Melvindale Mayor Nicole Shkira (fifth from left), vetoed two City Council resolutions from the Feb. 7 meeting, which the council overrode at its Feb. 21 meeting at the Civic Center.
By SUE SUCHYTA
Sunday Times Newspapers
MELVINDALE – The City Council overrode Mayor Nicole Shkira’s veto of its reappointments of Larry Coogan as city attorney and Richard Ortiz as city manager, 4-0, during its Feb. 21 meeting.
City Councilmembers Joe Jackson, Julie Rauser, Dawn Cartrette and Scott Frederick overrode the mayoral veto. Councilmembers Saleim Abulali and Stanley Filipowski were not in attendance.
Shkira has repeatedly expressed her dislike of longtime City Attorney Coogan for reporting her to the state for alleged election violations. She has also criticized what the city has paid Coogan for his legal services for the city.
Shkira has also said she feels Ortiz, who acts as finance director, human resources director and the city’s primary grant writer, in addition to serving as city manager, is overpaid.
Ortiz and Coogan supported the campaign of past Mayor Wheeler Marsee in the recent mayoral race, another point of contention between Shkira and the two men.
Shkira wanted to appoint Bill Colovos, former Southgate city councilmember and attorney, to the position of corporate counsel, which the City Council did not approve. Colovos continues to attend council meetings on Shkira’s behalf, and has had a court reporter transcribe select portions of the council meetings.
City Council meetings are not video recorded by the city, but the council secretary makes an audio recording of meetings.