HIGHLAND PARK, MI -- A former emergency financial manager who paid himself $246,000 after allegedly agreeing to take just $1 a year will face embezzlement charges after the Michigan Supreme Court refused to hear his appeal.

Wayne County Circuit Court dismissed the charges 2011, ruling there was insufficient evidence that he didn't have the authority to sign the checks.

But the Michigan Court of Appeals

embezzlement, embezzlement by a public officer, misconduct in office, failure to safe-keep public monies and refusal to deliver monies to successor in office.

(

)

And the state Supreme Court

Blackwell's appeal of the the reinstatement, finding that it was "not persuaded that the questions presented should be reviewed by this court."

Gov. Jennifer Granholm in 2005 appointed Blackwell to help the debt-burdened city gain stability. The city is no longer under emergency financial management, though its school district remains under state control.

Former Highland Park Councilwoman Dr. June Ridley said in July she believes Blackwell deserved the pay, but went about receiving it wrongly.

"I hate like heck that it messed up his career like this," Ridley said then. "...His first mistake was when he said he would work for a dollar a year … and then when that year was up when he started writing checks for himself."

Follow Khalil AlHajal on Twitter @DetroitKhalil or on Facebook at Khalil MLive. He can be reached at kalhajal@mlive.com or 313-643-0527.