No Recommendations, Conclusions in Dearborn City Report on Councilman Thomas Residency Question
- To review the city of Dearborn report click: Doug Thomas Papers
An investigation to determine whether Dearborn City Councilman Doug Thomas should be removed from office because of allegations he isn’t a resident turned up questions but no conclusions in a report issued by the Dearborn city attorney and clerk.
It is now up to the Dearborn City Council to determine whether to hold a special public hearing to get answers to the questions raised. According to the City Charter, just two council members need to sign a petition to begin such a process or a petition signed by at least 200 Dearborn voters would initiate a public hearing. With no city council meeting planned until after the election, it is doubtful Council will do much more.
The five-page document, which makes no recommendations nor draws any conclusions, was issued to the City Council and Mayor two weeks after resident Nancy Siwik asked the Dearborn City Council to investigate whether Mr. Thomas was a Dearborn resident or Florida, where his wife lives and works full-time. (Click here for the earlier story.)
The investigation did uncover that nearly $12,000 in property taxes for 511 Elmwood in Dearborn, where Thomas lives, have not been paid. The amount owed is $6,855.16 for 2008 and $5,130.70 for 2009. While the Dearborn City Charter does not allow any elected or appointed person to hold office if they are in default to the city, the deed to the home where Thomas lives isn’t in his name. The only name on the deed is his wife, Jane Valentine.
Contacted Thursday evening, Thomas tells us that his wife has “scraped up some money” and the taxes will be paid either Friday or Monday. Asked why the taxes weren’t paid earlier, Thomas said like the rest of America his “retirement stocks have taken a hell of licking.”
As for the investigation into his residency, Thomas called the entire episode “the epitome of political stuff.”
“I have nothing to hide,” he tells us. “The taxes are in her (Jane’s) name. My name is not on the deed. So where are they coming from? This is nothing but a smear. The city doesn’t have a leg to stand on that issue and no leg to stand on my residency. I have been taking political hits for 21 years on council. I have been though a lot in my years. . . ”
“I have contacted my lawyer regarding whether to pursue legal action against Siwik for defamation of character, false information and trying to impact the election, which is proved by her own timing.”
Here is what the report says about his Florida home:
• “Thomas and his wife have a Principal Residence Exemption on a condominium they purchased in 2004 in Bonita Springs, Florida. The Florida homestead exemption was applied for and granted in 2008.” However, the report goes on to say that the State of Florida did recently contact Thomas and his wife informing them that “the Florida homestead exemption will be retroactively removed for tax years 2008 and 2009 because they were also receiving a homestead exemption in Michigan during the same period.” Thomas may now face penalties and interest may be assessed when the corrected Florida tax bill is issued, the report states.
In their report, City Attorney Debra Walling and City Clerk Kathleen Buda, who visited the residence of Thomas, say they did not ask questions that could be perceived to invade the privacy of Thomas or intrude upon City Council’s authority to hold a special public hearing on the matter, if the council so decided. If a hearing were to be held, the city attorney and clerk laid out the following questions in their report that “may be relevant to the determination” of residency. They include a series of questions, which Thomas answered for us, including:
• Why are the 2008 and 2009 taxes on the Dearborn house delinquent, while the taxes on both of his houses in Bonita Springs, Florida are paid? Thomas: the taxes are in my wife’s name and they are being paid.
• Why were there homestead exemptions – one in Michigan and one in Florida? Thomas: my wife was told by council members in Bonita Springs that she should homestead because she was a resident there.
• If he is a Michigan resident, why is his wife registered to vote in Bonita, Springs, Florida? Thomas: She is a resident of Florida and owns a home there.
• Does he have another vehicle or vehicles registered to him in Florida? Thomas: Yes. She has a two seat convertible and I have a Mercury Milan in my name.
• Is his attendance at Council meetings reflective of Michigan or Florida residency? Thomas: It is reflective of my Michigan residency.
• Since the house at 511 Elmwood is for sale, where does Councilman Thomas “intend to return to” in Dearborn if the house is sold? Thomas: I have many options. I can rent or move in with my daughter.
• Does Councilman Thomas have an ownership interest in the property at 511 Elmwood? Jane Valentine is the only name appears on the deed on file in the Department of Assessment. Thomas: No. Jane brought it from her father in 1995.
• Inasmuch as the house at 511 Elmwood is sparsely furnished, were most of his personal belongings and furniture moved to Florida? Thomas: I live in three rooms here. I have food and clothes here. My wife needed some furniture in Florida so some was moved there.
• If Councilman and Mrs. Thomas have established separate permanent residences, according to Florida law, they must be able to demonstrate that they are financially independent of each other. Are they able to demonstrate financial independence of each other? Thomas: Yes, we run out of three separate checkbooks. I take care of expenses here. She takes care of expenses down there.
With the election just weeks away, Thomas remains upbeat about his chances for reelection. He says he only has about six signs up for his candidacy because he says after 21 years on council people should know who he is by now.
Asked what he would do if he isn’t elected, Thomas said he would work to get term limits put on the ballot for Dearborn.
“I do want to stick around to perhaps put term limits in place,” he said. “My parting thing I could do for the city is get term limits in place for this city.”