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There's a reason for checks and balances in government. They're supposed to help avoid appearances of impropriety involving taxpayer money.
Well, apparently the city for years has failed to seek city council approval for city-funded demolition contracts worth more than $25,000, according to Joe Guillen of the Detroit Free Press. It's an obviousl checks and balance.
The council next week changes all that and starts voting on those contracts, the Freep reports:
The discrepancy was found during a broader review of the city's purchasing ordinance by officials. Up to that point, Chief Financial Officer John Hill's office had been approving the contracts without sending them to City Council, said Boysie Jackson, the city's chief procurement officer.
It was unclear exactly why or when council was cut out of the approval process, but the decision apparently predates Duggan's term as mayor. Jackson said council approval hadn't been sought for "many years."
The Duggan administration's new commitment to proper City Council oversight comes during an ongoing federal probe into rising costs and questionable bidding practices within the city's demolition program.