Watch: County Commissioners, Pay Back the Money You Owe Us!

The Ann Arbor Independent’s “Urban Exile” columnist Shannon McFall lives in Pittsfield Township and vlogs about race, local, county and national politics. He shares commentaries with The Ann Arbor Independent. Tune in to watch a short video commentary by McFall that delves into the issues (crime, money, equity, politics and race) impacting Washtenaw County, particularly its Black community.

The Ann Arbor Independent reported on Mar. 26, 2024 that in 2023 two Washtenaw County Commissioners had over-spent their $7,000 Flex Spending accounts by thousands of dollars and had not repaid the County since Aug./Sept. 2023.

Commissioner Crystal Lyte (District 2) allegedly told MLive that she thought it unfair she would have to repay the money she owed. County Commissioner Caroline Sanders reportedly said she was “seeking counsel” about the thousands she should have repaid months ago. Sanders reportedly blamed County staff for her inability to stay within her $7,000 budget. She said she’d overspent her Flex Spending account by thousands of dollars because she was “invited” to go to conferences and events. She also claimed she overspent her account because she’d had no orientation in policies and procedures related to staying within her budgeted amount.

Shannon McFall has a bit of advice from the common man who pays his bills on time.