WESTLAND, Mich. – Everybody agrees that DeLano Hornbuckle is a good guy and capable. With that said, he still won’t be sitting on Westland’s City Council.
In January 2013, Hornbuckle, who owns an IT business, was appointed to fill a vacant council seat.
“It was great,” said Hornbuckle. “My whole mission was to be for the younger me, to inspire younger generations.”
He filled the term and then decided he wanted to run in the November general election.
He lost by about 2,000 votes. Fast forward to Wednesday (Feb. 14), Westland once again has a council vacancy, and Hornbuckle said he’d like to be reappointed.
Four of his old colleagues voted yes, and two said no. He thought he was back on the council until newly elected Westland Mayor Kevin Coleman vetoed his appointment and sent out a statement, which can be seen below.
The majority of the council was furious, and Wednesday night, tried to overturn the mayoral veto.
That move failed by a 4-2 vote; they needed five votes to overturn it according to the city charter.
So now you have plenty of resentment and bad feelings between the council and the administration.
“If nobody wants to work with anybody or trust anybody, that’s a hell of a problem to have,” Council President Mike McDermott lamented.
All agreed the process going forward to fill council vacancies needs to be better defined, and some think it’s time to overhaul the charter.