Buchanan’s financial situation has been the subject of discussion at many city commission meetings, with both officials and residents chiming in. Recently resigned City Manager Ben Eldridge made this comment at a commission meeting in September.
"If we finish in the red next year, our 23/24 fiscal year, the state of Michigan will send somebody here to take over the city like they did in Benton Harbor twice."
Buchanan Mayor Sean Denison has called the city’s financial situation challenging. He says it needs to fix the city’s aging infrastructure, but state reductions in revenue sharing have made this difficult. But he says, the rumors of a takeover are false. The Michigan Department of Treasury confirms this. Spokesman Ron Leix says Buchanan is in good standing with the Treasury.
Michael Symonds reports for WMUK through the Report for America national service program.