sheldon neeley

Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley has declared a state of emergency in the city due to gun violence. According to the mayor, there have been 158 non-lethal shootings in the city in 2021—a nearly 80% increase from 88 in 2020.

The declaration means the city can use federal funds from the American Rescue Plan to fight gun violence. The city of Flint is set to receive $94 million of the federal $1.9 trillion stimulus package.

Neely says the steps the city is taking to address gun violence are based on feedback taken from Flint residents. 

Flint continues to make progress in reducing lead in its drinking water.

In 2016, tests showed Flint’s drinking water contained high levels of lead contamination (20 parts per billion). Government standards require action to be taken if lead levels top 15 parts per billion. 

One of Michigan’s largest cities currently does not have a contract with a business to pick up its garbage.

Flint’s garbage pickup contract expired on June 30.

Wednesday, the Flint City Council failed to approve a 90-day extension to the city’s contract with Republic Services. Instead, the council approved a 30-day contract, which is not what Republic wanted.

On Monday, the Flint City Council will once again try to pass a city budget.

But there’s little hope the divided council will be able to reach an agreement.

Flint’s dysfunctional city council has often struggled with mundane tasks, but the current stalemate over the proposed $71 million city budget threatens to cause a government shutdown.

Some council members are upset the budget does not contain more money for blight removal and public safety. The budget does not include federal COVID relief money.

Flint’s mayor is decrying a Saturday night “pop-up party” that drew hundreds of people and ended with six wounded by gunfire.

Police had broken up two previous attempts to hold the event, which attracted up to a thousand people. 

The city of Flint is looking at ways to get illegal guns off the streets, either by seizing them or buying them.

Flint officials say the city has seen a 17% increase in violent crime this year over last year, including an increase in murders.

For Mayor Sheldon Neeley, the violence is close to home.

“There have been a few shootings on my street where I live,” Neeley told reporters on Tuesday. “It’s no fun not being able to sit out on my deck and worry about what might happen in my neighborhood.”

Starting Thursday, the city of Flint is imposing a curfew to try to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus.   

Two weeks ago, Flint was untouched by the coronavirus pandemic. As of Wednesday, Flint and Genesee County have recorded 249 positive COVID-19 cases and eight deaths.  

Flint mayor Sheldon Neeley admits his new budget proposal is “not perfect.”

Neeley presented his $55.6 million budget proposal to the city council on Monday.

The mayor says rising property values are increasing city revenues. But he says Flint is also facing significant legacy costs. 

He hopes Flint city council members don’t make major changes to the budget blueprint.

The Michigan State Police are investigating an alleged bar fight between two Flint city officials.  

The fight between councilman Eric Mays and Mayor Sheldon Neeley’s Deputy Chief of Staff allegedly took place at a Flint bar last week. City police turned the investigation over to the MSP.

Eric Mays told reporters Monday night that he’s scheduled to meet with the state police Tuesday morning. 

Mays accuses the mayor of protecting his aide.

Flint residents surprised by a recent big water bill are getting some relief.

In the past, aging meters forced the city to estimate how much water people were using.

The city of Flint is using $9.2 million in federal money from the city’s water crisis to install 26,000 new water meters. About 5,000 meters have been replaced so far.

The city of Flint is launching a coordinated campaign to attack blight.

Mayor Sheldon Neeley says illegal dumping is a prime target.

Flint’s mayor admits his city should have started preparing for this year’s census a year ago. But he says the city is trying to catch up.

The wife of Flint’s mayor won Tuesday’s Democratic primary in a special election to fill his old vacant state House seat.

Cynthia Neeley was the clear winner in Tuesday’s Democratic primary in a special election to fill the vacant 34th District seat.

Neeley’s husband Sheldon resigned from the seat last year after being elected Flint mayor.

A large field of candidates will be on the ballot this week as Flint voters decide who they want to represent them in Lansing.

Flint’s former city spokeswoman is joining a crowded field of candidates to fill a vacant state House seat.

Sheldon Neeley resigned from his State House 34th District seat, after winning this month's Flint mayoral election.

“I do solemnly swear or affirm…” Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley repeated as he took his oath of office on Monday, before an overflow crowd at Flint City Hall.

Neeley defeated incumbent Mayor Karen Weaver last week in a very close election.

In his address, Neeley repeatedly stressed the need for unity going forward.

Neeley also urged Flint residents to take a similar oath.

Flint Police Chief Tim Johnson decided not to wait to be fired by the city’s new mayor.

Johnson announced Friday that he was resigning.

The mayor who led Flint through its water crisis lost her bid for another term on Tuesday.

Unofficial results show State Rep. Sheldon Neeley defeated incumbent Mayor Karen Weaver by a few hundred votes.

The Michigan Secretary of State’s office has declined a request by a Flint mayoral candidate to give special oversight of Tuesday’s election.

State Representative Sheldon Neeley made the request last month. Neeley is running against incumbent Mayor Karen Weaver in this week’s Flint mayoral election.

A candidate for Flint mayor is asking the Michigan Secretary of State’s office to give more oversight of next week’s election.

Challenger, State Rep. Sheldon Neeley (D-Flint) is leveling allegations of possible voter fraud and absentee ballot tampering at the campaign of incumbent mayor Karen Weaver.

A debate Thursday night between the two candidates for Flint mayor saw few sparks, but some sniping.

If it wasn’t for the yard signs sprinkled around town, you might not know that Flint is electing a mayor next month.   

It’s been a low-key campaign between incumbent Karen Weaver and state representative Sheldon Neeley (D-Flint).   

This week, voters across Michigan go to the polls to cast ballots in a variety of local elections.

Incumbent mayors in Warren, Jackson and Flint are facing primary challenges on Tuesday.

In Flint, Mayor Karen Weaver is running for re-election after a term that has seen her city plunged into the national spotlight because of the city’s water crisis and the city’s slow recovery.

A judge has decided to ignore mistakes made by some of the four Flint mayoral candidates and allow all of them to appear on the August primary ballot.

The candidates filed legal briefs last week defending each of their positions to be on the ballot, while also raising questions about their opponents. The conflicting legal claims opened the possibility that one or all four candidates would be dropped from the ballot, forcing them to run write-in campaigns.

Monday morning, a circuit court judge will hear a case that could force all the candidates running for Flint mayor off the August primary ballot.

It appears all four candidates who qualified for a spot on the primary ballot made mistakes in their paperwork filed with the city clerk. One of the candidates even checked “no” on the question asking whether candidates met the qualifications to be a candidate for mayor. 

The judge may decide if the mistakes disqualify one or all the candidates.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is bringing in a different prosecutor to evaluate how the Flint water crisis investigation is going.

Nessel has asked Wayne County prosecutor Kym Worthy to do “an independent evaluation of the Flint Water criminal cases.”

Two state lawmakers are asking Michigan’s attorney general to intervene in the decision to end bottled water distribution in Flint.

Flint State Representative Sheldon Neeley would like to hear Governor Snyder commit to spend part of a budget surplus to address Flint’s water crisis during his State of the State address. 

Last week, state budget officials estimated Michigan will have a $575 million, one-time revenue surplus this year.

Neeley knows where he would like the money to be used: Flint’s water emergency.