robert ficano

War of words escalates between Worthy, Ficano

Sarah Cwiek — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 22:28:18 +0000

The war of words between Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy and County Executive Robert Ficano is intensifying.

Worthy held a press conference Wednesday to blast Ficano. She spoke in front of a televised slideshow with media clips detailing the Ficano administration’s ongoing corruption issues.

Metro Detroit's 'Big 4' talk emergency managers, re-election

Sarah Cwiek — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 01:28:16 +0000

Metro Detroit’s “Big Four” met up for their annual public conversation at Cobo Hall in Detroit Thursday.

The group is made up of the Wayne county executive Robert Ficano, Oakland county executive L. Brooks Patterson, and Macomb county executive Mark Hackel, plus Detroit mayor Dave Bing.

The event usually stresses regional cooperation and all-around good feelings between the four leaders.

Ficano's 20% county worker pay cut upheld

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 17:09:32 +0000

Today, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled that when Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano imposed 20 percent pay cuts on county workers, he was acting within his rights, reports the Detroit Free Press.

Ficano calls for 20% budget cuts; department heads rebel

Sarah Cwiek — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 22:37:34 +0000

Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano says department heads will have to implement deep cuts.

But department heads are rebelling, and one has already threatened to sue.

In a 2-year budget plan, Ficano says all county departments will have to absorb a 20% budget cut if the Wayne County is to avoid fiscal disaster.

He says property tax revenues have plummeted, and the county faces a $155 million dollar accumulated deficit.

State wants to see Wayne Co. books before okaying deficit plan

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 16:25:52 +0000

Before giving Wayne County the go-ahead on an unorthodox deficit reduction plan, the state wants peruse the county's books.

According to John Wisely at the Detroit Free Press, Michigan Treasurer Andy Dillon is taking bids from accounting firms to perform the audit. Auditors would look at discrepancies in spending and budgeting along with the timing of certain transactions.

Officials in Lansing are on the lookout for anything fishy because the plan would involve state money.

Wayne commission votes to censure Ficano

Sarah Hulett — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 22:33:33 +0000

Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano has been formally censured by the board elected to run the county with him. The censure vote comes in the wake of a federal probe into how county contracts are awarded.

The Wayne County Commission was widely criticized for pulling its punches when it approved a censure resolution last month that did not actually include Ficano's name.

The amended resolution does name Ficano. But it does not call for the executive's resignation, as Commissioner Laura Cox (R-Livonia) wanted. Cox was the lone "no" vote on the resolution.

Commissioner Joe Palamara (D-Grosse Ile) sponsored the censure resolution. He says the commission has no power to force Ficano to step down - so a resolution calling for his resignation would be pointless.

"It's akin to firing a starter's pistol at a track meet," said Palamara. "At the end of the day it makes a lot of noise, gets a lot of attention, but all it is is firing a blank."

Four people have been indicted on federal corruption charges related to Wayne County contracts. Ficano has denied any wrongdoing.

Wayne county commissioners censure executive Ficano

The Associated Press — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 18:49:51 +0000

DETROIT (AP) - Wayne County commissioners have censured executive Robert Ficano, whose office is under an FBI investigation and mired in allegations of corruption.

The commission approved the resolution Thursday on a 14-1 vote. Ficano is elected, and commissioners can't force him out.

Grosse Ile Democrat Joe Palamara sponsored the resolution and says "the power to elect and remove the county executive rests solely with the people."

Federal authorities began investigating county government last summer following reports of a $200,000 severance deal for a Ficano staffer.

Ex-Ficano aide David Edwards pleaded guilty last month to bribery charges involving $13,000 accepted from a private contractor.

Ficano has denied any wrongdoing.

Wayne County's Ficano censured in "watered down" measure

Sarah Cwiek — Thu, 24 May 2012 17:55:31 +0000

Wayne County Commissioners voted today to censure County Executive Robert Ficano, but the vote also exposed divisions within the Commission.

The resolution to “censure the Wayne County Chief Executive Officer” has no real teeth, and it doesn’t mention Ficano by name.

That last fact angered County Commissioner Laura Cox, who sponsored the initial censure resolution. She ended up voting against what she called the “watered down” measure.

Cox called that “pathetic.”

“The Commission has no power to censure, by state law. But I guess we also have no power to ask for somebody to resign, which is exactly what my resolution did. So they feel that that was too strong, obviously,” said Cox.

Cox wants the Commission to put a county charter revision on the ballot. It would ask voters to give Commissioners or other elected officials the authority to remove county officials under certain circumstances.

Commissioner Joseph Palamara said the resolution was appropriate, given the Commission’s limited powers.

“To say that, "you should leave right now," that would have no more authority than Donald Trump walking in here under public comment and saying, ‘Bob Ficano, you’re fired,’” said Palamara.

Ficano’s administration has been under an FBI investigation for months. Several former top aides have been indicted on corruption charges, but Ficano has always denied any personal wrongdoing, and waved off suggestions that he resign.

Commentary: Where's the outrage?

Jack Lessenberry — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:42:20 +0000

To badly paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, history will little note nor long remember Bob Dole’s presidential campaign sixteen years ago. Dole was the Republican nominee against President Bill Clinton that year.

This was before the sex scandals came to light, and Clinton breezed to reelection. Bob Dole, an authentic war hero with a hilariously caustic sense of humor, ran a bumbling race that didn’t reflect that he was actually a quite capable man.

Another former Wayne County official indicted

The Associated Press — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 22:52:17 +0000

DETROIT (AP) — A former high-ranking Wayne County official has been indicted on corruption charges in an investigation of kickbacks tied to a health program.

Michael Grundy is accused of enriching himself by having a contractor inflate invoices and pass him the cash. Grundy was an assistant county executive and director of HealthChoice until he was fired last fall.

Ficano: "I won't walk away" from Wayne County

Sarah Cwiek — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 18:40:36 +0000

(Robert Ficano/Wayne County)

Robert Ficano says he won’t let doubts about corruption in county government distract him from his job.

The Wayne County Executive delivered his tenth annual State of the County address Wednesday night.

Wayne County’s Agony

Jack Lessenberry — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:27:29 +0000

Some years ago, there was a scandal involving fiscal improprieties at Michigan Public Media, which operates this radio station. When the then-director discovered the suspicious financial practices, he immediately told the University of Michigan about them.

Then, though he was in no way implicated in the wrongdoing, he resigned, saying the irregularities happened under his watch, and therefore he was ultimately responsible for them.

Wayne County Commissioner: Ficano should resign

Sarah Cwiek — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 01:14:07 +0000

Wayne County Commissioner Laura Cox has publicly said that embattled County Executive Robert Ficano should resign.

Cox, the only Republican on the Wayne County Commission, has been one of Ficano’s most outspoken critics.

Ficano has been under fire for months after numerous revelations about huge severance payments to top aides, and other corruption accusations.

Top Wayne County employee charged with extortion and other charges

Steve Carmody — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 22:11:37 +0000

A top aide to Wayne County executive Robert Ficano is facing federal extortion and bribery charges

Tahir Kazmi is Wayne County’s Chief Information Officer. He’s been in that job since 2008, though he is currently on leave.

Federal prosecutors charged Kazmi this week with pressuring a county vendor to lie to FBI agents investigating possible corruption in Wayne County government. Kazmi also allegedly demanded cash and expensive trips in return for county contracts.

Metro Detroit's "Big 4" talk Wayne County scandals, emergency managers

Sarah Cwiek — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 01:06:31 +0000

The Detroit Economic Club hosts a public forum with Metro Detroit’s so-called “Big Four” at the Detroit Auto Show each year.

And Tuesday’s session with the Detroit Mayor and Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb County executives proved a bit livelier than usual.