Archer says wife didn't have assistant

David Josar / The Detroit News DETROIT -- Former Mayor Dennis Archer on Friday said his wife, 36th District Court Judge Trudy Archer, did not have a personal assistant paid for with tax-dollars as former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick had done for his spouse. "There was no need for that," Archer said. Archer spoke out as Mayor Kenneth Cockrel Jr. is considering whether to hire an assistant for his wife. On Thursday, a spokeswoman for Cockrel asserted that Archer hired the assistant. Under Kilpatrick, the position was classified as "executive assistant to the mayor I," and under the city's official compensation schedule, that person can be paid $53,300 to $79,800. Andrea Carroll, a friend... [read full story]