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Government of Flint, Michigan

American municipal government

Summary

American municipal government

The City of Flint has operated under at least four charters (1855, 1888, 1929, 1974). The City is currently run under its 2017 charter that gives the city a Strong Mayor form of government. It is also instituted the appointed independent office of Ombudsman, while the city clerk is solely appointed by the City Council. The City Council is composed of members elected from the city's nine wards.

The city was under the supervision of a state-appointed Receivership Transition Advisory Board from 2015 to January 2019. The Receivership Transition Advisory Board had to review and rule on all financial matters approved by the city council and mayor.

In June 2018, an Administrative Hearings Bureau, or Blight Hearings Bureau, was started through a grant to handle blight hearings generated from blight citations given by the city's Blight Elimination Division. Attorney T.W. Feaster was appointed the first administrative hearing officer of the bureau. There were a backlog since 2013 of about 7,000 complaints.

Other principal officers

:See Also Mayor of the City of Flint, Michigan

Year	Recorders	Treasurers	Marshals
1855	Levi Walker	Elihu F. Frary	Cornelius Roosevelt
1856	Chas. B. Higgins	John C. Griswold	Joshua Vose
1857	M.L. Higgins	George F. Hood	Nathaniel Dodge
1858	Charles Hascall	Cyrus H. Golf
1859
1860	Lewis G. Bickford	John A. Kline	George Andrews
1861	L.R. Buckingham	J.A. Owens
1862	Julius Brouseau
1863	H. R. Lovell	Anson S. Withee	J.D. Morehouse
1864	Alvin T. Crossman	L.G. Buckingham
1865	J.D. Morehouse
1866	William W. Barnes
1867	George R. Gold	John S. Freeman
1868
1869	Anson S. Withee	William A. Miller
1870
1871	Chas. E. McAlester	Samuel B. Wicks
1872	Francis H. Rankin, Sr.
1873	Solomon V. Hakes
1874	Francis H. Rankin, Sr.
1875
1876
1877	Francis H. Rankin, Sr.	Charles C. Beahan	Samuel B. Wicks
1878	Michael Doran
1879	J.B.F. Curtis	Jared Van Vleet

•In 1876, the office of City Recorder was abolished and replaced with a city council appointed city clerk.

1929 Charter

In 1929, the city adopted a new city charter with a council-manager form of government. In 1935, the city residents approved a charter amendment establishing the Civil Service Commission. The three-member Civil Service Commission had complete control over all personal matters leaving the city manager powerless to hire and fire. The Commission powers were reduced in the 1974 charter.

Year	City Manager	Deputy CityManager	Clerk
1963—1965		James W. Rutherford
12/1971-4/1974	Brian Rapp

Emergency manager

Term	Manager	Governor
Jul 2002 - Jun 2004	Ed Kurtz	John Engler
Dec 2011 - Aug 2012	Michael Brown	Rick Snyder
Aug 2012 - July 2013	Ed Kurtz	Rick Snyder
July 2013 - October 2013	Michael Brown	Rick Snyder
October 2013 - January 2015	Darnell Earley	Rick Snyder
January 2015–	Jerry Ambrose	Rick Snyder

Ward officers

Street Commissioners	Assessors	Year	1st	3rd	4th	1st	2nd
1855	William Moon	William Eddy	John C. Griswold	Ashael Fuller	William Hamilton	url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120930173004/http://www.usgennet.org/usa/mi/county/lapeer/gen/ch13/firstofficers2.html	date=2012-09-30 }} The History of Genesee County, MI.
1856	Thomas McElhany	George Andrews	James McAlester
1857	William Baker	John A. Kline	John W. Palmer
1858	John S. Ryno	Benjamin Pearson	Chas. H. Cudney
1859	Elijah Drake
1860	Benjamin F. Golf	William Miller
1861	L. Bradford	S. C. Smith	William Bloomer
1862	A.M. Hurd	L. Buckingham	Josiah Pratt
1863	L. H. Roberts	James D. Haight
1864	David Watson	Theo. Simons	L. Buckingham
1865
1866	William W. Joyner	Leonard Weason	Jacob B. Covert
1867	Orson B. Gibson	Edmond Curtis
1868	William O. Bassett	William Boomer
1869	Jno. C. Clement	Josiah Pratt	Josiah Pratt (?)
1870	Robert W. Dullam	L. H. Robert	Silas Austin
1871	Robert Patrick, Sr.	Almon Reynolds	George Stanard
1872	S. B. Wicks	Henry Stanley
1873	Edmond Curtis	L. Buckingham	Henry Thayer
1874	Josiah Pratt
1875	John Becker
1876	John Andrews	Augustus Root
1877	John C. Dayton	D. C. Andrews
1878	Thomas Sullivan	M. H. White
1879	Alfred Ingalls	William Pidd

Council

1855 Charter

Alderman	Wards	Council	Years	1st	2nd	3rd	4th
1st	1855	J.W. Armstrong	George W. Dewey	Benjamin Pearson	David Mather	William M. Fenton	Alvin T. Crosman
2nd	1856	H. W. Wood	? (George W. Dewey)	Charles Rice	? (David Mather)	Henry Higgins	? (Alvin T. Crosman)
3rd	1857	? (H. W. Wood)	C.S. Payne	? (Charles Rice)
Lewis Walker†	Samuel N. Warren	? (Henry Higgins)	George W. Fish
4th	1858	Jno. C. Allen	Samuel B. Wicks	G.W. Skidmore
5th	1859	J. Skidmore
6th	1861	? (Jno. C. Allen)	Oscar Adams	? (Samuel B. Wicks)	William Hamilton	? (J. Skidmore)	William Patterson
7th	1861	Alexander McFarland	? (Oscar Adams)	Edward C. Turner	? (William Hamilton)	William Clark	? (William Patterson)
8th	1862	? (Alexander McFarland)	David Spencer Fox	? (Edward C. Turner)	William Hamilton	? (William Clark)	Paul H. Stewart
9th	1863	O.F. Forsyth	Edward C. Turner	I. N. Eldridge	David Foote
10th	1864	William Stevenson	Hiram Parsell
11th	1865	George H. Durand
12th	1865	L.H. Roberts
13th	1866	John Hawley	I. N. Eldridge	Sumner Howard
14th	1867	Abner Randall	William Hamilton	Charles Smith
15th	1868	Orson B. Gibson
16th	1869	F.W. Judd	Orson B. Gibson	F.H. Pierce
17th	1870	M.S. Elmore	Wilson S. Tousey	W. O'Donoughue
18th	1871	Damon Stewart	John Willett	W.Buckingham	J.R. Chambers	Chas. D. Smith
19th	1872	Samuel C. Randall	William Dullam	J.B.F. Curtis	Edward B. Clapp	Josiah W. Begole	James Williams
20th	1873	Benj. Cotharin	H.C. Spencer	P. Cleveland, Jr.
21st	1874	William R. Morse
22nd	1875	Thomas Page	Williams Fobes	Chris Becker
23rd	1876	Chas. A. Mason	Henry Brown	Chas. D. Smith
24th	1877	Andrew J. Ward	William A. Atwood	William A. Burr	J. Zimmerman
25th	1878	S.N. Androus	Henry C. Walker	Jos. M. Corkey
26th	1879	George L. Caldwell	? (Thomas Page)	? (S.N. Androus)	? (William A. Atwood)	? (Jos. M. Corkey)	A.R. Michaels

† To fill vacancy

1888 Charter

1929 Charter

1974 Charter

Councilor	Wards	Council	Years	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
	1974 to 1983	John W. Northrup (ward unknown)
	1983 to 1985	John W. Northrup (ward unknown)						Jack Minore
	1985-1991	John W. Northrup (ward unknown)						Jack Minore		Scott Kincaid
	1991-January 1997	John W. Northrup (ward unknown)			Peggy R. Cook			Jack Minore		Scott Kincaid
	January 1997 to 1998				Peggy R. Cook			Jack Minore		Scott Kincaid
	1998 to 2004				Peggy R. Cook					Scott Kincaid
	2004 to 2005				Joshua Freeman					Scott Kincaid
	2005–2007	Darryl Buchanan	Jackie Poplar	Kerry Nelson	Sandy Hill	Carolyn Sims	Sheldon Neeley	Jim Ananich	Ehren Gonzales	Scott Kincaid
	2007–2009	Delrico Loyd	title=Fresh faces make up new majority of Flint City Council	first=Kristin	last=Longley	url=http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2009/11/fresh_faces_make_up_new_majori.html	newspaper=Flint Journal	publisher=BoothNewspapers	location=Flint, Michigan	date=November 3, 2009	access-date=2009-11-09	archive-date=2009-11-07	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091107223257/http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2009/11/fresh_faces_make_up_new_majori.html	url-status=live }}	Kerry Nelson	Sandy Hill	title=Lawler in Flint's 5th Ward said residents were "ready for a change"	first=Teri	last=Banas	url=http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2009/11/lawler_in_flints_5th_ward_said.html	newspaper=Flint Journal	publisher=BoothNewspapers	location=Flint, Michigan	date=November 3, 2009	access-date=2009-11-09	archive-date=2012-10-05	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005075801/http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2009/11/lawler_in_flints_5th_ward_said.html	url-status=live }}	Sheldon Neeley	Jim Ananich	Ehren Gonzales	Scott Kincaid
	2009–2013	Delrico Loyd	Jacqueline Poplar	Bryant Nolden	Joshua Freeman	Bernard Lawler	Sheldon Neeley	Dale Weighill	Michael Sarginson	Scott Kincaid
	2013-2017	Eric Mays	Bryant Nolden (2013-1/2015; VP 2013-2014)
Kerry Nelson, President (2015-2016)		Wantwaz Davis, Vice President (2014-2015)	Herbert Winfrey	Monica Galloway	Vicki VanBuren, Vice President (2015-2016)	Scott Kincaid, president (2013-2014)
	January 2018 to 2021	Eric Mays	Maurice Davis	Santino Guerra	Kate Fields	Jerri Winfrey-Carter	Herbert Winfrey	Monica Galloway	Allan Griggs	Eva Worthing
	January 2022 to 2025	Eric Mays (d. Feb. 24, 2024)	Ladel Lewis	Quincy Murphy (d. Sept. 29, 2024)	Judy Priestley	Jerri Winfrey-Carter	Tonya Burns	Allie Herkenroder (res. Jul. 1, 2023)	Dennis Pfeiffer	Eva Worthing (recalled 2023, dropped out of May 2024 special election) Fonger, Ron. “Flint Councilwoman Facing Recall Withdraws from Special Election.” Mlive, 19 Dec. 2023, www.mlive.com/news/flint/2023/12/flint-councilwoman-facing-recall-withdraws-from-special-election.html. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

:President and vice president are selected in November. In November 2024, a deadlocked City Council failed to elect new leadership. On September 22, 2025, Ladel Lewis and Candice Mushatt were reelected as Council President and Vice President during the regularly scheduled city council meeting.

Receivership Transition Advisory Board

The Receivership Transition Advisory Board was appointed by Governor Snyder after the city exited direct control of the emergency manager in its second Financial emergency in Michigan.

member	position	start
end
Fred Headen	chair
last1=Fonger	first1=Ron	title=Chamber of Commerce exec named Flint planning and development director	url=http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2015/10/chamber_of_commerce_exec_named.html	access-date=November 11, 2015	work=Flint Journal	publisher=Mlive Media Group	date=October 28, 2015	archive-date=October 29, 2015	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151029152133/http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2015/10/chamber_of_commerce_exec_named.html	url-status=live}}
David McGhee
last1=Emery	first1=Amanda	title=Gov. Rick Snyder makes appointment to the state's oversight board in Flint	url=http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2016/01/gov_rick_snyder_makes_appointm.html	access-date=January 20, 2016	work=Flint Journal	publisher=Mlive Media Group	date=January 20, 2016	archive-date=January 22, 2016	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160122110048/http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2016/01/gov_rick_snyder_makes_appointm.html	url-status=live}}
Beverly Walker-Griffea
last1=Fonger	first1=Ron	title=Snyder picks Newman, Tarver to fill resignations on Flint oversight board	url=http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2017/05/states_flint_oversight_board.html	access-date=May 26, 2017	work=Flint Journal	publisher=MLive Media Group	date=May 26, 2017	archive-date=November 10, 2023	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231110012512/https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2017/05/states_flint_oversight_board.html	url-status=live}}
last1=Ridley	first1=Gary	title=Former finance director who sued city appointed to Flint oversight board	url=http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2016/01/former_finance_director_who_su.html	access-date=May 26, 2017	work=Flint Journal	publisher=MLive Media Group	date=January 21, 2016	archive-date=March 4, 2016	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304143520/http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2016/01/former_finance_director_who_su.html	url-status=live}}
Paul Newman
William Tarver

Charter Review Commission

member 1974	last1=Fonger	first1=Ron	title=Big job ahead for nine elected to Flint Charter Review Commission	url=http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2015/05/big_job_ahead_for_nine_elected.html	access-date=November 11, 2015	work=Flint Journal	publisher=Mlive Media Group	date=May 6, 2015	archive-date=December 8, 2015	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208110305/http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2015/05/big_job_ahead_for_nine_elected.html	url-status=live}}
Carl L Bekofske	chairman
leroy Nichols	vice chairman
Bob Jackson
John H. West
Joseph Conroy
Charles A. Greene
James P. Hanley
Philip D. Marvin
Banius C. Hedrick

member 2015	position	term
John D. Cherry	Vice chair	-
Brian Larkin		-
Cleora Magee	chair	-
Victoria McKenze
Charles Metcalfe
Heidi Phaneuf
James Richardson
Marsha Wesley
Barry Williams
Quincy Murphy	-

Supervisors

Supervisors represented the City on the Genesee County, Michigan Board of Supervisors.

Year	1st	2nd	3rd
1855	Charles N. Beecher
1856
1857	George S. Hopkins
1858	Francis Baker	William Lyons	George S. Hopkins
1859
1860	W. O'Donoughue	Samuel N. Warren	L.G. Buckingham
1861	D.S. Freeman	George S. Hopkins
1862	John C. Clement
1863
1864	P.H. Stewart
1865	Josiah W. Begole
1866
1867	Paul H. Stewart
1868	William Paterson
1869	Andrew B. Chapin	Paul H. Stewart
1870
1871	George E. Newall	George W. Thayer
1872	Cornelius Roosevelt	George L. Walker
1873
1874	John Algoe
1875	S. Mathewson	Ephraim S. Williams
1876	James Van Vleet
1877	D.S. Freeman
1878	L.C. Witney	Albert Crosby
1879

Ombudsman

The City Ombudsman is a charter independent office of the city appointed by the City Council in a 2/3 votes to a seven-year term. A police ombudsman, Richard Dicks, predated the current charter position and was appointed in 1969.

Term	Office holder	notes
12/26/75-1978	Joe Dupcza
05/15/78-07/21/87	James Ananich
07/22/87-07/21/94	Terry Bankert
08/17/94-04/08/96	Darryl Buchanan	He was removed from office by the City Council but was returned to office after a lawsuit and finished his term.
01/1999-05/8/2006	Jessie Binion
05/8/2006-12/2/2011	Brenda L. Purifoy	Removed from office by the Emergency Manager Michael Brown.

References

"The History of Genesee, MI, Chapter 13, Early Years of Flint City".
(1892). "HON. WILLIAM A. ATWOOD". 1892 Portrait & Biographical Album of Genesee, Lapeer & Tuscola Counties, Chapman Bros..
[http://www.amlegal.com/nxt/gateway.dll/Michigan/flint_mi/particharter/cityofflintmicharter City of Flint, Michigan Charter 1974] {{Webarchive. link. (2010-03-02 .)
[https://www.cityofflint.com/wp-content/uploads/Flint-City-Charter-Effective-1-1-2018.pdf Flint City Charte Effective] {{Webarchive. link. (2022-11-18)
(11 January 2019). "State board OKs giving financial powers back to Flint officials". MLive.com.
(June 6, 2018). "Cleaning up Flint: Blight hearings begin, reward offered for used tires". WJRT.
(June 6, 2018). "Blight court judge tackles backlog of violations in Flint under new program". WJRT.
Ellis, Franklin. (1879). "History of Genesee county, Michigan. With illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers.". Everts & Abbott.
(October 17, 2014). "Proposal 5: Voters can eliminate Flint Civil Service Commission with charter vote". Mlive Media Group.
[http://alumninet.yale.edu/classes/yc1964/remembrances/rapp.htm#The Flint Journal Unforgettable: When a former Flint city manager left this world, he also left mixed memories] {{Webarchive. link. (2011-07-20 . BoothNewspapers: Flint Journal. March 5, 1995. retrieved March 08, 2011.)
Adams, Dominic. (September 11, 201) [http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2013/09/darnell_earley_readies_to_take.html Darnell Earley promises bold steps as Flint emergency manager] {{Webarchive. link. (2015-02-02 . MLive Media Group: The Flint Journal. Accessed on October 18, 2013.)
(January 13, 2015). "Jerry Ambrose named Flint's fourth emergency manager as Darnell Earley heads to Detroit". Mlive Media Group.
(April 29, 2015). "'A heavy burden' lifted from Flint as Gov. Rick Snyder declares end of financial emergency". Mlive Media Group.
[http://www.usgennet.org/usa/mi/county/lapeer/gen/ch13/firstofficers2.html Chapter XIII: First City Officers.] {{Webarchive. link. (2012-09-30 The History of Genesee County, MI.)
Longley, Kristin. (November 3, 2009). "Fresh faces make up new majority of Flint City Council". BoothNewspapers.
Longley, Kristin. (November 4, 2009). "Flint City Council overhauled as voters usher in five new members". Booth Newspapers.
Banas, Teri. (November 3, 2009). "Lawler in Flint's 5th Ward said residents were "ready for a change"". BoothNewspapers.
(November 10, 2014). "Flint City Council elects new president, vice president". MLive Media Group.
(November 10, 2015). "Flint City Council elects new president after new mayor sworn in". MLive Media Group.
(January 21, 2016). "Flint City Council appoints new member to empty 4th ward seat". MLive Media Group.
Fonger, Ron. (2024-03-26). "Leon El-Alamin appointed to succeed Eric Mays as 1st Ward Flint councilman".
Jeltema, Ryan. “LaShawn Johnson Officially Declared Winner of Flint Third Ward Race.” ABC 12 WJRT-TV, 13 Aug. 2025, www.abc12.com/news/local/lashawn-johnson-officially-declared-winner-of-flint-third-ward-race/article_73c94f50-d0ce-450a-8585-58cab8413be6.html. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
(2023-06-10). "Flint Council President Herkenroder resigns as of July 1, citing anxiety, depression, and thoughts of self-harm following “abuse,” “vindictiveness and hatred”".
Lada, Sophia. (2023-07-27). "Flint City Council selects Candice Mushatt as new 7th ward councilperson".
Fonger, Ron. (2024-05-08). "Jarrett wins 9th Ward Flint City Council seat, says he's ready to help push city forward".
Fonger, Ron. (2024-12-11). "Legal opinion says Lewis continues as Flint council president until replaced".
WNEM Digital. (2025, September 23). President, Vice President for Flint City Council elected. Https://Www.wnem.com; WNEM. https://www.wnem.com/2025/09/23/president-vice-president-flint-city-council-elected/
(October 28, 2015). "Chamber of Commerce exec named Flint planning and development director". Mlive Media Group.
(January 20, 2016). "Gov. Rick Snyder makes appointment to the state's oversight board in Flint". Mlive Media Group.
(May 26, 2017). "Snyder picks Newman, Tarver to fill resignations on Flint oversight board". MLive Media Group.
(January 21, 2016). "Former finance director who sued city appointed to Flint oversight board". MLive Media Group.
(May 6, 2015). "Big job ahead for nine elected to Flint Charter Review Commission". Mlive Media Group.
(December 21, 2015). "Flint activist Quincy Murphy appointed to Flint Charter Review Commission". Mlive Media Group.
Longley, Kristin. (December 2, 2011). "Shakeup at Flint City Hall as new emergency manager issues layoffs, pay cuts". The Flint Journal.
(October 2010). "2006-2007 Ombudsman Report". City of Flint.

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