By Charles Sercombe A major citywide sidewalk repair project took a stumble before it could even start. Acting City Manager Kyle Tertzag rejected the only two bids received for the project because they looked suspicious. Tertzag said the two bids, one from Wallace Cement Co. of Shelby Twp. and the [...]
By Charles Sercombe No working ambulances? No problem, say Hamtramck firefighters. In a grievance filed by the firefighters’ union, they are demanding that despite the department’s ambulances not being in running order, they should still be the first to respond to medical emergencies. How’s that? In the grievance, [...]
By Charles Sercombe One of the more controversial, and curious, items in our recent story about the city employee pension roll had to do with a deceased police chief leaving his pension to his kids. The common response was: How could this have happened? Some blamed past city officials who agreed [...]
By Charles Sercombe Hamtramck teachers missed a deadline to extend their contract for another two years before the state’s new “Right to Work” law went into effect last week. That means when the contract between the Hamtramck Federation of Teachers and the district expires on Aug. 31, any new teacher hired will have the [...]
By Charles Sercombe As of Thursday, the day The Review went to press, word is that the city won’t make the April 10 city employee payroll. That goes for firefighters and police officers as well. Acting City Manager Kyle Tertzag said that there is a little over $34,000 in the city coffers, and he needs [...]
By Charles Sercombe Like so many public institutions, Hamtramck’s Public Library is feeling the financial pinch. In order to save money, the library will from now on be closed on Saturdays. Library Director Tamara Sochacka said the Saturday closing is, hopefully, temporary. “We have to get more funds,” she said, “and then we should [...]
By Charles Sercombe It’s nine months into the city’s budget year – which started July 1 – and for some firefighters and police officers, it will be a very good year. Money-wise that is. A review of the city’s employee earnings summary for the 2012-2013 budget year reveals that so far some firefighters have [...]
By Charles Sercombe Attention Hamtramck city employees: Don’t make any major purchases for the next few months. Acting City Manager Kyle Tertzag issued a notice last week to city employees warning them that this week’s payroll will likely be met, but it’s “highly unlikely” the city will make the April 10 payroll. Tertzag also sent [...]
By Charles Sercombe The cost of public safety isn’t the only big ticket item in the city’s operating budget. The cost of providing police and fire services tallies up to $11 million a year. The city’s pension cost is right up there, eating up $3.5 million a year to support 251 retirees (as of [...]
By Charles Sercombe If Hamtramck can’t get major contract concessions from its employees in the next 60 days, State Treasurer Andy Dillon told city officials the state will step in. That’s what Acting City Manager Kyle Tertzag said about his meeting with Dillon last week. Some city councilmembers were also present at the meeting. [...]
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