flint city council

The October 14 Flint city council meeting ended when a person in the audience allegedly brandished a weapon during an argument.

The council fell one vote short of passing the $60.9 million spending plan for the next fiscal year last week. Some council members say the budget numbers don’t add up and they want additional information from the mayor’s office.

Eric Mays himself was no stranger to the inside of a courtroom, either as a plaintiff or a defendant during his decade on the Flint city council.

Mays died of natural causes Saturday. He was a plaintiff in several state and federal lawsuits against the city of Flint.

Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley, often a target of Mays’ criticism, called his death ”a tremendous loss.”

The city council voted five to three to suspend Councilman Eric Mays for 90 days, shortly after he was escorted out of city hall by three Flint police officers.

After several city council members complained about receiving threats, the city of Flint moved to ban guns and other weapons in council chambers.

The suit was brought by two city council members who said the mayor's advisory board should not have met privately to consider which projects should get federal funds.

The bullying often comes from city council members themselves. But some council members say they are receiving an increasing number of credible threats from the general public.

Councilman Eric Mays was convicted of "disorderly conduct" for his actions during an April 2022 city council meeting.