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the decision but we are confident
that it will beOK,”Hampton said.
“We know the water rates are
high but we have debts and costs
that others don't have. We're not
happy with or comfortable with the
rates, either.”
Nolen said the decision could,
in effect, bankrupt the community
which was in such dire financial
condition that officials were forced
to sign a consent decree with the
state last year in an effort to avoid a
state appointed emergency manag-
er. Part of that agreement requires
the timely payment of expenses.
“They use that water and sewer
revenue to pay other bills. If resi-
dents have credits going forward,
that revenue flowwill stop. The city
will not be able tomeet the terms of
the consent agreement with the
state.”
Nolen added that he expected
this could result in the appoint-
ment of an emergency manager in
the community.
Hampton said that city officials
would be meeting with the city
attorneys this week to “find out all
the legal ramifications” and deter-
mine the next course of action. He
said a decision regarding an appeal
had not been made but would be
discussedby officials thisweek.
A
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October 31, 2013
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FROM PAGE 1
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NKSTER
- R
OMULUS
- W
AYNE
Michigan Assembly Plant closed for week
Incumbent, challenger vie for Romulus City Clerk’s office
Ellen Craig Bragg touts accomplishments Ucal Finley seeks more communication
There won't be much traffic at
the usually busy gates of the
Michigan Assembly Plant this
week as production workers have
been idled by Ford Motor Co.
Beginning last Monday, Oct. 28,
production workers were fur-
loughed for oneweek.
Ford Motor Co. spokespeople
are citing the first drop in U.S.
sales in 27 months as the reason
for the production decrease.
According to Automotive News,
Ford showed a 4.2 percent dip in
sales inSeptember.
Another furlough week is
plannedbeginningDec. 16.
Supply management has been
part of the success of Ford and
seeing supplies of Focus and C-
Max, the two vehicles built at the
Michigan Assembly Plant, rise
from 58 and 108 days, respectively,
to 71 and 122 days over the span of
a month was apparently the impe-
tus for the week-long plant fur-
lough. According to Automotive
News, the rule of thumb for many
automakers is tomaintain a 60-day
supply of vehicles.
“Ford has been focused on
keeping their pricing in check.
Their operating margin is in dou-
ble digits. Nobody else is there and
they're obviously very proud of
that,” Alan Baum, an auto analyst
withBaum&Associates said.
A large supply of vehicles could
eventually lower the price and
impact profit numbers, analysts
said. Keeping the supply chain
operating smoothly and not
increasing supplies too much is
crucial to ahealthy profitmargin.
Analysts agreed that this was a
sign of careful asset and supply
management by Ford and an indi-
cator of themanagement practices
that have put the company in such
strong financial condition.
Michigan Assembly Plant, former-
ly known as Michigan Truck Plant,
employs 1,200 and comprises three
main buildings with 2,900,000
square foot of factory floor space
and is located adjacent to Wayne
Stamping & Assembly. The plant
began manufacturing the third
generation, North American Ford
Focus onDec. 14, 2010.
By that date, Ford had complet-
ed what had become a $550 mil-
lion renovation, enabling the plant
to change production between var-
ious models without significant
downtime and to produce gas-
powered cars as well as battery
electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid
variations. The renovation also
included a 500-kilowatt solar
panel system and 10 electric vehi-
cle charging stations for recharg-
ing electric part-transport trucks
running between adjacent facili-
ties.
Ellen Craig Bragg said the Romulus City
Clerk's Department is more efficient now
than it was four years ago.
The processes she's put in place and
improvements she's made since she took
office in 2009 were among the reasons she
was nominated for Clerk of theYear last year
by the Michigan Association of Municipal
Clerks (MAMC).
“I'm proud of the many achievements my
staff and I have achieved during the past
four years,” she said. “I want to continue to
move the city forward.”
Craig Bragg is running for re-election to
the city clerk's post, facing newcomer Ucal
Finley. She said she wants to continue to
push for transparency in government, smart
budgeting and improve city services.
A Romulus resident for 13 years, she
worked for theRomulus Community Schools
from 1996-2009. She served four years on the
Romulus City Council from 2005-09 and suc-
cessfully ran for the clerk's office when
LindaChoate retired.
She said she's worked to reduce costs as
well as increase efficiencies through actions
like reducing the number of voting precincts,
and improving the technological capabilities
of the department. “It has been an honor to
serve as the city clerk for the past four years.
I am proud of the accomplishments that
have beenmade,” she said.
Ucal Finley said she wants to restore the
integrity, honesty and respect in the City of
Romulus.
The long-time Romulus resident and edu-
cator said she is running for city clerk,
against incumbent EllenCraigBragg.
“We must hold politicians accountable for
their actions,” she said. “We must let them
know they are not entitled to their elected
offices, but must work hard for the people to
keep their positions.”
Finley has been an educator for 15 years
and an educational supervisor for five years.
She holds a bachelor's degree in English and
history as well as amaster's degree in educa-
tional leadership and has long been active in
the community.
She said she wants to work with city
administration to bring in new businesses;
make additional records readily available
for the public; update technology to make
the clerk's officemore accessible online; and
ensure friendly respectable service to all.
She said she acknowledges thework done
in recent years to conserve costs, such as
reducing the number of polls and therefore
cutting back on poll workers, but said the
cost reductions have not gone far enough.
“One thing I dowant to do as the city clerk
is get out to the people more-stop relying so
much onmailing and getting information out
by papermeans,” she said.