[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6492062,"mediaKeyId","5532451-c82620de3ad2bfb4b5e44dced9a99811","parentId",5532451,"title","Hamtramck residents and officials raise absentee ballot delivery and voter‑intimidation concerns ahead of election","audioSeconds",951,"startMs",141000,"endMs",1092000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5532451-c82620de3ad2bfb4b5e44dced9a99811&start=141&end=1092","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5532451-c82620de3ad2bfb4b5e44dced9a99811/thumbnail_141000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6492062/Hamtramck/Wayne-County/Michigan/Hamtramck-residents-and-officials-raise-absentee-ballot-delivery-and-voterintimidation-concerns-ahead-of-election","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6492062-0fbdca63dcd3326bb92e9532b9bde582/orig.mp4?Expires=1771200450&Signature=I8MZxSBcVLBFPsgFyFjspfGbqgKnkhma8RFSgwAaQFTDrwZno3w-jMzG8K3G1MnLlKoTe-xLYwE~K0Xm7b8GxBawAQ~ivGgCnvm7W86MY2ua~Il-SZpkKJ6msoWu~SHxAZYrB~ZbrsLWyL-F527lZtXd-aGWKiO3nurptOEVwJK4rtmgL0zhkM9orz-zXQYCJ0HEEKypo608HluJEp9IkfqR2oHScTijq9dSZ7z1Lf8Tosmw2USj1sG7ghudz3-jNwdKyLibNSPUUVVA8HfOw3NjvGEK1IAIlL8zMPKXyXc5lxdZ8gnYl1nZzXsh5N77EZSsz9Yn5dgg06Ssd-FQvg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-08-05T17:07:47.85Z","article","Residents and council members at a Hamtramck City Council special meeting on Aug. 1 urged voters to return absentee ballots directly to city hall and voiced concern about past missed mailings and alleged door‑to‑door visits by law enforcement that some residents described as intimidating.

The city clerk and multiple council members said election workers had experienced heavy demand: the clerk told attendees the clerk's office would be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. the next day for election business and that mailed absentee ballots could not be sent after the prior deadline. The clerk and other speakers repeatedly advised residents to drop ballots at city hall rather than relying on postal delivery to ensure timely receipt.

\"Dear resident, whoever the ballot has sent the ballot, I just suggest you don't post it, come to the city and drop it,\" a council member said during the meeting, citing past experience in which mailed ballots did not arrive for many voters and urging residents to use the city drop box.

Several residents recounted previous elections in which absentee ballots were listed as mailed but were not received by intended voters. One resident said they had to accompany elderly voters to polling places because ballots did not arrive; another described state involvement in a prior investigation after community complaints about door‑to‑door contacts targeting names from a single community group.

A public commenter asked the police department to avoid door‑to‑door visits during the election period, saying such visits had \"intimidate[d] the community\" and were discouraging people from voting.

In response, the clerk and other officials said the post office has taken steps in recent cycles to keep collected ballots local and route them directly to city hall rather than sending them through an outlying mail processing center. City staff said they had engaged the state previously on post office problems and that local postal staff now often hold and deliver ballots directly to the clerk's office.

The meeting record shows multiple public comments about historic problems with mailed ballots and perceived intimidation; the council did not open a formal investigation at the meeting but several council members publicly urged residents to return ballots in person or use the city drop box to ensure they are counted.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Special City Council Meeting, August 1, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Residents reported absentee ballots not arriving in past elections and alleged door‑to‑door visits by law enforcement, prompting council members and the clerk to urge voters to drop ballots at city hall and for police to avoid actions that could be perceived as intimidation.","taxTitle","Hamtramck, Wayne County, Michigan","taxId",70265,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6492066,"Hamtramck council approves $29,005 purchase of battery‑powered extrication tools for fire department",34,888000,922000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5532451-c82620de3ad2bfb4b5e44dced9a99811&start=888&end=922","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5532451-c82620de3ad2bfb4b5e44dced9a99811/thumbnail_888000.jpg","/articles/6492066/Hamtramck/Wayne-County/Michigan/Hamtramck-council-approves-29005-purchase-of-batterypowered-extrication-tools-for-fire-department","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6492066-9f4f4b7f26796ab4b4f8d0a4c4d90bb5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771200450&Signature=OM1WcljgEAZSnTnYBEvmyDfjplCtZWYDv0ztOWhD-BGMU8WyhAvqlc5N-wzb-arq0sY4MhK7DQ0RYcXYh531rQHxcfho6aa2H81Yf4620Wok5ZLym80RsiLDUvSVA4r3Kic5YU2EjhWsUz~6h2C8Y-HYPXtde8YjDMr-TBDEVsv18TJij3jW6ISvro2JPmV3zkCzXw-1qxbAotxqXh39Z9lKndlWDutvsmqv1NU-qKB-yFedzFoyPJ6br64tvg-eqLgL2rTUDdIvBOonurdCcpqG9pRmCsxtdmFT~qB4K1cM7R10rkK~RpzQ5Le9ORJM53LhBxPXOH4zAXTeP8vGrg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Hamtramck City Council on Aug. 1 approved Resolution 2025‑91 to purchase a second set of battery‑powered extrication tools for the fire department, a staff presentation said.

A fire department representative told the council the purchase is the second half of a planned upgrade split across two budget cycles. The department had budgeted $30,000 and the purchase came in at $29,005.33 from the general fund, the presenter said.

\"This will completely update our extrication equipment, and it will also allow us to expand our setup a little bit where we can have extrication equipment now on 3 pieces of apparatus instead of just 1 as we had in the past,\" the fire department representative said.

Council members asked about funding sources and were told the purchase comes from the general fund. The presenter identified the purchase as a set of four tools, and said the break into two budget cycles spread costs across fiscal years.

The council moved the item, and the meeting record states \"resolution 2025‑91 approved.\" The transcript does not include a full, named roll call with individual votes in the available excerpt; the presiding officer announced the resolution approved immediately after the vote call.

The procurement amount recorded in the presentation was $29,005.33. Staff indicated no additional funding source was required for the purchased set and did not list any follow‑up reporting requirement in the meeting discussion.","Council approved Resolution 2025‑91 to buy a second set of battery‑powered extrication tools for the fire department, budgeted at $30,000 and funded from the general fund.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6492070,"Hamtramck council moves to acquire five Wayne County tax‑foreclosure parcels",87,437000,524000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5532451-c82620de3ad2bfb4b5e44dced9a99811&start=437&end=524","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5532451-c82620de3ad2bfb4b5e44dced9a99811/thumbnail_437000.jpg","/articles/6492070/Hamtramck/Wayne-County/Michigan/Hamtramck-council-moves-to-acquire-five-Wayne-County-taxforeclosure-parcels","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6492070-867318897596d68bcafd864708ca51f4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771200450&Signature=LGjDAFM-xisP7gvfitn2tCOwcQYHiitTngNEH-2g-MEYAoyeIcoKd6GKnGBWI4U6DXZElO5DbWYuLpXPdAXX5NSuWXUkyWpe36W7RSEyGAzm3I-Ot1eckZnGNY88w26VSUmw0lrTmwxHK-8~Sqx49jj4HQqneWMu2cx3Ca4DGnAoThzwnvNolmMo3i0SdONBDmrbzHdmWvZlfaoJWcJIivSn7~Kz~Fu~pQtVJbSsriqgjyn9o97ePex6jg4C4UWACSnWovjXHhFC-8ag9DqI3KHRyQsOJcvltxnBYOLDqkI59xtavPNJuu7lsdowroUmQu4dJ46HWit4gt4RlrJ5Dg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Hamtramck City Council on Aug. 1 considered Resolution 2025‑90 to accept the city's right of first refusal on five Wayne County tax‑foreclosure properties, a step council members said would let the city prioritize local buyers and shape redevelopment along a corridor.

Council members and staff described the package as five separate parcels: two in residential zoning and three in commercial zoning. The council heard a staff explanation that the city's standard practice is to take the properties first so the municipality can either sell them at auction or direct redevelopment through requests for proposals.

That staff member said, \"There's 5 properties, and 2 of them are in residential districts. 3 of them are in a commercial district,\" and noted the city can \"ask a developer to develop a certain kind of project\" such as mixed‑use with housing above retail.

A presiding council member pointed to past practice and potential financial upside. \"In 02/2022, we bought them for 48,000 and we sold them for 450,000,\" the presiding officer said, adding that while administration work has a cost, the city realized revenue and was able to help residents in prior years.

Council members discussed that some residents on social media urged leaving parcels to Wayne County auctions so any county resident could bid. Council members responded that taking first refusal allows the city to prioritize residents and local goals, while noting an auction would still occur in many cases.

The staff presentation said the city also could choose to run its own auction or issue a request for proposals to encourage targeted development that would \"strengthen the corridor,\" language staff used when describing options for the three adjacent commercial lots.

The transcript records motions and discussion on Resolution 2025‑90 but does not provide a complete roll‑call vote tally in the available record. The motion text recorded in the meeting packet was to \"approve action regarding Wayne County rate of first refusal properties.\" The council discussion included references to prior criteria for retaining primary residences for owners facing hardship and then auctioning remaining lots, which staff described as earlier local practice.

The resolution, as discussed, would give the city the option to acquire the listed parcels from Wayne County before they are offered to the wider public; specifics about each parcel's addresses, minimum purchase prices, or later disposition plans were not detailed in the transcript and were described by staff as \"not specified\" during the meeting.

City staff told council members there are several implementation options: keep property for city use, sell at a city‑run auction, or use an RFP to attract a developer for mixed use or affordable housing. Council members asked that the city follow criteria that prioritize primary‑residence occupants in hardship when feasible, a practice some said had been used previously.

The council did not discuss funding sources or specific budget impacts during the recorded discussion. Staff said the city's acquisition of tax‑foreclosed parcels is a routine statutory process but did not cite a particular statute by name during the recorded remarks.

The item remained on the record for a vote; the transcript available to this report does not include a complete vote tally or final disposition of each parcel in the body of the record.

The council moved on after discussion to other agenda items. Any council action to purchase or otherwise dispose of the parcels would be subject to separate administrative steps and, if required, public notice and auction procedures described by staff.","Council considered Resolution 2025‑90 to exercise the city's right of first refusal on five Wayne County tax‑foreclosed properties, citing options to prioritize residents and support corridor redevelopment.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Hamtramck residents and officials raise absentee ballot delivery and voter‑intimidation concerns ahead of election

Hamtramck council approves $29,005 purchase of battery‑powered extrication tools for fire department

Hamtramck council moves to acquire five Wayne County tax‑foreclosure parcels