At yesterday’s city council meeting, several comments stood out. We heard excuses that sounded like a mix of kids that tried writing a book report without writing a book, the old guard in the movie…
The January EMS report shows an average emergency response time of 5 minutes 28 seconds. That headline number sounds reassuring. But the contract does not measure performance by average. It requires that 90% of Priority…
Public trust in local government depends on access to information, especially when that information concerns public pension plans. These plans affect taxpayers, employees, retirees, and long-term municipal obligations, yet the documents underlying them are often…
A Modern, Flexible, Fair, and Financially Responsible Proposal to Replace the Failed April 17, 2023 Plan For decades, the Troy Fire Department was one of the strongest and most professional volunteer fire systems in Michigan.…
Troy held what they called an “ADVANCE” meeting today, and somehow, in the year 2026, a city of 90,000 people had no livestream, no recording, no Facebook post, no YouTube upload, and no public materials…
Ever wonder why Troy keeps getting the same decisions no matter who sits up on the council dais? Why every “debate” ends in the exact outcome City Hall wanted… Why every vote looks pre-decided… Why…
He smiles for the cameras,He grins for the show,Cuts a ribbon at noon,While we freeze in the snow. He’s sipping his champagne,We’re choking on smoke.He cashed out our pensions,Left the rest of us broke. He…
In the town of Troy-Who-Ville, where stories run deep,City Hall spun a tale they hoped neighbors would keep.So I wrote my own version, with rhyme, truth, and art,A 16-page adventure that comes straight from the…
Attention, citizens of Troy: The City relied on a very important IRS letter, one that apparently does not exist, to justify taking away firefighter pensions. So far, this elusive document has managed to avoid: 2…
Three years ago, almost to the day, I went on the radio for the first time in my life. I wasn’t a politician.I wasn’t media-trained.I wasn’t trying to score points. I was just a firefighter…
I had several conversations this week with firefighters that stuck with me. They told me something deeply concerning: They want pensions back... But they don’t trust the City not to take them away again. Think…
With STAR EMS beginning service in Troy, residents are being asked to trust a private company with one of the most critical public services there is: what happens when you call 911 and someone’s life…
The image you see here isn't meant to be cute. It isn't meant to be cruel. And it isn't meant to be taken literally. It's satire, because sometimes satire is the only way to cut…
The VFIP committee is often described as representative, but it operates nothing like a true negotiating body. It is a small, semi-self-selected group without department-wide buy-in, using a flawed survey and a single leading question…
This Was Never About Fixing the Incentive Plan. Let's stop pretending. The so-called "update" from the TFD "Incentive Committee" does not describe progress toward restoring what firefighters lost. It describes a process designed to avoid…
For more than two years, Troy officials have repeated the same story to residents, reporters, and firefighters. The IRS made us do it.The plan was illegal.There were no other options.Firefighters were made whole. Every part…
For years, Troy officials and messaging have leaned on a scary-sounding claim: Volunteer firefighters would have to pay taxes "now" on VFIP money they haven't even received yet. If that were true as a blanket…
🚨 Troy Fire Member Feedback: A Serious Red Flag 🚨 We recently surveyed our members about how likely they are to recommend joining Troy Fire. Keep in mind, this is a survey of the people…
In my previous article, I laid out why Troy City Council's repeated claim, that "the IRS made us" eliminate the Volunteer Firefighter Incentive Program, is not supported by the record. The IRS did not ban…
For over 85 years, Troy relied on volunteer firefighters to protect our families, our businesses, and our neighborhoods. Then City Hall took a sledgehammer to the very tool that kept the volunteer system alive, the…