City Council beat: City collected $31 million in property taxes and $2.9 million in income taxes in first months of fiscal year
By Tom Travis The City of Flint has collected $2.9 million in income taxes and $31 million in property taxes only a few months into the FY 2021 budget year, according to Amanda Trujillo, City Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer, in a report to the Flint City Council Monday. Trujillo added that the city is projecting to collect $56 million in property taxes by the end of the fiscal year. Trujillo went on to explain that $56 million...
Mayor Neeley speaks about Breonna Taylor ruling; the community protests
By Tom Travis In a statement issued Friday, Mayor Sheldon Neeley denounced the outcome of the Breonna Taylor case, in which a grand jury ruled to not indict any of the officers involved in the shooting death of Taylor, 26, in her home in Louisville, Kentucky March 13. “It is such a deep and powerful pain we feel in part because it feels self-evident that the shooting death of Ms. Taylor was wrong. The conscience of America is at...
Judge Bell grants most ACLU complaints; Flint voters still holding their breath with election season underway
By Tom Travis Flint voters have been given some reassurance about safeguarding election processes by the 7th Circuit Court, where Judge Celeste Bell has granted the bulk of the relief sought by the American Civil Liberties Unions (ACLU) and five Flint voters against Flint City Clerk Inez Brown. In the end, after a series of motions and hearings over the summer, Judge Bell granted most of the requests sought by the ACLU, agreeing from...
City Clerk’s office receives $475K grant for fall election season; Council approves eight appointments
By Tom Travis A $475,625 grant for the Flint City Clerk’s office to provide additional ballot drop boxes, additional staffing, strengthened election security, and processing of absentee ballots has been approved by the Flint City Council. The grant, from the non-profit Center for Tech and Civic Life , comes on the heels of 7th Circuit Court Judge Celeste Bell ruling on complaints about voting and ballot processes from the...
Shelter of Flint announces new president/CEO
Linda Bielskis has been appointed president and CEO of Shelter of Flint by the agency’s board of directors. Bielskis, who has 25 years’ experience in non-profit social service organizations joined Shelter of Flint on an interim basic March 2 as part of a transition plan after the retirement of Anne Grantner. She is a longtime Shelter board member and former chair. “As we move forward in these uncertain times, the Board...