Warren Mayor Fouts Releases State Of City Ahead Of Schedule

WARREN (WWJ) - The mayor of Warren released a canned video recording of this year's State of the City address -- one day ahead of his scheduled live address.

Critics accused the mayor of avoiding questions and a public appearance in the wake of ugly allegations of disparaging women and disabled people in a series of secretly recorded conversations in city hall.

In the address, Mayor Jim Fouts said his city, the third-largest in Michigan by population, is the best-run in the entire state.

Fouts' hour-long message was initially scheduled for Thursday but it was released online Wednesday night. In the video, he said the message for his city was upbeat, challenging people to find a better-run city in Michigan.

Fouts says he's made strides to improve diversity at city hall.

"Since I have become Mayor," says Fouts, "we have made 10 major appointments and thus extended diversity amongst African Americans, as well as people of other backgrounds including, we've appointed more women to various positions."

He also praised first responders and efforts to improve diversity at city hall.

Fouts says that Warren has a solid economy and a fund balance of $60 million, the strongest of any city in Michigan.