By ZEINAB NAJM
Sunday Times Newspapers
TAYLOR — Mayor Rick Sollars announced he is continuing his re-election for mayor through a write-in campaign in the November general election.
In a Facebook video posted Sept. 10, Sollars outlined some of the successes he has had since becoming mayor in 2013.
“Our team worked tirelessly to bring the city back to a position that we could be proud of,” he said. “Our roads are improving, our public safety is improving, our finances are improving and it’s through those efforts that I decided this year to run again for re-election to continue to make things good in Taylor.”
During the primary election, Sollars received 1,578 write-in votes which was not enough to automatically place him on the Nov. 2 ballot.
State Rep. Alex Garza (D-12th District) and Council Chairman Tim Woolley were the top two vote getters with 2,793 and 1,738, respectively. Jeff Jones finished in third with 1,713 votes and write-in Christie Clancy received 7 votes.
Write-in candidates can appear on the Nov. 2 ballot by filing a write-in declaration of intent.
“I had to run as a write-in candidate this year, unfortunately, and after some deep soul searching and conversations with many of you — friends and family — I decided that it’s my intentions to continue as a write-in candidate in this general election this November,” Sollars said. “So, I humbly ask for your support. Please continue to write-in Rick.”
In May, Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Timothy Kenny ruled in favor of City Clerk Cynthia Bower that Sollars was ineligible to appear on the city’s primary election ballot. The reasoning behind the ruling is due to Sollars’ owing $2,500 in late fees, according to the Wayne County Clerk’s Campaign Finance System.
Bower decided that Sollars was ineligible to be on the ballot because of failing to file at least seven campaign finance reports under the Michigan Campaign Finance Act. The fees owed to the Wayne County Clerk are from 2019 and 2020; the unfiled finance reports are from 2018 to 2020.
Sollars signed a required affidavit April 15 stating that all required reports had been filed and any filing fees or fines had been paid. He submitted late campaign statements and paid $4,000 in late fees April 23, after the April 20 candidate filing deadline.
The decision by Bower was made April 23 after she reviewed a legal challenge filed by attorney Andrew Paterson on the behalf City Council candidate Martin Drouillard.
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at zeinabnajm92@gmail.com.)