Two of Woodhaven’s top city officials are under investigation after airing concerns about the management of public funds.
The City Council voted unanimously on April 7 to hire a private firm to investigate allegations against Mayor Patricia Odette and City Administrator Jeff Harris. Odette herself called on the council to approve the probe.
On her personal Facebook page, Odette said she was aware Harris had made “allegations of misuse of funds” against her. The administrator told WDIV-TV (Channel 4) he suspects Odette has misused city funds and resources.
Odette, meanwhile, has concerns of her own, apparently centered around the city’s ongoing Allen Road Grade Separation project, which aims to alleviate “long, unpredictable train blockages” on Woodhaven’s Allen Road, according to Wayne County, which is leading the project.
“As I began asking questions related to the grade separation project and other administrative matters, I became concerned about broader patterns involving contracts, compensation, and whether public funds were consistently handled with full transparency,” Odette said on Facebook. “This included questions about potential no-bid work and relationships between vendors and individuals within the administration.”
The probe follows Odette’s April 2 letter to the council, announcing her retirement and resignation, effective May 1. She attributed the decision to a need to “step back and focus on my family and personal well-being.”
But sometime prior to the April 7 council meeting, Odette withdrew her resignation, according to the meeting agenda on the city’s website.
Neither Odette nor Harris has returned messages from The Detroit News seeking further comment.
Odette was first elected in 2009 to serve as mayor in the Downriver community of about 12,500 residents. She was a council member for two terms before running for mayor.
“I welcome this investigation for both Mr. Harris and myself,” she said during an April 13 council meeting. “I requested full transparency and I stand by that. I fully intend to cooperate. I am confident when all the facts come out the public will have a full and complete picture. I am not going to litigate this in the press or social media. That’s why we’re doing an investigation that protects both myself and Mr. Harris.”
mreinhart@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Woodhaven mayor, city administrator face probe in misuse of funds claim
Reporting by Max Reinhart, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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