Flint to pay $250K to end case with finance chief

FLINT (AP) -- Flint has agreed to a $250,000 settlement with its former finance director, who claimed he was fired for exposing the city's poor finances. MLive.com says Flint emergency manager Michael Brown approved the deal on July 19. Mike Townsend claims he was fired by Mayor Dayne Walling in 2011 because he gave records to the state showing Flint was in poor shape. A financial emergency soon was declared, and the city has been operating under a state-appointed manager. Flint says it's settling the lawsuit based on advice from its lawyers. Townsend's attorney, Tom Pabst, says city officials wanted Townsend to "spin" the numbers to state officials but "he just wouldn't do it." Published: Wed, Jul 31, 2013