WARREN, Mich. – A judge issued a ruling on Thursday in favor of the Warren City Council and against mayor Jim Fouts.
The judge decided Fouts cannot spend city funds any way he wants. Fouts said he plans to appeal the ruling.
The animosity between Fouts and the council is spilling over into the city’s budget process. On Saturday (April 23) morning, they are holding a yearly public meeting but department heads from the city will not be there -- at the mayor’s request.
“She said since it’s not in the charter we don’t have to hear it and I looked and there’s nothing in the charter that mandates my department heads go before the council and be subjugated to personal harassment and embarrassment,” Fouts said.
“What I’m told is that he has dictated that everybody’s not allowed to answer phone calls from us,” Warren City Council President Pat Green said.
Green said the pettiness has become an embarrassment for the entire city.
“We’re supposed to argue and we’re supposed to debate, but when you go as far as not following the law,” Green said.
The mayor’s department heads will take written questions and respond with written answers.
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