Former Emergency Financial Manager Will Speak in Wyandotte; Says Emergency Manager Law 'Is Failing'

A former emergency financial manager of Pontiac will be in Wyandotte today talking about why he believes emergency managers are not the answer for struggling municipalities and school districts

Michael Stampfler will talk about “why the EM program is failing and why it can get worse."

“He is one of the very few experts that has actually done the job,” Michael Debiak said in a press release. “(He) did it under both the Granholm and Snyder administrations, and will speak openly about it.”

Debiak, along with the entire Rotary Club of Wyandotte, is hosting the talk as the first of its Summer Barbeque Series.

“Stampfler will explain what he saw firsthand, why the damage can reach beyond the troubled cities into surrounding communities and what are the alternatives,” Debiak said.

The talk has garnered a lot of attention since it was first announced. It gained national exposure when it was written about on The Maddow Blog, belonging to liberal MSNBC host Rachel Maddow.

"I do not believe EMs can be successful," Stampfler said. "They abrogate the civic structure of the community for a period of years then return it virtually dismantled for the community to attempt to somehow make a go of it. The program provides no structure for long term recovery, and that is why most communities slide back into trouble, if they experience any relief at all–a vicious cycle. The public act is not sufficient and the state bureaucracy isn't up to a performance offering any significant success, as can be noted from the communities repeating."

The event begins with a noon lunch at , followed by Stampfler’s presentation at 12:45 p.m. It’s set to conclude by 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the door.

For more information, call Debiak at 269-217-9601.