My question is why does a city of 3,000 people even have a city manager let alone a city council.
Via Wiki: On July 1, 2000, the city of Stambaugh and the village of Mineral Hills were consolidated with the City of Iron River.
Gadzeeks, you are only 3,000 due to merger with two of muncipalities. Sounds like there needs to be some more consolidation up there in the Upper Pennisula.
If you are running for mayor, get off Free Republic and go knock on doors. But you platform better be reducing the tax burden.
I have been knocking on doors. I need 50 signatures to run, I have approximately 48 achieved and seeking an additional 14 more as a buffer in case something happens with a signature being thrown out
I moved here to Iron River in 2006, the City is a mess. The city’s population is down to 2,820 people. The city council is filled with imbeciles. the council members receive $150.00 for each meeting. The council members want i-pads instead of all the paper copies. There is no need for i-pads
I have sat at the City Council meetings for 4 years, in the entire time $275,000 has been spent on 2 new water department trucks with plows at $65,000, 1 police cruiser at $27,000 (including the new light package of $5700), now a 2015 Dodge Charger at $33,000 - because it is AWD), 2 new Husqvarna Zero turn Mowers at #9700.00 each (there not even commercial grade just heavy duty home owners grade), leasing a 4WD Sterling Snow plow at $55,000 a year, and $60,000 for a used street sweeper. I stated at the meetings no for many of the items, instead fix the roads.
The city submited $10,000.00 for a federal road grant of 2 million dollars for the replacement of one road, the engineering consulting firm charged $5000.00 to aid in filling and filing form. Grant request was not even considered by the Feds.
The consolidation of the Village of Minerals (population 228) and the City of Stambaugh (population 1278) was done based on a study done in the 70s for all the small municiplaities of Caspain, Gaastra, Mineral Hills, Stambaugh to merge together as the consolidated City of Iron River. This has been a mess because the retirement funds were inadequate to cover the retirement of all the individuals from Stambaugh and Mineral Hills too.
There are 118 abandoned and vacant properties some over 50 years old being abandoned and vacant, the property values are dropping because of the look of the city as like detroit. At one time there were 86 active Iron Ore Mines in the County now there are 0. There is only 1 Iron Ore Mine that could be reopened the Sherwood, the Feds have been here to look at it for its uranium content.
City Manager is not necessary - but there would have to be a vote to change the charter to eliminate the City Manager.