Flint mayor recall 007

Aonie Gilcreast, Flint Mayor Karen Weaver's adviser, listens in during a recall language hearing to remove Flint Mayor Karen Weaver on Wednesday, March 8, 2017 in front of the Genesee County election commission, comprised of county treasurer Deb Cherry, Judge Jennie Barkey and county clerk John Gleason. The language has been approved to launch recall efforts against Weaver. Jake May | MLive.com

(Jake May)

FLINT, MI -- Efforts have been made to put a key volunteer adviser to Flint Mayor Karen Weaver on the city's payroll since as early as January.

To date, however, those attempts have been unsuccessful.

A series of emails, letters and a professional service agreement show Weaver had plans to hire Aonie Gilcreast as her Chief Adviser with an annual salary of more than $100,000 plus benefits with funds from the state, according to documents obtained by MLive-The Flint Journal from a Freedom of Information Act request.

"The City of Flint has determined a need to bring in one additional staff person/advisor in the Mayor's office to assist the Mayor in handling various Flint water crisis issues and other City operating issues that indirectly occur in the City due to the water crisis," read a Jan. 31, 2017 letter from Flint's Interim Finance Director David Sabuda to State Senior Policy Advisor Larry Steckelberg. "This new advisor (sic) would start employment on the earliest date possible but no sooner than 2/1/2017. Funding would end one year later from date of hire. This position would work at the pleasure of the Mayor."

The Jan. 31 letter does not name Gilcreast but his name later appeared on a resolution, a professional service agreement and a series of emails between Sabuda and Interim City Attorney Angela Wheeler regarding his employment.

Gilcreast, who spearheaded Weaver's campaign, was set to receive $52.50 per hour. Documents show that Gilcreast was to receive an annual pay of $109,200 a year with an employer contribution of $10,800 annually for benefits totaling $120,000.

Weaver said in an unrelated Feb. 15, 2016, press conference at city hall that dedicated volunteers need to be paid.

"If we have people that have volunteered their time and played a vital role lets get them," Weaver said. "People who've put that kind of time in I think should get paid... We have a skeleton staff. Our staffing was disseminated as the result of (an) emergency manager and I think the state ought to be helping us rebuild capacity as well."

Other volunteers including Fast Start program Manager Michael McDaniel have been put on the payroll after volunteering to help Flint find solutions for the city's water crisis.

Weaver could not be reached for comment for this story.

Gilcreast, a former club owner who says he still owns rental property in the city, typically comes to City Council meetings with or without the mayor, sits in on committee meetings, has been part of city business including Flint's controversial trash dispute.

The Flint Journal could not reach Gilcreast for comment but in July 2016 he said he was a volunteer for the city.

"I am just a volunteer," said Gilcreast in July. "I'm no different than any other volunteer at city hall."

He declined to elaborate on his role with the city but said he is Weaver's "key" advisor but said he worked as Weaver's campaign manager and helped her win the election.

In addition to being a local businessman, Gilcreast said he has been involved in politics and worked campaigns Flint's first black elected mayor Jim Sharp, former mayor, Woodrow Stanley and Darryl Buchanan who lost the mayor's race to Walling in 2011.

Council members are questioning the use of professional service agreements saying Weaver's administration is trying to circumvent city policies to put people in positions at city hall after they were vocal about not paying Gilcreast.

"This is cronyism," said Councilwoman Kate Fields. "This is cronyism pure and simple. It's bad for the city and the taxpayers shouldn't have to pay for that. If council has anything to do with it the taxpayers will not pay for that with their state tax dollars or their city tax dollars."

Fields put in a number of referrals in 2016 asking what Gilcreast's role is with the city.

A 2016 email from City Administrator Sylvester Jones to Fields said Gilcreast was a volunteer for the city of Flint. He has volunteered as the mayor's adviser for 16 months.

"We know from talking to HR there is a (volunteer) procedure down at city hall," Fields said. "He has to be vetted. Part of vetting is criminal background check."

The professional service agreement was never signed and never made it before Flint City Council for approval.

Council President Kerry Nelson said he did not know a professional service agreement had been drafted for Gilcreast but has said he does not support paying the mayor's advisor.

In addition, Councilman Scott Kincaid says the chief advisor's post duplicates the chief of staff position held by Steve Branch.

"Mayors have always had a chief of staff," Kincaid who has served on the council for more than 30 years. "This has been an appointed staff position. Steve Branch is basically an adviser to the mayor. That's the position that mayors have all had in the past. The administration wants to do professional service contracts for everybody. They are trying to circumvent city policies to put people in positions at city hall."

Council members discussed their concerns with professional service contracts in a March 8, 2016, meeting and also addressed concerns in a February committee meeting regarding a resolution set forth by City Administrator Sylvester Jones to fill an assistant's position.

"Professional service agreements are typically used for temporary positions," said Kincaid.

Gilcreast's three-page professional service agreement outlined details including paying him bi-weekly and giving him limited benefits.

"Never in this lifetime will I ever support an atrocity such as that," said Councilman Jackie Poplar. It makes me wonder are they on drugs ... He's not qualified and she has enough staff and nothing is being done with the staff she has. You have a city administrator, you have a chief of staff and you have you. When is the triangle going to start working."