Flint Photos: Former Mayor Don Williamson with Lion

Millionaire Former Mayor Asks for Back Pay

It seemed so simple. The Don resigns to avoid getting thrown out of office in a recall election. End of story, right? You just had to know it wouldn't be that easy.

Joe Lawlor of The Flint Journal reports:

"Former Mayor Don Williamson worked for $1 per year for the entire time he was in office. Now that he has resigned, he wants about $500,000 in back pay, in addition to the $115,000 he already received in retirement money.

"When asked by The Flint Journal whether critics would view him as being hypocritical, the former mayor said he didn't care.

"'I don't give a (expletive) what they think,' said Williamson, who resigned effective Feb. 15."

The Don Williamson Hall of Fame

With the resignation of Mayor Don Williamson, let's take a look back at some of his major accomplishments over the past few years:

• The Don rewards success at Kearsley Park by canning Kay Kelly and saying goodbye to a Ruth Mott Foundation grant.

• The Don gets city workers to mow his lawn.

• The Don uses city money to create a drag strip, despite the obvious liability issues that could cost Flint a bundle.

• The Don fires a cop who dares talk to the media. Then changes his mind.

• The Don gives the state and federal government economic advice.

• The Don arrests a paper boy for delivering bad news. Lawsuit follows.

Of course, this is just a partial list. For more good deeds by The Don, check out the Williamson Watch.

The Don is Done

It won't take a recall vote later this month to remove Flint Mayor Don Williamson from office. He just resigned.

The Flint Journal reports:

Mayor Don Williamson announced today that he is "retiring," finally putting to rest weeks of speculation.

In an 11:20 a.m. news conference, Williamson cited health reasons for leaving office. His resignation is effective midnight Sunday. He took no questions from the media, and read from a prepared statement.

"Last month, I celebrated my third sinus infection in 13 months and my eighth kidney stone since Nov. 1. My doctors have told me that I should think about relaxing my schedule and reducing the demands on my time," said Williamson.

The Recall Fast Approacheth

A little info on the effort to recall Mayor Don Williamson:

"The recall is scheduled Tuesday, February 24th – only a few weeks away. The recall organizer, Flint Michigan United, has been working hard to ensure the success of this campaign. We are at a critical stage – a crossroads where the outcome is dependant on raising funds. We are within striking distance. Over 17,000 people signed the recall petition, far more than voted for Williamson in the 2007 election. We need your help.

"Please consider joining us this Friday, January 30th for a fundraiser to support the recall campaign against Flint Mayor Don Williamson. The fundraiser will be held at the home of Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, 12467 Margaret Drive, Fenton from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. Requested donation - $50.

"If you are unable to attend, please consider making a donation. Checks can be made out to “Flint Michigan United” and mailed to 818 Ann Arbor St., Flint, MI 48502.

"Call 810.244.0889 for information."

And how is the mayor responding to the recall effort? Well, he's still trying to stop it, or at least one of his aides is, according to a story by Joe Lawlor in The Flint Journal:

Mayoral aide Sally Haywood has filed a complaint with the Michigan Secretary of State against a group seeking to recall Mayor Don Williamson.

In the complaint filed Jan. 16, Haywood claims that the Committee for a Better Flint violated campaign finance laws and Internal Revenue Service laws. Williamson faces a recall election on Feb. 24.

The Committee for a Better Flint was set up as a 501-c(4) non-profit. Haywood claims the group raised money improperly.

Alex Harris, one of the CBF leaders, said he's not worried. He said he consulted with an IRS official before forming the group.

The committee is no longer active, as the pro-recall group Flint Michigan United is active in the recall campaign. Harris is not part of Flint Michigan United.

Haywood said the mayor did not ask her to file the complaint.

Jackie Poplar Faces Recall

Flint just can't get enough of recall elections.

Joe Lawlor of The Flint Journal reports:

Councilwoman Jackie Poplar will likely face a recall on Feb. 24 after challenges to petitions against her didn't disqualify enough signatures to keep the issue off the ballot.

Petitioners ended up with 928 valid signatures, said Genesee County Clerk Michael Carr, while 858 were needed to ask voters to recall Poplar. Recall organizer David Davenport originally submitted more than 1,000 signatures.

"It looks like it's going on the ballot," said Carr, noting the petitions could still be challenged in court.

Perhaps Poplar can talk strategy with Mayor Don Williamson on how to survive a recall election.

A Chicken in Every Pot...or Something Like That

Barack Obama is winning praise for his economic team, but there's one "expert" the president elect has not called on for advice — Flint Mayor Don Williamson. But don't worry, The Don is sending the city administrator to Washington with a plan that will solve all our problems.

Joe Lawlor at The Flint Journal reports:

"Just about every household in America would be in line for a a voucher to purchase a new car if Mayor Don Williamson has his way.

"Williamson is sending City Administrator Darryl Buchanan to Washington D.C. next week to tout his big idea to save the auto industry as part of the Mayors Automotive Coalition lobbying Congress for the Detroit Three's $34-billion loan.

"Williamson said under his idea, each household with a registered voter would receive a $5,000 voucher to purchase a new car. He hasn't calculated how much the plan would cost taxpayers."

With brilliant — and costly — moves like this, it's hard to figure out why Williamson is facing a recall election.

Recall Organizers

Just who's behind the effort to recall Flint Mayor Don Williamson?

Obama says pull up your pants

Obama weighs in on laws against baggy pants, and he's not on Flint Mayor Don Williamson's side.

MTV Shows

Thanks to future Flint resident Michael G. for passing this along.

A touch of class...or is it graft?

In Flint, ceremonial keys to the city come from a pawn shop. A pawn shop owned by Mayor Don Williamson's wife.

The Mayor Responds

Did anyone really think Flint Mayor Don Williamson would confront the recall effort to remove him from office in a calm, rational way?

The Flint Journal reports:

"They have tricked people into signing petitions under false pretenses. They have intimidated some of our citizens with the 'n' word. They used threatening tactics like the people over at ACORN and one knife-wielding individual was jailed," Williamson said from a prepared speech.

Williamson did take a break from his ranting to ask Circuit Court Judge Joseph Farah to "place a stay on any possible recall election while the mayor files appeals opposing the recall."

Flint mayor a step closer to recall vote

Organizers of an effort to recall Flint Mayor Don Williamson have submitted more than 17,000 signatures. They need 8,004 valid signatures to force a recall vote on February 24.

City management the Don Williamson way

The Kearsley Park Pavillion

Kay Kelly, who is widely credited with reviving the fortunes of Kearsley Park while serving as a city project director, got the ax from Mayor Don Williamson earlier this month.

Kelly told Joe Lawlor of The Flint Journal that she didn't know why she got fired, but she "somehow must have irritated (Williamson)." She added: "(Williamson) doesn't have the best interests of the city at heart. He wants power."

The mayor already has a replacement in mind:

"Mayor Don Williamson is apparently considering a county commissioner for a key parks job, a potential move his critics are calling a political hiring," Lawlor reports.

"Commissioner Miles Gadola, R-Grand Blanc, said he is being considered for the Kearsley Park project director job. Gadola would replace Kay Kelly, who was abruptly fired on Friday after five years in the position.

"Gadola, who said he does not have any parks experience, said he's eager to learn on the job.

"'It's an intriguing job and one that I'm interested in,' said Gadola, who was laid off this year from his position as a city probation officer. Gadola was a victim of city budget cuts."

As usual, the mayor's actions are having financial repercussions:

"The $65,000 Kearsley Park position was paid out of a two-year, $150,000 Ruth Mott Foundation grant that's now in jeopardy.

"Steve Wilson, executive director of the foundation, said the foundation may move the money elsewhere.

"'It's a significant enough change that we would need a new proposal from the city,'Wilson said. 'Our question is why change something that's very successful? All of us are proud that Kearsley Park has been restored and is a very safe park in the heart of the city.'"

Not to worry says Williamson. He promises to fund the position out of his own pocket if the Ruth Mott Foundation pulls out.

The situation prompted Councilman Scott Kincaid to say he believes Williamson wants to give Gadola the job so that the mayor could influence the county board. The Flint Journal's Andy Heller captured reader outrage over the firing. And the move is also drawing fire from Flint bloggers:

"It is infuriating that in a town so often bereft of good news that Kay's remarkable project should have to fight for support, much less be axed," writes Macy Swain on Night Blind. "This is not just knucklehead myopia, this is urban sadism."

Gadola told the Journal that a city job would have no influence on his voting:

"Gadola said he has a 'great deal of honesty and integrity' and he wouldn't allow himself as a county board member to be influenced by a job in city government. He said even though he's worked for the city for 18 years, no one has ever asked him to vote a certain way since he's been a commissioner.

"'It hasn't happened, and I don't have any reason to believe it would happen,' Gadola said."

Mowing for the mayor

When he's not ordering city workers to create useless drag strips with taxpayer money, Flint Mayor Don Williamson is having them spruce up his own property.

Joe Lawlor of The Flint Journal reports:

Two city parks workers said that they and other workers mowed the grass, cleared debris and pulled weeds for three hours in late August on property that is serving as new headquarters for Williamson's gubernatorial campaign.

Parks workers Tony Cole and Fred Snowden said the cleanup of Williamson's property and an adjacent parking lot was included in two days they and other workers spend tidying up a quarter-mile of Glenwood Avenue from Asylum Street to Chevrolet Avenue.

"It's not cool. We're not getting paid to do that. We're getting paid to help the city," said Snowden.

But Williamson was not apologizing for the cleanup, saying that it's part of the city's plan to improve all of Glenwood Avenue.

Wait a minute! Did I read that right? Gubernatorial campaign? Is Don Williamson really planning to inflict his "leadership" on the entire state? How did I miss this?

Mayor puts drag racing plans in reverse

I hate to break the news to all the Flint Expatriates and residents who were gearing up for the drag racing season, but Mayor Don Williamson, in his infinite wisdom, has pulled the plug on his own ridiculous project. At least for now.

Joe Lawlor of The Flint Journal reports:

Plans for a drag strip on Bluff Street have come to a screeching halt.

Mayor Don Williamson on Saturday said it's too late in the season to do any racing on Bluff Street.

"These things take time, and you need to do planning," Williamson said. "We ran out of time, and we ran out of gas."

That means racing on Bluff Street likely won't happen at all, because Kettering University is building a research center there, and Williamson said he's moving forward with plans for a permanent drag strip south of the Flint River at the "Chevy in the Hole" site. The permanent drag strip would be built in the spring, the mayor said.

But don't worry, the mayor has created the perfect venue for illegal street racing — at taxpayer expense:

Resident Tina Morris, who lives near Bluff Street, said she's happy it's not happening.

"That's great news," Morris said. "I'm glad. Now if we can just get (racers) off the street in the middle of the night."

Morris said in some ways it's too late. Racers are using Bluff Street illegally anyway, because now there's a newly paved street that has start and finish lines marked for the racers.

"We need the police to patrol there," Morris said.

What a drag

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines. Injured citizens and lawyers, start your liability claims. City accountants, start writing checks. (Photo by John W. Adkisson/The Flint Journal)


With Flint's infrastructure crumbling and violent crime soaring, Mayor Don Williamson has city workers paving an eighth-mile section of Bluff Street between Chevrolet Avenue and Stevenson Street. Guard rails are also being installed.

The reason? The mayor plans to have city-run drag races on Saturdays.

Bryn Mickle and Joe Lawlor of The Flint Journal report:

Lapeer County drag strip operator Ed Vakula, however, is skeptical of the city plan.

Vakula said a new drag strip hasn't opened in Michigan in 40 years, something he attributes to neighbors raising a ruckus over the noise before plans even get off the ground.

Neighbors of Vakula's Lapeer International Dragway complain of noise from four miles away and Vakula doesn't envision that residents living near the Flint drag strip will be too happy either.

"It's loud but we are used to it," said Tom Coulter, who lives near Vakula's drag strip.

"If the wind blows this way... You would have to raise your voice (to have a conversation)."

Aside from noise, there is also the question of insurance and making sure the cars are fit for racing, said Vakula.

Insurance for a drag strip can run upwards of $1,000 a day and a mishap with a stick shift transmission can turn a car into a bomb, sending shrapnel into spectators.

"I've never heard of anyone putting (a drag strip) in a city," said Vakula.

"I can't believe they would do that."

Suing to speak

Oh wait...suddenly the Flint cop who got canned after he spoke to the media is back on the job. I guess it was all a big misunderstanding, not retribution by city hall for an officer exercising his right to free speech.

Dana DeFever of The Flint Journal reports:

"A Flint police officer who claimed he was fired Thursday for talking to the media has his job back, according to the officer's attorney.

"Sgt. Rick Hetherington received a hand-delivered letter Saturday saying that the decision to terminate him had been rescinded, said his attorney Gregory T. Gibbs in a message Saturday night.

"No other details are available.

"When contacted Sunday, Mayor Don Williamson said he didn't know anything about the situation."

Meanwhile, the Journal's Bryn Mickle reports:

"The American Civil Liberties Union is taking the City of Flint to court over its ban on police officers talking to the media.

"The lawsuit was filed in federal court Wednesday and asks a federal judge to strike down the ban.

"The ACLU will seek an injunction if the city doesn't drop the ban immediately.

"The suit names three police officers as plaintiffs: Sgt. Rick Hetherington, Sgt. Lee Ann Gaspar and Lt. David Winch.

"In addition to asking a judge to rule the speech ban unconstitutional, the lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for Hetherington and Winch."

Silencing, and firing, Flint's finest

To state the obvious, Flint cops have a very tough job. But it gets tougher when officers get laid off by the city. Or fired for daring to talk to reporters.

Bryn Mickle of The Flint Journal reports:

"[Sergeant] Rick Hetherington [left] was fired Thursday for talking to the media last week, said his attorney, Gregory T. Gibbs.

"The firing is a 'tyrannical act,' said Gibbs, chair of the Greater Flint American Civil Liberties Union.

"The firing outraged other officers at the department who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution.

"'Ridiculous,' said one officer. 'I didn't realize that becoming a police officer took away your freedom of speech.'"

What do expect from a mayor who arrests the paperboy when he doesn't like the news? I guess it's not surprising there's a recall effort underway.

Boot the Don

(Click on the flyer for a larger image)

As you can see, there's an effort underway to recall Flint Mayor Don Williamson. In fact, Flint may be catching recall fever.