Alum will help write Detroit's new charter
Brandon Clark
Issue date: 2/3/10 Section: Features
So what ethical issues need to be addressed to make the city function better?
The charter isn't very specific when it comes to people who do wrong. The charter just says (if) a council person does certain things, then they have to forfeit their office. It doesn't spell out what those certain things are. … It doesn't say if you're convicted of a felony you have to leave. So it's not just the ethics board, even though that's a part of it. The ethics board doesn't have the power to make someone step down. Maybe they need subpoena powers. But those are all things we work through as we go through the charter.
Do you have an issue with the way the ethics board is comprised? The board is comprised of seven members. Three are appointed by the mayor, three by city council and one by the council and mayor in combination.
If we're dealing with ethics and we're dealing with criminality, maybe the prosecutor might want to be involved in the selection of the ethics board. Maybe one of the people that could be appointed could be the Wayne County prosecutor. Like I said, those are just my ideas. Those are just things I'm throwing out there.
Concerning how the chief police is appointed in Detroit, do you have an issue with it?
Personally, I would like to see a police commission that is picked. ... Right now, the police commission is appointed by the mayor; the chief is appointed by the mayor. They are all the mayor's people.
Do you think there is any way politics can be taken out of appointing a police chief?
I've had some people approach me about looking into electing a police chief. … In actuality, what you're doing is putting politics right into it. I think the biggest thing is electing a mayor, a council and city clerk that will have the honesty and integrity and work toward bringing the city of Detroit back, which means you can't elect criminals. You can't hire people that let you know long down the road when I get in I'm going to help my boy and that kind of thing. But the bottom line is getting better government. Getting less politics in government is getting better people.
The charter isn't very specific when it comes to people who do wrong. The charter just says (if) a council person does certain things, then they have to forfeit their office. It doesn't spell out what those certain things are. … It doesn't say if you're convicted of a felony you have to leave. So it's not just the ethics board, even though that's a part of it. The ethics board doesn't have the power to make someone step down. Maybe they need subpoena powers. But those are all things we work through as we go through the charter.
Do you have an issue with the way the ethics board is comprised? The board is comprised of seven members. Three are appointed by the mayor, three by city council and one by the council and mayor in combination.
If we're dealing with ethics and we're dealing with criminality, maybe the prosecutor might want to be involved in the selection of the ethics board. Maybe one of the people that could be appointed could be the Wayne County prosecutor. Like I said, those are just my ideas. Those are just things I'm throwing out there.
Concerning how the chief police is appointed in Detroit, do you have an issue with it?
Personally, I would like to see a police commission that is picked. ... Right now, the police commission is appointed by the mayor; the chief is appointed by the mayor. They are all the mayor's people.
Do you think there is any way politics can be taken out of appointing a police chief?
I've had some people approach me about looking into electing a police chief. … In actuality, what you're doing is putting politics right into it. I think the biggest thing is electing a mayor, a council and city clerk that will have the honesty and integrity and work toward bringing the city of Detroit back, which means you can't elect criminals. You can't hire people that let you know long down the road when I get in I'm going to help my boy and that kind of thing. But the bottom line is getting better government. Getting less politics in government is getting better people.
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