HAMTRAMCK — On Tuesday, the Wayne County Circuit Court dismissed a lawsuit filed by Hamtramck Mayor Adam Alharbi seeking to overturn the City Council’s June 9 decision to fire former City Manager Adel Al-Adlani.

Judge Melissa A. Cox upheld the procedures that led to Al-Adlani’s dismissal after an unexpected item was added to the regular meeting agenda without a specific reason being given for terminating him. The decision sparked nearly 30 minutes of arguments and heated exchanges among officials over procedural rules and provisions of the Hamtramck City Charter governing Council meetings.

The Council ultimately voted 4-2 to dismiss Al-Adlani, only about 100 days after his appointment as Hamtramck’s city manager in early March.

Alharbi turned to the courts in mid-June to seek Al-Adlani’s reinstatement. His lawsuit argued that the Council explicitly violated the Hamtramck City Charter, Michigan’s Open Meetings Act and the state Constitution when it added an unexpected item to the regular meeting agenda to vote on terminating Al-Adlani without providing any reasons.

The lawsuit also argued that Hamtramck’s charter gives the mayor and city manager sole responsibility for setting meeting agendas and prohibits the Council from making changes or additions without their approval.

The court rejected that argument. Cox ruled that the Council acted within its authority under the charter and its internal rules, that adding the item concerning Al-Adlani’s dismissal was valid and that the subsequent 4-2 vote was also valid.

Council members have routinely added resolutions to meeting agendas for years, including at numerous meetings Alharbi presided over after filing the lawsuit. The Council’s position throughout the dispute was that preparing an agenda before a meeting does not prevent members from amending it during the meeting in accordance with the city’s procedural rules and regulations.

The court also ruled that the dismissed city manager had served under an agreement of indefinite duration that either party could terminate, making him an at-will employee. Consequently, the Council had the legal right to terminate his employment at any time without providing reasons or holding hearings. The court affirmed that he had no “property interest” in the position that would entitle him to due process protections.

The court further ruled that the Council had not violated Michigan’s Open Meetings Act.

In mid-July, the Wayne County Circuit Court had denied the mayor’s emergency request for a preliminary injunction to suspend the dismissal and temporarily reinstate Al-Adlani while the court considered a final ruling in the lawsuit.

“The court agreed with the Council that the charter does not give the mayor veto power over a Council vote,” Odey Meroueh, an attorney who represented the Council during the litigation, said. “The Council respects the mayor and his office, but the charter is clear on this issue, and the court affirmed that.”

Responding to the ruling, Alharbi maintained that the lawsuit was not personally motivated but was intended to defend the rule of law and transparency.

“This was never personal,” he said. “It was always about process, accountability and the public’s right to know.”

He added that “disregarding rules such as the Open Meetings Act and dropping decisions onto the agenda at the last minute without advance notice deprives our residents of the opportunity to understand how their tax dollars are being spent. This kind of governance by surprise leads directly to chaos inside the Council chamber.”

Alharbi emphasized his continued commitment to standards of governance and transparency despite the ruling.

“Although the court has issued its ruling in this case, the principle remains unchanged: Every aspect of city business must be conducted transparently and in an orderly manner, with full respect for the public’s right to review the agenda in advance,” he said. “That is the standard our community deserves, and it is a commitment I will continue to uphold.”

Under the latest ruling, Chief Financial Officer Syed Aamir Ahsan will continue overseeing Hamtramck’s administrative affairs under the city charter until a new city manager is hired.