Veteran Politicians Receive Profitable Contracts

The Vice Chairman for Wayne County, Keith D. Williams, did lose his shot at re-election just last year but luckily, he was able to find a better job than the one he has before. In fact, his new job not only pays more, it is also funded by taxpayers money, according to The Detroit News.

His new contract will allow him to make $90,000 each year. Williams will be working to monitor the eligibility of various vendors with the Department of Children and Family Services. With this new contract, Williams will almost twice as much as he once did.

In Wayne County, there are plenty of critics when it comes to Ficano. It is believed that Ficano has used money that was funded by taxpayers in a contract to give work to friends and relatives. However, a spokesperson for Ficano, Brooke Blackwell, says that while it may be true that some contracts were given to family members and relatives, all of the individual’s who were given contracts have the right credentials for the job and are definitely qualified for their positions. Blackwell says, “If you look at their resumes, you’ll find they have extensive civic knowledge and backgrounds.” She also says, “It’s about surrounding yourself with intelligent people who know how to do business.”

Williams is not considered an employee but is instead considered a contractor. Ficano has already stated that his employment and contract will not violate the provision that has been created which bans officials who have already been in office from receiving employment as an employee for the county. The Commissioner, Laura Cox, has said, “I love Keith Williams. I think he brings good value,” She also says, “But it looks like they found a loophole in the law and abused it.”

Williams, husband of the County Clerk Cathy Garrett, was actually once considered to be a foe of Ficano when he first started with the commission. In fact, he would fight with executives over various problems which included the removal of a program in which senior citizens were able to get help with their chores when they needed.

The law states that any contract that is over $50,00 must first be placed upon the commission for approval. However, while Williams has two separate contracts worth $45,000 each, his contracts were still sent to the commission for pending approval.

A former Auditor General, Brendan Dunleavy, believes that Ficano is simply rewarding their friend and, as usual, playing favoritism by hiring people who are close to them. In fact, Dunleavy says, “It’s a revolving door of hiring political folks who may or may not have the experience to do the job. Perhaps it’d be better to hire people who actually need jobs.”