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November 26 – December 2, 2020 NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST 75¢

No. 48 www .associatednewspapers.net

THE BELLEVILLE Wayne property taxes hiked by 13 mills
ENTERPRISE
ENTERPRISE

Vol. 135, No. 48 Property owners in the City against the City of Wayne which
Retiring Sumpter of Wayne are going to receive an is currently $4,753,409 in arrears ”
Township Supervisor John unpleasant surprise when their in payments into the retirement Currently, the city is reportedly
Morgan was thanked and winter tax bills arrive in a few fund and is facing an additional facing a projected budget deficit of about
lauded by several members weeks. 7.2 million contribution in 2022.
of the board of trustees at A tax increase of 13.1399 mills Municipal contributions to the $4.3 million for fiscal year 2020-2021.
one of his final meetings. will be included on the Dec. 1 pension fund are required by
See page 5. property tax bills which are due state law. In March, the city
no later than Feb. 15. The aver- made the bare minimum pay- Officials have continually addressed to “Wayne Citizens
age home in Wayne, valued at ments into MERS, remitting blamed the failure to make the and Businesses” on city letter-
THE CANTON $118,000 according to Zillow, only the contributions made by MERS payments on the actions head, three situations are cited
EAGLE with a State Equalized Value current city employees and of previous administrations and as responsible for the current
EAGLE
Vol. 73, No. 48 (SEV) of $59,000 will see an sending nothing from the gener- have stressed that this is a prob- financial levy facing property
increase of $787. The hefty addi- al fund budget toward the lem created by decisions made owners.
Three dangerous build- tion to the current property tax arrears. in response to the national “At the peak of the 2008
ings will be demolished in rate was agreed to by a consent City officials said at a meeting recession in 2008. Currently, the national recession, city employ-
Canton Township, within 60 judgment filed Nov. 12 between last week that while they have city is reportedly facing a pro- ees were offered a higher pen-
days of the Nov. 17 unani- the city and the Municipal voted to add the tax rate to the jected budget deficit of about sion if they retired early. Due to
mous vote of the Canton Employees Retirement System current budget, the additional $4.3 million for fiscal year 2020- the influx of new retirees into
Board of Trustees. (MERS) which manages pen- funds will be dedicated to the 2021. The city has been in a the system, long-term invest-
See page 4. sions due retired city employ- delinquent MERS pension pay- deficit spending situation for ment returns being less than
ees. ments as agreed in the settle- more than a decade.
MERS had filed suit Aug. 7 ment. In an unsigned letter See Tax, page 2
THE INKSTER
LEDGER STAR
LEDGER STAR
Vol. 73, No. 48 Success stories

All city offices in Inkster
have been closed and will Former Westland mayor is
reopen when the latest bestselling Amazon author
orders have been lifted by
the Michigan Department of Thousands of eager fans begin to get
Health. a bit edgy at the end of every month,
See page 6. awaiting the next adventure of their
favorite Western hero, Jess Williams.
THE NORTHVILLE They haven't been disappointed in
EAGLE
EAGLE five years as former Westland Mayor
Robert J. Thomas releases one more
Vol. 20, No. 48 200-page epic tale of the late 19th centu-
ry bounty hunter who lives by his own,
Four new members were
welcomed to the board of distinct moral code. This month marked
the publication of the 100th book in the
trustees in Northville series, a milestone achievement for any
Township last week as they author in any genre.
were officially sworn into If that weren't accomplishment
office. enough, Thomas is the number-one
See page 3.
bestselling author in Westerns on
Amazon Kindle and his series about the
THE PLYMOUTH nomadic bounty hunter with a mysteri- Bestselling Amazon author Robert Thomas, a former Westland mayor, relaxes at his
EAGLE ous, futuristic firearm has inspired the home state of Mississippi as he prepares for another day of writing his popular Western
EAGLE
devotion of a multitude fans across the
Vol. 20, No. 48 country. series.
The Plymouth District Thomas said he writes every day, Westland in 1970 after graduating from which adds a supernatural element to
Library Board of Trustees without fail. He said he hasn't taken a Wayne Memorial High School. He still the series. Williams practices relentless-
has closed the building in real break from his writing in the past remembers every elementary school he ly until he becomes unbeatable on the
light of the newly-issued pan- several years as the character and the attended along with his time at Adams draw, Thomas said. He leaves home
demic warnings from the stories consume him and his imagina- Junior High School. transformed from a boy to a highly-
State of Michigan tion just as they do his legions of follow- He worked on his first book, How To skilled shooter with no reason to live
Department of Health. ers. Run For Local Office, from 1993 until it except to hunt down and kill each of the
See page 4. Thomas, who served as mayor of was published in 1997 and he admits, it three men responsible for the murder of
Westland from 1990 until he retired in wasn't the success he enjoys with his his family members, using the mysteri-
2002, now writes from his home office, current characters. He tried writing in ous pistol and holster that no one has
THE ROMULUS where he enjoys a view of the Gulf of the adventure-terrorism genre too, but ever seen before---and won't again for
ROMAN Mexico. He and his wife, Jill, moved to that character “just didn't take off,” he almost 100 years. He grows into a profes-
ROMAN
Vol. 135, No. 48 their Mississippi home in 2012 and said. sional bounty hunter, traveling the coun-
eventually began their own publishing
try pursuing “the worst of the worst,”
The first book in the Western series
The City of Romulus is company which she manages. introduces main character Jess Thomas said.
adhering to state and local “Now, I work for her. She writes me a Williams as a young boy whose entire Thomas' work included a great deal
health guidelines and all paycheck,” he said. His first books were family is brutally murdered. The boy of research regarding specialized
essential city buildings are printed in hard copy, but Thomas said vows to avenge his family's death and firearms and fast-draw competitions to
staffed and able to provide his wife urged him to put the novels on begins to teach himself marksmanship add credibility to the anachronistic
residents access to critical Amazon where the popularity of the and fast-draw with his dead father's gun. weapon that Williams' brandishes.
city transactions. series soared to the top of the bestseller Then, destiny brings him a futuristic pis- These fast-draw competitions are still
See page 5. lists. tol and holster, although such a weapon
Thomas, now 70, began his career in won't be developed for about a century, See Thomas, page 6
THE WAYNE
EAGLE
EAGLE Romulus clerk dispels election ‘false narrative’

Vol. 73, No. 48
A house on Winifred Street Romulus City Clerk Ellen ”
in Wayne is attracting the Craig-Bragg took time during a I want to assure all our residents
recent city council meeting to
attention of neighbors with an assure all Romulus voters that that every ballot was counted and handled properly.
elaborate Christmas light dis- their ballots were counted and
play, as unique at the one at handled properly. Every ballot counted.
Halloween. “Despite that false narrative
See page 2.
out there, and it is a false narra- ing board the AV (absentee bal- door and all the way to the
tive, I want to assure all our resi- lot) counting board, they hung in library.”
THE WESTLAND dents that every ballot was here until 4:30 in the morning to She said that because of the
EAGLE counted and handled properly. make sure that every ballot was massive voter turnout, her staff
EAGLE
Vol. 73, No. 48 Every ballot counted,” she said. counted. Kudos to them,” Craig- and the election workers were
Craig-Bragg also formally
Bragg said.
constantly busy handing out bal-
The seven-member thanked all the volunteers and She thanked her department lots and checking identifications
Diversity, Equity and workers who helped during the workers who had been training and that other department
Inclusion Commissioners in election which saw 12,740 regis- and preparing for the election employees and heads stepped in
the City of Westland were tered voters in Romulus partici- since Sept. 14. to handle the door and provide
recently named by Mayor pate Nov. 3. “This was a baptism by fire,” whatever help they could to the
William Wild. “Our election inspectors, she said. “Many of you may not
See page 2. Ellen Craig-Bragg workers from all over, the receiv- know, but we had lines out the See Clerk, page 5

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