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The question is: If city council candidates have financial issues, can they manage the city's finances?
The Detroit News reports that half of the candidates running for Detroit City Council this fall have had financial difficulties in the past. At least two candidates say that helps them understand city residents and advocate for them.
The News reports:
At least four of the contestants have had civil judgments, which means they owed debt to a creditor; six have been involved in landlord-tenant disputes; and four have had federal or state tax liens.
►Mary Waters,several years before joining the council, owed unpaid city income taxes. She filed for bankruptcy twice and had three civil judgments and three federal tax liens.
►Karen Whitsett owed money to a massage school in Southfield. She had civil judgments -- one in 2002 for $1,608.10; and one in 2001 for $5,224.68.
►Former council member Janeé Ayers, who is running again, had a civil judgment for $1,623.60 because of her balance on a Meijer credit card. She also had judgments of $2,543.04 in 2003 and another for $1,655.65 in 2005 because she owed money to Discover Bank and National Check Bureau Inc., respectively.
►James Harris had state tax liens in 2018 (for $3,987.79) and 2021 (for $11,432.57). Harris also had two federal tax liens in 2017 (one for $12,255.56 and another for $8,223.31) and another in 2020 ($17,808.95).
►Cranstana Anderson's property was forfeited to the Wayne County treasurer for nonpayment of property taxes.
