Detroit suburb sued after refusing to disclose names and pay
March 1, 2021 GMT
WARREN, Mich. (AP) One of Michigan’s largest cities is being sued after disclosing the pay of city employees but refusing to provide names, especially the identities of some people in the fire department who were paid more than $200,000 in 2020.
Warren, a Detroit suburb, is violating Michigan’s public records law and a series of court decisions, according to a lawsuit filed by the Mackinac Center Legal Foundation.
“It is essential that the public be able to track how its tax dollars are being spent,” said Steve Delie, who focuses on transparency and open government at the Midland-based Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
Warren is violating Michigan s public records law and a series of court decisions, according to a lawsuit filed by the Mackinac Center Legal Foundation.
One of Michigan’s largest cities is being sued after disclosing the pay of city employees but refusing to provide names, especially the identities of some people in the fire department who were paid more than $200,000 in 2020.
First they impose restrictions, then a moratorium By
February 20, 2021
An effort by a southwest Michigan resort town to limit short-term vacation rentals of residential property has led to a series of restrictions and moratoriums by the city council, contentious public meetings and a federal lawsuit.
The controversy in New Buffalo, similar to others around country, pits owners and users of Airbnb-style vacation properties against year-round residents who contend that transient visitors are disruptive and damaging to neighborhoods.
City officials, led by Mayor John Humphrey, have tried to fashion an enforceable set of rules and penalties for short-term rentals since 2019.
They insist that their efforts are not aimed at outlawing the practice, an integral part of the community’s tourism-based economy. But critics argue that the city is stripping rights from property owners in a ham-handed and illegal fashion.