to the investigation.)
Not much was discussed about those issues, but the wife of the chief denied any abuse in an email read out loud by the city clerk.
In a fiery speech by Mayor Ghalib, who admitted “I’m pissed,” he lashed out, saying the report detailing the alleged wrongdoings by the police chief was from an “anonymous” source, and that it was “leaked” to the press.
“We are treating the police chief as a criminal until proven otherwise,” Ghalib said. “Why is that? He should be innocent until proven otherwise. We have weaponized the media against the community.”
Mayor Ghalib also criticized the way Garbarino handled some internal emails between him and Police Chief Jamiel Altaheri that had something to do with department matters and an unnamed city employee.
Those emails have not been made public.
City Manager Garbarino said he dismissed the emails from Altaheri for not being true or credible.
Ghalib also stressed that “we’re not here to punish anyone today,” but then said that Garbarino should be investigated. Ghalib also invited the FBI to investigate himself because he was mentioned in the internal report on Altaheri.
For almost two hours before the council tackled the topic of “volatility” residents and non-residents spoke out, mostly in favor of Garbarino and Altaheri.
A few residents focused their concern on some city councilmembers who are facing allegations of election fraud, specifically ballot harvesting, and two councilmembers are accused of being non-residents.
Megan Featherstone called out the council and mayor, saying: “Every time I hear of this council, it’s a waste of our money. Shameful. We deserve better.”
Mike Petrack, the owner of Dos Locos Tacos on Jos. Campau, said:
“I’m horrified by the circus the current administration has allowed.”
Another person criticized the council for considering whether to fire Garbarino, saying: “Kicking people out for whistle-blowing has a bad look.”
There is now talk of hiring a private investigator to look into allegations of other city hall matters.
Despite the holiday weekend, the council chambers was packed, and an overflow crowd jammed the hallway outside of it. A heavy police presence was also on hand in case of anyone acting up.
Updated on May 24, 2025