Last night, Fox 2’s Charlie LeDuff and Wayne County Executive Bob Ficano sparred, over the embattled politician’s property tax bill on a family-owned Livonia house, in way that only happens when Bob Ficano and Charlie LeDuff get together.
At issue is the home of Ficano’s late grandparents, currently owned by his parents. The County Executive has paid the taxes on the property, and LeDuff says he lived there while going through a divorce.
Problem is, the tax rates never adjusted after the property transferred so Ficano—head of “broke ass” Wayne County, to quote LeDuff—had a substantially lower tax liability based on a 1989 assessment.
Ficano’s excuse? His parents are poor, humble immigrants who didn’t understand complex American real estate laws. Even though current deputy county executive Alan Helmcamp was their attorney. This story is exactly like a Woody Guthrie song, it is.
In fairness, Ficano didn’t blame a tornado from 1993 or 2002 for his unusually low property tax bill. At least give him credit for that. -- JW
