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Council presses housing commission audit questions as members call for removal of commissioner
Summary
Committee members aired long-running concerns about missing funds and governance at the Flint Housing Commission; the commission president submitted a letter disputing some claims and saying HUD OIG is the only active investigator. Council members said unresolved audit problems are delaying HUD projects and requested a public hearing resolution to remove a commissioner.
The Flint Housing Commission's troubled audit and governance lapses dominated a special-order discussion at the Feb. 18 finance committee, where council members demanded clearer records and a faster response from the mayor's office.
The meeting included a memorandum read into the record by a council member that said, in part, “No Flint Housing Commission funds were deposited into any commissioner's personal bank account,” and that the commission has adopted stronger banking controls. That statement conflicts with testimony from council members and staff who presented bank records and withdrawal listings they say show unexplained transfers and a small repayment agreement for $50 a month that council members said is insufficient and raises serious accountability concerns.
Council members described bank account withdrawals they cited as large and irregular and said those discrepancies are delaying HUD-supported projects such as Clark Commons. Several members pressed the clerk and the city attorney to prepare a resolution to hold a public hearing on removing one named commissioner from the FHC board; council members said the FHC board had previously voted to request the commissioner's removal and the mayor had not acted.
Flint administration officials said the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Inspector General has been engaged; the memorandum read at the meeting stated there is no DOJ or FBI investigation to the commission's knowledge. Committee members said employees and former officials have raised concerns to federal authorities, including the Eastern District Department of Justice, and repeatedly asked the administration to share documents that could resolve questions about missing funds.
The committee asked staff to assemble audit materials and to coordinate with the city attorney about the procedural steps needed to schedule a public hearing and any necessary referrals to state or federal prosecutors. Council members said the city must not allow governance disputes to stall federally funded housing projects and that transparency is needed so residents can see the evidence and next steps.
