Dearborn Heights Goes with Rizzo, Center of FBI Corruption Probe

(Originally posted on Oct. 26, 2016) DEARBORN HEIGHTS, MI - The Dearborn Heights City Council Tuesday to approve a contract for waste hauling with Rizzo Environmental Services despite the company’s involvement in an FBI corruption probe. The eight-year, $22.5 million contract was approved on a 4-0 vote.

The city’s current contract with Waste Management ends Oct. 31, putting pressure on council members to approve the bid.

“It was a tough decision, but it’s about the service and the cost,” Councilwoman Lisa Hicks-Clayton told the newspaper. “To not have a contract is irresponsible. That means interruption of service.”

Though federal indictments against Rizzo raise concerns about Rizzo’s integrity, she said the fact that the company had been sold to GFL Environmental Inc. makes the allegations applicable only to the previous company.

“Rizzo’s been sold at this point,” she said, “and those allegations are against Rizzo and the individuals that work for Rizzo.”

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