Pontiac unable to legally sell two cemeteries

PONTIAC (AP) -- A state-appointed emergency financial manager says two Pontiac cemeteries ravaged by time and vandals must remain city property and cannot be sold legally. Lou Schimmel tells The Oakland Press in Pontiac that legal opinions researched by Mayor Leon Jukowski and attorneys determined it is illegal to sell them. The city has struggled to maintain Oak Hill Cemetery, which has graves that date before the Civil War. Pontiac also owns Ottawa Park Cemetery. The annual city subsidy on the cemeteries is $450,000. Pontiac faces a projected $12.5 million deficit. Discussions to have a company manage the cemeteries continue. Schimmel says the city would save money by contracting the work out. Meanwhile, volunteers are helping the city restore damaged mausoleums and gravesites. Published: Wed, Oct 26, 2011