[nfbmi-talk] also goes to executive order 2012-2

[joe harcz Comcast]

Judge: State violated law in appointing Flint emergency manager; Powers of mayor, city council reinstated

 

Published: Tuesday, March 20, 2012, 5:08 PM     Updated: Tuesday, March 20, 2012, 6:54 PM

Kristin Longley | klongley1 at mlive.com

By

Kristin Longley | klongley1 at mlive.com

brown.jpg

View full size

MLive.com file photoFlint emergency manager Michael Brown

LANSING, Michigan -- A judge has ruled that the state violated the Open Meetings Act in appointing emergency manager Michael Brown.

 

Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Rosemarie Aquilina invalidated Brown's appointment and also reinstated the authority of Flint Mayor Dayne Walling and

the Flint City Council at a hearing regarding a lawsuit from a city union representative.

 

The order also invalidated all the orders and actions Brown has taken since he was appointed Dec. 1, according to attorney Robert Fetter, who represented

Sam Muma of AFSCME Local 1600, who filed the suit.

 

Muma claimed the state violated the law when appointing Brown because the financial review team that recommended the state takeover of Flint didn't meet

in public.

 

The case is similar to one recently heard by Ingham Circuit Judge William E. Collette, who ruled that the appointment of the Highland Park Schools emergency

manager was not appropriate because the review team did not follow the Open Meetings Act. After that case, the state reconvened the review team in public

and the governor reappointed the emergency manager following the public proceedings.

 

Gov. Rick Snyder appointed Brown to take over Flint on Dec. 1.

 

The lawsuit names Brown as well as Snyder, state Treasurer Andy Dillon and the Flint financial review team that recommended an emergency manager be appointed

in Flint.

 

Michigan AFSCME workers are also part of an effort to overturn the emergency manager law, formally known as Public Act 4, which was signed into law one

year ago Friday.

 

A statewide coalition, Stand Up 4 Democracy, submitted more than 200,000 petition signatures in an attempt to put a referendum of the law before voters.

 

Visit

www.mlive.com/flint

this evening for more on this developing story.