Grosse Pointe Shores Resident Shares Opinion on Public Building Moratorium

The man who would be king

To the Editor:

Grosse Pointe Shores has long endured municipal mismanagement. Millions were borrowed torenovate a harbor few residents use, including households with boats. Nearly all families frequent the pool, but it’s so obsolete we can’t host swim finals.

While we distress over falling home prices, Mayor Cooper and his minions raised tax rates, further depressing property values. The budget’s short $494,996 this year, our auditors warned us we have a liability approaching $800,000 for sick pay alone, and we continue facing an un-funded obligation of up to $11 million for current and future retiree health care costs.

The mayor escaped recall by only 40 votes last year, but instead of learning from that experience, he’s taken on the mantle of a tyrannical king. On April 19, Cooper and his minions—Victoria Boyce, Brian Geraghty, and Robert Graziani—added an amendment to council rules and procedures. The familiar split of council was present during disucssion, although ultimately the measure passed unanimously. 

They want office holders to submit written requests to the mayor or City Manager Brian Vick, no later than the Thursday before a public meeting, for placing items on the agenda. The mayor or city manager can also demand a pre-meeting before accepting any topics.

This is unconstitutional because it abridges First Amendment rights. Since December 15, 1791, ARTICLE I of The BILL OF RIGHTS to the U.S. Constitution has protected “our freedom of speech; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

City Attorney Mark McInerny explained none of this is legally enforceable. He said, “Council rules cannot supersede the city charter.” They cannot supersede the Constitution either. McInerny didn’t comment on City Manager Vick's request for a 90-day moratorium on public use of city hall, but that’s unconstitutional, too. This measure passed with the familiar vote of 4-2. (It would have been 5-2 had David Galbenski not been excused.)

Regarding City Manager Vick, since when are elected officials subservient to employees? Citizens in Grosse Pointe Shores—including Mayor Cooper and his minions, but not City Manager Vick, who’s not a resident—own city hall. 

We the People have a constitutional right to use city hall to peaceably assemble, exercise our freedom of speech, and to petition the Shores Government for a redress of grievances. Several residents have called for healing, but who can tolerate a tyrant? We must speak up and hold our elected officials accountable. If we don’t, we’ll not only lose our city, we’ll also forfeit our constitutional rights to the man who would be king.

GREGORY F. WALTON
56 Roslyn Road
Grosse Pointe Shores

Correction: This letter was altered May 8, 2011, at 3:58 p.m. to reflect the accurate vote of the Grosse Pointe Shores council on a measure to require council members to submit agenda items to the mayor or the city manager in order to have them appear on the official council schedule.