Editing Harper Woods, Michigan (section)

===City manager controversy===
On June 14, 2021, the Harper Woods City Council voted 4–3 to not renew the contract of City Manager Joseph Rheker. The vote took place shortly after Rheker had returned from active duty with the Navy Reserve, but Mayor Valerie Kindle said that the council's decision was unrelated to his military service.<ref name="Rheker">{{cite news | url = https://www.candgnews.com/news/harper-woods-cancels-contract-with-city-manager-soon-after-his-return-from-military-service-120895| title = Harper Woods cancels contract with city manager soon after his return from military service| last = Losinski| first = Brendan| work = Advertiser Times| date = June 17, 2021}}</ref>

The council later offered the vacant city manager position to [[Monique Owens]], who was mayor of [[Eastpointe]] at the time. At the special council meeting, the council did not allow residents to comment on the city manager hiring until after the council had already made its decision. However, Owens did not meet the conditions of the offer, and the city rescinded it the following day.<ref name=MDOwens1>{{cite news | url=https://www.macombdaily.com/2021/10/02/eastpointe-mayor-will-not-become-harper-woods-city-manager/ | title= Eastpointe mayor will not become Harper Woods city manager | date = October 2, 2021 | first=Susan | last=Smiley  | newspaper = Macomb Daily}}</ref>

Owens later became embroiled in multiple scandals. In 2022, she was censured by the Eastpointe City Council,<ref name=censure2>{{cite news | url=https://www.macombdaily.com/2022/04/10/eastpointe-city-council-censures-mayor-monique-owens/ | title= Eastpointe City Council censures Mayor Monique Owens | first=Susan | last=Smiley | date=April 10, 2022 | newspaper = The Macomb Daily}}</ref> sued by residents who alleged that she violated their civil rights,<ref name="lawsuit2022=MichiganRadio">{{cite news | title = Eastpointe mayor sued for potential free speech violations  | url = https://www.michiganradio.org/criminal-justice-legal-system/2022-11-10/eastpointe-mayor-sued-for-potential-free-speech-violations | first = Emily | last = Blumberg | publisher = Michigan Radio | date = November 10, 2022  | access-date = November 11, 2022  }}</ref> and was found to have violated Eastpointe's ethics ordinance.<ref name="FinancialDisclosuresStatements">{{cite news | url = https://www.macombdaily.com/2022/12/14/eastpointe-ethics-board-verifies-complaint-against-mayor/ | title =  Eastpointe ethics board verifies complaint against mayor  | first = Susan | last = Smiley | newspaper = The Macomb Daily | date = December 14, 2022 | access-date = December 14, 2022 }}</ref>  In 2023, she pleaded no contest to making a false statement on a grant application for her business. She was also ousted as mayor in that year's primary election.<ref name="sentencingMD">{{cite news  | url = https://www.macombdaily.com/2023/11/09/eastpointe-mayor-sentenced-in-fraud-case/ | title = Eastpointe mayor sentenced in fraud case  | first = Susan | last = Smiley | date = November 9, 2023 | accessdate = November 9, 2023 | newspaper = Macomb Daily }}</ref>