Pontiac’s emergency manager says he wants the option to sell some of the city’s assets, including city hall, the golf course, police station and two fire station.
And, if the state changes its law, a couple of cemeteries.
Leon Jukowski is still the city’s mayor. He says while there’s sentimental value attached to some of the places, the city needs all the financial help it can get.
"If the city owns a piece of real estate that is not producing and is not needed for operations of the city, then it should be sold," Jukowski says. "It should be sold in private hands, which means that somebody will pay property taxes on it."
Jukowski says the library is already negotiating to buy its building from the city. Two community centers and two landfills could also be put up for sale.
Emergency manager Louis Schimmel says he included all of the properties in one package so further public hearings wouldn't be required.
"It leads people to believe I'm selling the whole town," Schimmel says. He doubts city hall would actually be sold, but says if someone expressed an interest, city staff would relocate to a more energy-efficient location.
He says says a number of the city's parking and vacant lots have already generated some interest.
