After a grueling primary election and a relatively easy win earlier this month, former State Sen. Deb Cherry has taken office as the county treasurer.
She told a small group of well-wishers -- including her brother. Lt. Gov. John Cherry -- that as the new head of the Land Bank, she wants to help rebuild the community.
"What I want to do is slow down tax foreclosures as much as we can," she said.
Cherry went right to work as the newest member of the Genesee County Election Commission. But she admits the Land Bank will take most of her time.
"Vacant land, see if we can work with the neighborhood associations about what they'd like that land to be used for," she said. "And the land we can sell we ought to sell."
The deputy treasurer has been running the department since Dan Kildee resigned to take a job in Washington.
"Clean up of the lots surrounding the Flint area. That seemed to be the hottest topic," said Jill McKenzie.
The Land Bank has been a lightning rod for criticism by some who feel it can't maintain the thousands of properties it owns.
A land bank official estimates it now owns more than 6,700 properties in the county. Most of them -- more than 5,500 of them -- are in Flint.
Some have criticized the agency, calling it the area's largest slumlord. But a community activist in Carriage Town gives it high marks.
"I think they have a public relations nightmare on their hands for one thing," said Tim Monahan.
"Only one side of their story is getting told and that's what they aren't doing. But if you look around the corner here at 618 University the Land Bank is doing a restoration on a house.
"What they are doing is beautiful work."
"My top priority is to look at tax foreclosures," Cherry said. "I'd like to try to find other ways to help those people as opposed to losing their homes."
Federal funds are being used to bring some of the houses back to life, but many others are simply too far gone and may have to be demolished.
"Between demolition and rehab we could go through $250 million in the city of Flint," said Doug Weiland.
One person can't do it all.
"I can't promise to solve everything but I'll do my best," Cherry said.
But many are counting on Cherry to get control over an organization that has grown much larger than perhaps anyone could have imagined.
"I think they are way overwhelmed," Monahan said.
