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Scoops & Scores!!
Sweetheart Deal: Suspended City Employee Collects Pay for Months and Vests for Retirement
by P.D. Lesko
Download a copy of Ralph Welton's Separation Agreement here.
While City Administrator Steve Powers announced Welton’s “resignation” in Jan. 2015, the Separation Agreement signed by Welton and city HR Director Robyn…
Records Reveal Donor Did Not Pay for $2,873 “Farewell” Party WCC Prez Charged to Taxpayers
The Ann Arbor Independent filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the credit card records of WCC President Dr. Rose Bellanca. Records revealed a $2,873 meal paid for by Dr. Bellanca with her college-issued credit card. College…
Crime in Ann Arbor: 35 Percent of Crimes Solved—Since 2012, 8,000+ Crimes Uncleared
LET’S BE CLEAR: In the U.S., Michigan and Ann Arbor crime rates are down. According to data gathered by the FBI, in Ann Arbor, about 1,300 more crimes, total, were committed in 2009 than in 2013. That means, at a minimum, 1,300 fewer people…
UPDATED: WCC President Reimbursed for $2,873.60 Meal at Vinology With WCC Foundation Funds
UPDATED: The newspaper has filed a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain the names of all the participants at the Vinology event for Wendy Lawson. We have also filed a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain the name of the…
From 2010-2013 Number of City Employees With Six-Figure Compensation Packages More Than Tripled
by P.D. Lesko
Since the hiring of City Administrator Steve Powers, compensation for city employees has risen sharply. In 2010, 13 employees earned six-figure base salaries. After three years of Powers’ at the helm, that number has…
Ann Arbor District Library Rule Number 7—What “Dozing” Meant for Homeless Library Patrons During the Polar Vortex
by P.D. Lesko
A Washtenaw County employee told City Council in January 2014 that Ann Arbor’s homeless men, women, children and families could use a variety of public buildings during the day to escape temps. that plummeted to -20F. One…
Ann Arbor Residents Submitted More Freedom of Information Act Requests Than Local News Media in 2013
by Rob Smith
ACCORDING TO THE City of Ann Arbor’s log of FOIA requests submitted between January 2013 and May 2014 519 FOIA requests were submitted to the Ann Arbor City Clerk’s office. Thirty-three of the 519 requests came from The Ann…
Officials Charge High Fees for Public Records Relating to Alleged Retaliatory Dismissal of City Employee
ANN ARBOR CITY Administrator Steve Powers, hired in 2011, has sent an email to a City Council member claiming that high fees assessed for providing public records are justified because “...there is a direct benefit provided to the…
Washtenaw County 14a District Court Employees Use County Credit Cards To Make Dozens of Purchases At Ypsilanti Tim Horton’s
WASHTENAW 14A COURT employees Colleen E. Turek and Lisa Mull have each used their county-issued credit cards to make dozens of purchases at the Ypsilanti Tim Horton’s. The most recent purchase was one for $57.42 made on February 7, 2014 by…
UPDATED: County Taxpayers Foot The Bill For County Employee Stays At Vegas Casinos, Michigan Resorts & Other Luxury Lodgings
Please note: This article was updated with a quote from Sheriff Jerry Clayton's Executive Assistant, Katherine Wyatt.
AN ANALYSIS OF credit card charges made by Washtenaw County employees between 2012 and 2014 shows multiple charges for…