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Taylor, Michigan Mayor Jeffrey Lamarand on why he initially did not accept a federal grant because the city could not afford to pay the non-federal po...
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More shocked to hear that -- eight point one million dollar federal grant to recall laid off firefighters could land a suburban Detroit mayor.
In jail.
The mayor was trying to be fiscally responsible he's concerned the city doesn't have the money to pay the required non federal share of the costs like over time.
And unemployment benefits.
On the -- straight from his contempt of court hearing.
Is Taylor mayor Jeffrey labour and thanks for joining us.
-- -- So after two judges -- you -- -- the grant you didn't accept it but then this morning.
You went ahead and did it not because you're afraid of going to jail but tell me what changed.
But we had you know votes and change that it contractual.
Or contractual benefits that timeline related -- Camp -- -- notebook amp -- -- that they can take Asian bank that they had built up.
Which accounted for in the grant.
Under the grant but we didn't have the restrictions within a contract to force them.
Requires them to cash amount which would have put them under the grant.
Some basic my understanding -- it was that they gave back benefits that were worth more than a million dollars and made this amount even is that right -- it's not actually costing your taxpayers as much.
Well yeah eyewitness that we can't get back it just it required them to take to actually take -- cash out during the -- period.
Though that so we wouldn't be stuck with them yen typically they would be able to thank them up in -- amount in lump sum.
And I annual you know 20304050000.
Dollars.
This requires them -- -- them out during the year under a grant period so that we are stuck with them at the end of the grant period with no money yeah.
You -- willing to go to jail as mayor of this town.
Rather than accept federal money that was going to cost your tax payers money how much support did you get in town.
Well obviously you had a mixed emotions people -- -- we're certainly happy that we were trying to exercise fiscal responsibility are probably the first time along that America community.
With the people that you know are are concerned about the public safety numbers in the in the things we have to do.
You know we've studied and evaluated -- it -- I think that everything that we're doing and and felt comfortable that if we had do.
We could not buy into that things that that we needed to do work counting gore.
Our our run direct all -- equally we turned over -- -- services to look private provider.
And you know in February.
So I -- this Israeli filed making sure that we didn't and all the long term policy Bombeck and the taxpayers' backs after the of the brand going a million dollars looks -- -- it just.
You gotta make sure that we.
-- -- -- and obviously there are people that were really angry with few I mean whether they were the firefighters who wanted to come back to work or people in your town who felt like they weren't as safe because these firefighters.
Work on the job how did you respond to -- Well -- most of the most of that this the struggled and I think came from five City Council members that they appear court they.
They -- resolution demanding that I do major you don't do -- job that they want and need to do not allow me to do my job.
And that was our original concerns still -- -- concern that it moves towards the appeals court about what they did.
You know there -- it is gonna cost of that one point two million dollars that we wouldn't -- -- this the necessary language you know we're still on hold waiting for confirmation -- the union that it actually asked.
Sign if it doesn't which they'll need to put ourselves in another predicament.
Well -- ever -- I got to tell you you are my hero if you took a stand and you really put yourself out there and not everyone agreed with you but I really admire the stand that you -- thanks for coming on tonight IP.
