SHORES RECALL ISSUES

While the recall started over an unnecessary 1 mil tax increase, as the process evolved it was clear there were other very serious issues with Shores city finances. Research the facts as documented on this web site, and see why the Shores remains in precarious financial shape. Click the on blue hyperlinks for the specifics:

• Financial mismanagement, deficit spending and lack of long term planning are driving our city toward bankruptcy. Unreserved general fund balance fund down from $410,000 in March 2007 to negative $210,000 in June 2009. Review the article “Seeing Red”.

• Grosse Pointe Shores now one of 20 cities on the State of Michigan Fiscal Watch List - the only one of the Pointes so named. And the state just named the Shores to the list for the second year in a row.

• Shores officials burdened homeowners with over $30 million in long-term debt and interest.

• Lack of transparency. Charter promoted with promises of no tax increase and significant savings. Their $330K tax increase promptly followed. See what the incumbents said in the papers.

• Another, larger, tax increase is already being considered for 2010 - with the new charter, they can go all they way up to 20 mils! See how the Shores cut of property taxes have climbed on a typical home during the last 5 years of the Cooper era.

• Promise that well revenue would fully fund marina upgrade was made contrary to advice from Shores own consultants. See the source document.

• Shores spent taxpayer dollars to prevent citizen access to public salary information before the council and charter election: See the FOIA request and Clark Hill legal bill.

• Shores employees serve on committees that approve unsustainable salaries & benefits. Look at the annual rise in pension costs during the Cooper tenure.

• The incumbent’s hostile attitude toward newly elected council members and many residents: watch the Shores video clips and see for yourself. Watch “Your Tax Dollars at Work” and see the mayor and high priced city attorney obstruct a legitimate motion made by Council member Schulte.

To get more detail on the fiscal issues, a good place to start are the Grosse Pointe Shores Informed Taxpayer Newsletters on the next page of the website.

• Shores Recall Home
• Restoring Fiscal Health
• Shores Recall Isues
• Shores Taxpayer Info
• Top 10 Anti-recall Myths
• GP Shores On Fiscal Watch
• Bob's Blog
• Guest Postings
• GPS in the news
• Shores Video Clips
• Source Documents
• Officials Who Raised Taxes
• Recall / Tax Links
• Contact Recall Central

Grosse Pointe Shores Salary Facts:

• In 2008, Grosse Pointe Shores Manager Mike Kenyon made $207,000. His executive assistant wife, Angela Kenyon, made $149,000. That year, Governor Granholm took home a state salary of $158,000, and she offered to take a 10% pay cut for 2009 • The Shores paid its current finance director $145,000, when Lt. Governor Cherry makes only $120,000. • In 2008 Grosse Pointe Shores legal expenses were over $170,000, while Michigan paid our full-time state Attorney General Mike Cox $125,000. • Our park manager made $95,000 in 2008 at a time when the salaries of our Michigan state senators and representatives are under $80,000 a year.