Posts by Minehaha Forman

DETROIT—Days after the Motor City won an award from a national public finance magazine for making a “Deal of the Year” that postponed payment on a $400 million bond, details of a year-late audit reveal what Detroit News reporter David Josar calls a “startling glimpses of how quickly the city is burning through cash, losing [...]

Detroit Mayor Dave Bing was on the road a lot this week. The newly re-elected mayor travelled from the State Capitol to the nation’s Capitol this week, first seeking financial help during a Lansing visit. Then he traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend a White House Economic Growth forum focused on exploring ways to put [...]

DETROIT — A company providing services specializing in transit for disabled riders is suing the city over what company representatives consider to be a breach of contract, including non-payment and the hiring of outside contractors despite an exclusive agreement with the Detroit Department of Transportation.

DETROIT—Less than a month after the Nov. 3 election, City Charter Revision Commissioners are getting to work on their three-year task of updating and revising the city’s governing document.
The nine-member commission was sworn in on Nov. 17 and held its first meeting on Monday. Commissioners are required to hold at least 90 meetings over the [...]

DETROIT — Mayor Dave Bing traveled to Lansing Tuesday morning to urge state lawmakers to introduce and pass legislation that would raise the cap on short-term loans so that the city can borrow enough money to avoid bankruptcy.
Because this is Bing’s first meeting with state legislature, he told the Detroit Free Press that much [...]

Outspoken political consultant Sam Riddle refused his last chance at two plea deals Monday and will be the first figure accused of being involved in Detroit and Southfield bribery scandals to go to trial.
FBI officials allege that Riddle negotiated and arranged bribes for convicted Detroit City councilwoman Monica Conyers and in a separate charge, arranged [...]

DETROIT—Former Michigan Vice President of Synagro Technologies James Rosendall was sentenced to 11 months in prison and $200,000 in fines this afternoon for approving at least $6,000 in bribes to former city councilwoman Monica Conyers in exchange for a favorable vote on a $1.2 billion sludge disposal contract with Synagro, the Detroit Free Press [...]

DETROIT — When voters spoke from the ballot box early this month, it was clear they wanted change, especially on the city council. One major shift in council leadership that stands out this election cycle is the gender composition of the incoming council, which has had an overwhelming majority of women for the past eight years with only two men serving on the council with seven women during that time. Even before that, voters favored women leaders on council. There hasn’t been a male majority on the city’s legislative body since 1989.

Even though Synagro Technologies has been tied to a bribery scandal that may land two company representatives, consultant Rayford Jackson and former Michigan executive James Rosendall, in prison, the Texas-based waste disposal company is in the running for a new contract with the city.
When bribery charges against the company and elected officials came out [...]

DETROIT — Disabled residents who use public transit and their advocates are concerned that new para-transit services recently contracted by the city are not safe for those who depend on them for transportation.