Judge freezes COVID hazard pay approved by Shiawassee commissioners
Flint — A Genesee County judge has ordered a freeze on COVID-19 hazard payments to dozens of Shiawassee County employees after a lawsuit alleged the county board violated Michigan's Open Meetings Act while approving the payments.
Circuit Judge Mark Latchana said Monday he will sign an order granting a preliminary injunction pulling back the payments until the Shiawassee County Board of Commissioners meets again to reconsider the appropriation.
The board's next meeting is Aug. 12.
It is not yet clear whether Latchana's order will apply to all COVID-19 hazard payments — about $557,000 to 250 county employees — or only to those payments that were above $5,000.