Rick Sollars

Richard Wayne Sollars Jr., (born 1974) is an American politician who is the current Mayor of the City of Taylor, Michigan since 2014 after winning the city election against former mayor, Jeffrey Lamarand in 2013. Sollars is also the Chairman of the Downriver Utility Wastewater Authority which handles water interest for the majority of the Downriver community and surrounding cities.

Sollars has been charged by U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider with a 33-count indictment to commit bribery and wire fraud in a scheme from 2015 to 2019.

Personal life
Sollars was born in 1974. He graduated Taylor Center High School in 1992 along with his wife, Alicia. Sollars formerly worked in Romulus, Michigan in partnership with a trio in manufacturing business.

Sollars has three children: Ashton, Peyton and Carson Sollars. Carson is the eldest child Richard and Alicia.

Mayoral term
Sollars was elected mayor of Taylor in 2013 after winning the election against former mayor, Jeffrey Lamarand.

Indictment and other incidents
In 2019, after being tipped to the Federal Bureau of Investigation by Shane Anders, owner of a towing company few others after being told by Sollars that another company would handle big tows in the city even though there was a contract between Ander and the city. The FBI began a federal investigation of Sollars and the City of Taylor for corruption. The FBI raided the City Hall along with Sollars residence.

Sollars and the city's community developer, Jeffery Baum are accused of conspiring along with Shady Awad and awarded Awad's company to develop a large majority of Taylor's tax-foreclosed properties over a span of a few years in exchange for kickbacks.

It was later discovered that Sollars was receiving and accepting bribes worth more than tens of thousands of dollars and has also stolen more than $200,000 dollars from his own campaign fund for personal use. Sollars has since reimbursed $8,500 of the campaign funds. The majority of the money was used towards Sollars personal clothing, dry cleaning and records shows that he once spent $3,000 at a Von Maur on clothing alone. Sollars stated that "Well, they are suits and shoes that I wear to work as part of my clothing attire for my position" when asked by news reporters. Current Michigan law states that candidates are not allowed to benefit themselves personally from campaign funds.