Woodhaven mayor under investigation over misconduct allegations, denies any wrongdoing
Woodhaven Mayor Patricia Odette is speaking out against allegations of misconduct.
This comes after City Administrator Jeff Harris accused Odette of misusing public funds, which the mayor denies.
In a Facebook post, Odette addresses accusations of misconduct head-on.
"I am aware that Mr. Harris has gone on the air and made allegations of misuse of funds by me as Mayor. Let me be clear: I have not misused any public funds," Odette said in the post.
Odette said she has concerns about whether public funds are being handled with full transparency. That includes potential no-bid work and relationships between vendors and individuals within the administration, a matter she remarked on during the April 7 city council meeting.
"Many things, and not in, just in your department, are not going up for a bid, not, and so we need to stop that," Odette said.
Earlier this month, Odette submitted her resignation to Harris, citing a desire to focus on her family and well-being. However, she withdrew the letter earlier this month.
During the same meeting, under the mayor's comments portion, she requested that the city council open an independent investigation.
"I am requesting this investigation to include myself in the city administrator, Jeff Harris, so that all matters can be reviewed openly, fairly, and in accordance with proper procedures. I believe that this is the most responsible course of action to ensure the truth is established in the integrity of this office and of the city council stays intact," Odette said.
The investigation was approved during a special meeting last week.
CBS News Detroit contacted Harris and council members through phone and email, and has not yet received a response. The city council is also having a meeting on Tuesday.
Odette's attorney released a statement before the city council meeting, saying the mayor denies any wrongdoing and "had nothing to hide."
The attorney said in part, "Mayor Odette had been considering retirement to spend more time with her family. She then decided to continue on as Mayor because she wanted to see through a major project that she had been working on for many years (Allen Rd. Grade Separation Project) that was finally approved by the state."
"Mr. Harris was attempting to strong-arm the Mayor to retire after she began asking him questions about certain financial records. She initially decided that she would based on her age and 17 years of service, not his threats," the attorney later added. "However, she ultimately decided that she wanted to see the Allen Rd project through and was not going to give any credence to his threats or have her integrity called into question. Thus, she withdrew her resignation."
