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Tagged: Joe Harris

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Politics & Government
10:45 am
Mon July 16, 2012

Benton Harbor emergency manager sells parkland he shouldn’t have

Credit Julie Weiss
A sign on the land reads "City of Benton Harbor open public space”. The emergency manager sold the land and construction of a dialysis center is underway.
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Updated 12:30p.m. - Scott Geerlings with Zeeland, Michigan based Geerlings Development Company says the company bought the parcel for around $102,000.

Benton Harbor’s emergency manager has sold a piece of land that was supposed to be open for public recreation. lot Now a dialysis center is being built on the undeveloped parkland instead.

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Politics
12:57 pm
Mon May 28, 2012

Benton Township alleges Benton Harbor emergency manager defaulted on debt

Credit Lindsey Smith / Michigan Radio
Benton Harbor Emergency Manager Joe Harris at a town hall meeting last summer.
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When Benton Harbor Emergency Manager Joe Harris took over the City of Benton Harbor two years ago, the city owed money to a bunch of different agencies; the library, the public schools, and the IRS, for example. Harris has made huge progress in paying off that old debt.

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emergency manager
7:21 pm
Fri March 30, 2012

End of Benton Harbor's financial emergency murky at best

Next imagePrevious image
Credit Lindsey Smith / Michigan Radio
City Commissioner Marcus Muhammad outlines his problems with Benton Harbor's emergency manager for a state treasury official Thursday.
Credit Lindsey Smith / Michigan Radio
Michigan Deputy Treasurer Roger Fraser told about 60 people at the town hall he's optimistic about Benton Harbor's future.
Credit Lindsey Smith / Michigan Radio
"There's no collaboration with Mr. Harris. He's called the police on me more times than I can think of," City Commissioner Dennis Knowles told a treasury official Thursday.
Credit Lindsey Smith / Michigan Radio
City Commissioner Dennis Knowles approaches Deputy Treasurer Roger Fraser, asking to shake his hand.
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In December Benton Harbor’s emergency manager said the city’s finances we’re looking good enough that he could probably leave sometime this year. But now, he’s not so sure.

The City of Benton Harbor was, for practical purposes, bankrupt. In 2010 former governor Jennifer Granholm appointed an emergency financial manger to clean up the books and prevent damage to state’s credit.

Thursday night, Michigan Deputy Treasurer Roger Fraser visited the city. State Treasurer Andy Dillion was supposed to be at the town hall meeting. But he’s in Detroit, trying to help the city avoid an emergency manager like Benton Harbor has.

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