HAMTRAMCK — Recently, Governor Rick Snyder appointed Pontiac City Administrator Cathy Square to serve as the new emergency manager for the City of Hamtramck, effective July 1. 

Following the governor’s confirmation that a financial emergency exists in Hamtramck, the city council unanimously supported a resolution to seek the appointment of an emergency manager and also waived the City’s right to appeal the finding of a financial emergency.

Square has been the Pontiac city administrator and director of the City’s Human Resources and Public Works departments since 2011. Prior to that, she was an infrastructure consultant for the City of Highland Park and spent several years as a manager in Detroit’s Public Works Department.  As chief operating officer, Square was responsible for the supervision of the day-to-day operations of several departments, including Buildings and Safety Engineering, the Civic Center, the Department of Public Works, the Greater Detroit Resource Recovery Authority, Municipal Parking, Public Lighting, Recreation, Transportation and Water and Sewerage. 

Gov. Snyder’s decision was made on June 3, after reviewing a detailed report from an independent, five-member review team.