Eli Newman – The Yemeni American News
Tensions between Hamtramck City Council members and city officials boiled over last month.
The issue at the heart of the matter centers on the fate of City Manager Katrina Powell. Last February, City Council voted against a resolution to negotiate an extension of Powell’s contract, signaling the intent to end Powell’s tenure with Hamtramck.
Those voting against the renewal include Councilmembers Saad Almasmari, Abu Musa, Mohammed Hassan and Mayor Pro Tem Anam Miah, while Councilmembers Ian Perrotta, Andrea Karpinski and Mayor Karen Majewski voted for the contract extension. The meeting adjourned abruptly as various city officials traded insults with one another.
Though the measures signaling the end of Powell’s time as city manager happened months ago, efforts to fill the position have stalled. Last month, a special meeting was called on a Friday to address the pending expiration of Powell’s contract. Though the City of Hamtramck has yet to log minutes from that meeting, video from YouTube user “Andrew P” shows a tense discourse between the public and city officials.
Many members of the public addressed the hasty scheduling of the noontime meeting, which was posted the previous evening. The Open Meetings Act of Michigan requires a minimum 18-hour notice prior to special meetings of a public body, the exact time period in which the Friday meeting was scheduled. “It is beyond despicable to stand here, to watch what the majority of you are choosing to do without the best interest of the community and the people of this city,” said one resident during public comments.
Many residents also chastised the council for moving to declare a vacancy for the City Council position. “Need I remind you that we have a $4 million surplus under Powell,” said Mark Ragsdale, former Director of Hamtramck Public Works.
When it came time to vote, the council retained its divisions along the same lines as the February vote. “We want to hire our city manager using our power,” said Council Member Mohammed Hassan. “Not from the governor’s office, not from the emergency manager.”
Council Member Saad Almasmari followed by listing a series of grievances against Powell. “She is not doing good, she is not doing great, she’s not even fair in finances,” Almasmari said. “She’s running the city with a dictator mentality.” Council Members Perrotta and Karpinski interrupted Almasmari during his commenting period, claiming his charges of Powell’s nepotism and misuse of finances were unfounded. The two council members eventually erupted in protest against Mayor Pro Tem Miah’s call to vote.
Ultimately, the special meeting ended with the passing of a resolution declaring the vacancy of the city manager position at the conclusion of Powell’s term at the end of June. The resolution claims under Powell’s tenure “city services are not being provided in an acceptable fashion” and that she “selectively enforced local ordinances and publicly refused to prosecute certain property owners that she favors,” though the details regarding these claims are broad.
With a vacancy looming, not only does Hamtramck find itself in a precarious situation to find a full-time employee to fill the city manager position, but to find an interim one as well. During a Saturday budget workshop late May, City Treasurer and Deputy City Manager John Gabor made several accusations against Powell, eventually leaving the meeting. The following Monday, Gabor was placed on administrative leave by Powell.
The content of what Gabor said during the meeting is disputed, resulting in an argument that manifested between city officials on Facebook. Almasmari claims Gabor said the city manager had lied about the budget and had been urged by Powell not to speak in front of City Council. Mayor Karen Majewski replied to Almasmari’s post, claiming Gabor had been asked to leave for unprofessional behavior. “He was aggressive and confrontational, and refused to alter his tone or address the budget itself,” Majewski wrote. “By charter, personnel decisions are made by the city manager, not the council.”
Council Member Ian Perrotta echoed the sentiment. “I believe Ms. Powell acted responsibly by removing him from the meeting,” Perrotta told the Yemeni American News. “In agreeance with me are Councilman Musa and Councilman Hassan, who both told Ms. Powell that Mr. Gabor’s behavior was out of line and would not have been tolerated in a professional setting.”
With pressure both internally and externally, Hamtramck city politics has the potential to shift. Hamtramck’s Primary Election takes place in August, which includes a mayoral race that will pit incumbent Majewski and Council Member Hassan against each other, along with newcomer Kamal Rahman and former city council member Cathie Gordon. Hassan’s seat will be open as he runs for mayor, making three positions in City Council subject to change, as incumbents Karpinski and Perrotta make a bid for another four-year term.
