Government of Flint, Michigan facts for kids
The City of Flint, Michigan has had different rulebooks, called charters, since it became a city. The first one was in 1855, and the city has changed it several times, including in 1888, 1929, and 1974.
Currently, Flint follows its 1974 charter. This charter set up a "Strong Mayor" form of government, which means the mayor has a lot of power to run the city. It also created a special, independent office called the Ombudsman, who helps citizens with problems. The City Council, which makes laws for the city, has members elected from Flint's nine different areas, called wards.
Since 2015, the City of Flint has also been working with a special group called the #Receivership Transition Advisory Board. This happened because the State of Michigan declared that Flint was in a financial emergency back in 2011. The Receivership Transition Advisory Board has to approve all money decisions made by the city council and the mayor.
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How Flint's Government Changed in 1929
In 1929, Flint adopted a new city charter. This new plan created a council-manager form of government. In this system, the City Council hires a professional city manager to handle the day-to-day operations of the city.
In 1935, city residents also approved a change that created the Civil Service Commission. This three-member commission had a lot of power over hiring and firing city employees, which meant the city manager couldn't always make those decisions. The powers of this commission were reduced when the 1974 charter was put in place.
City Managers in Flint
Here are some of the people who served as City Manager or Deputy City Manager:
| Year | City Manager | Deputy City Manager |
Clerk |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963—1965 | James W. Rutherford | ||
| 12/1971-4/1974 | Brian Rapp |
When the State Stepped In: Emergency Managers
Sometimes, if a city is having big financial problems, the state government might step in to help. This happened in Flint, and the state appointed people called "Emergency Managers" to take control of the city's finances and operations.
| Term | Manager | Governor |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 2002 - Jun 2004 | Ed Kurtz | John Engler |
| Dec 2011 - Aug 2012 | Michael Brown | Rick Snyder |
| Aug 2012 - July 2013 | Ed Kurtz | Rick Snyder |
| July 2013 - October 2013 | Michael Brown | Rick Snyder |
| October 2013 - January 2015 | Darnell Earley | Rick Snyder |
| January 2015–April 30, 2015 | Jerry Ambrose | Rick Snyder |
The Board Helping Flint's Finances
After the city was no longer directly controlled by an emergency manager, Governor Snyder appointed the Receivership Transition Advisory Board. This board helps oversee Flint's financial decisions.
| member | position | term |
|---|---|---|
| Fred Headen | chair | April 30, 2015 - |
| Brian Larkin | April 30, 2015 - October 28, 2015 | |
| David McGhee | April 30, 2015 - | |
| Robert McMahan | April 30, 2015 - January 2016 | |
| Beverly Walker-Griffea | April 30, 2015 - | |
| Mike Finney | January 19, 2016 - |
The City's Helper: The Ombudsman
The City Ombudsman is a special, independent office in Flint's government. This person is appointed by the City Council with a two-thirds vote and serves a seven-year term. Their job is to investigate complaints from citizens about city services or officials. Before this official position was created, there was a police ombudsman, Richard Dicks, appointed in 1969.
Here are the people who have served as Flint's Ombudsman:
| Term | Office holder | notes |
|---|---|---|
| 12/26/75-1978 | Joe Dupcza | |
| 05/15/78-07/21/87 | James Ananich | |
| 07/22/87-07/21/94 | Terry Bankert | |
| 08/17/94-04/08/96 | Darryl Buchanan | He was removed from office by the City Council but returned after a lawsuit and finished his term. |
| 01/1999-05/8/2006 | Jessie Binion | |
| 05/8/2006-12/2/2011 | Brenda L. Purifoy | Removed from office by the Emergency Manager Michael Brown |
