By Simon Albaugh \u2013 Yemeni American News<\/p>\n
HAMTRAMCK, Mich. \u2013 After former Councilmember Perrotta\u2019s resignation, the process of appointing a new City Councilmember has taken longer than expected.<\/p>\n
When the last resignation happened \u2013 with former Councilmember Andrea Karpinski resigning \u2013 Saad Almasmari was appointed at the very next meeting. The agenda item immediately following the approval of Karpinski\u2019s resignation on Dec. 22 was the appointment of Almasmari<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n As of today, two city council meetings have passed without action on filling the vacant City Council seat.<\/p>\n The next person in line for the seat is the person who received the next-most number of votes in the previous City Council election, per the Hamtramck City Charter. That leaves Hamtramck resident Carrie Beth Lasley as the only choice for the City Council seat.<\/p>\n The reason for no appointment yet, according to Lasley, is because of issues with tax records.<\/p>\n \u201cThe city indicated that they do not believe I paid my income taxes,\u201d Lasley said. \u201cI received refunds in each of those years.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the city responded that this is just an instance when it takes a while. \u201cAs always, not every situation takes the same length of time,\u201d said Hamtramck City Manager Kathy Angerer.<\/p>\n \u201cMs. Lasley is fully aware why the appointment process has not yet been completed. We continue to go back and forth with necessary information. The ball is in her court.\u201d<\/p>\n The last vacancy also ran into tax issues, with Almasmari owing $3,674.58 in income taxes. That sum was paid within a week of Karpinski\u2019s resignation.<\/p>\n \u201cI paid my taxes, no one helped me, no one paid for me,\u201d Almasmari said in an interview with the Arab American News<\/span><\/a>. \u201cI don\u2019t think any logical person believes that someone will pay for someone to get into Council.\u201d<\/p>\n