FLINT -- Flint City Council held a hearing Tuesday night to investigate why a $1.1 million federal energy grant had to be repaid to the federal government.
Several dozen residents turned up at city hall for the hearing to see city council members grill a handful of the 24 subpoenaed to testify including Flint Mayor Dayne Walling.
Members of Walling's administration were questioned about a number of things including how the grant was spent and how certain employees were paid.
At times the hearing was heated, most notably when City Attorney Peter Bade would advised witnesses not to answer questions unless in a closed meeting not open to the public.
Several residents told NBC25 they were unhappy with Bade's behavior.
"The city attorney won't allow him (Steve Montle) to answer the questions. I mean this is not a murder trial they are just doing some fact finding and I'm just taken aback by all the evasiveness," said Flint resident Robert Simpson Jr.
"I thought Mr. Bade was a little out of line tonight. I thought he didn't hold his professionalism. He became rattled with a lot of the questions," said Flint resident Allen Thompson.
Originally the council had wanted to also investigate the city's Community Development Block grant and two Neighborhood Stabilization Program grants, but Walling filed a lawsuit to postpone the hearings. A judge ruled earlier in the day that city council could only ask questions regarding the energy grant and that the hearing could only last four hours.
The hearing wrapped up before Walling could be questioned.
In the last two weeks several top officials from the city's finance and economics departments have been let go or took an early retirement because of the the misuse of grants and the city's ongoing financial issues.
The hearing is expected to continue at a later date not yet specified.
