Troy Mayor Dane Slater won re-election in a bitterly-waged race against challenger Marty Knollenberg, whose campaign apparently paid for negative robo-calls the weekend before the vote.
All this for a volunteer position that pays $175 a month only, for expenses.
"Of course, that's before taxes," he joked. "That doesn't even pay my cleaning or gas bill, quite honestly."
Slater decried the city's "dirty" politics, and says he hopes things get better from now on. "We need to put an end to this dirty trick campaigning," the Mayor told Michigan Radio, "and I'm hoping they recognize, because of what happened tonight, we can stop this nonsense that is tearing us apart."
Slater was appointed mayor in 2012, after voters recalled Janice Daniels, who gained statewide attention for making anti-gay slurs shortly after her 2011 election.
Slater says he wants Troy to be known for its positives - safe streets, a strong business environment, a diverse population, and good schools.