Wayne County Commission votes to formally reprimand Robert Ficano

(WXYZ) - The Wayne County Commission formally voted to censure Robert Ficano.  The vote was a virtual certainty – but now it has passed, and the County Executive is formally reprimanded.

It was a vote of 14-1.

Commissioner Laura Cox voted no because she doesn’t believe the censure goes far enough.

Two weeks ago, after wrangling over resolutions calling on Robert Ficano to resign, the language in the resolution was changed to a censure.

At first Commissioners did not even name Ficano in the resolution; they simply censured the County Executive.  But after some backlash, Ficano’s name was added in to the formal resolution today.

Ever since the 7 Action News Investigators first exposed Turkia Mullin’s secret severance deal, and the FBI corruption probe – the Commissioners have been fighting over how far they should go in holding the county executive accountable.

The Commission has no power to remove Ficano from office – but now they have formally reprimanded him.  The resolution started as an effort to call on the CEO to step down, but Commissioner Joseph Palamara (D-Grosse Ile) amended the resolution to become the censure.

Robert Ficano responded to the formal reprimand with the following statement:

“Today’s action by the Wayne County Commission formalizes the action they took two weeks ago. I take the censure very seriously and will work with the Commission to ensure a strong, transparent government for our citizens.  

My focus continues to be on the effective management of Wayne County government, seeking to provide the highest level of service possible. I have a new team in place that has hit the ground running. The county is operating efficiently, businesses continue to add jobs and expand in Wayne County, and we are working in a collaborative manner with our partners on a federal, state and local level.”š Robert A. Ficano, Wayne County Executive

Palamara Censure Reso 6-7