Treasurer ousted by Highland Park for not paying back $90,000 she used to buy a house

HIGHLAND PARK, Mich. (FOX 2) - Highland Park city officials posted the job of now former Treasurer Janice Taylor-Bibbs over reports that she failed to repay the city $90,000 in money used to buy herself a home.

At Tuesday's council meeting: "And whereas the Wayne County Circuit Court has ordered that the City Treasurer is ineligible to hold the position of Treasurer."

There was no answer at her house on Midland Street. In fact, neighbors say they haven’t even seen Taylor-Bibbs since last summer.

They are now processing the news that she was officially kicked out of her elected office after a Wayne County Circuit Court decision found she is behind on that massive repayment to the city.

"That’s crazy! wow. cause we’ve known her since I was a child," said a neighbor. "She worked with my grandmother. That’s crazy."

As treasurer, Taylor-Bibbs handled Highland Park’s finances.

Sources say she applied for a government loan that originated from a pool of money designed to aid in the city’s comeback from the subprime lending crisis.

Officials opened an investigation into the loan.

Highland Park was involved in reimbursing the borrowed money but has yet to get paid back by Taylor-Bibbs herself, according to city sources.

Many residents say it’s yet another hit for an already financially strapped community.

"She should go to jail. that’s ... no," said the neighbor. "You are taking money from a city that barely can sustain itself. We are trying to bring it back to what it was, and you literally bit that hand that fed you, like, wow."

FOX 2 did contact the attorney for the former treasurer and the mayor, but have not heard back.