Office of the Ombudsman
City Hall - North Building Rm. 101
120 E. Fifth Street
 Flint. MI  48502  
(810) 766-7335
Fax: (810) 766-7262

Hours of Operation:
Mon.- Fri
9am - 5pm

  

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Question: Does the Ombudsman work for the Mayor?
Answer: No.

Question: Is the Ombudsman an investigative arm for the Mayor?
Answer: No.

Question: Is the Ombudsman an investigative arm of the City Council?
Answer: No. While sometimes erroneously perceived as such, the Ombudsman is independent of the Council. She is not their investigative arm any more than she is the investigative arm  of the Mayor. Furthermore, the City Council has its own investigative powers under the City Charter ( Sections 3-205, 3-206), If the Ombudsman were an investigative arm of the City Council that would conflict with the authority she has to investigate the City Council itself.
While the Ombudsman may investigate a complaint received from the City Council, just as one from any individual, she is not the investigative arm of the City Council and has no duty to conduct investigations at the City Council's request, nor does the City Council have any authority to direct her to do so.

Question: Can the Ombudsman force the city to pay for damages on a claim filed with the city?
Answer: No. However, the Ombudsman can make a recommendation based on the facts of the investigation that appropriate damages be paid if the allegations are sustained. This recommendation is not enforceable by our office and the city can ignore the recommendation.

Question: Can the Ombudsman get a traffic ticket thrown out of court? Answer: No. The complainant would generally go to the local Magistrate for a formal hearing to protest the ticket. The Ombudsman can, however, investigate the circumstances of the issuance of the ticket to determine any wrongdoing.

Copyright 2008 © City of Flint