Flint city is filled with sorrow as they grieve the loss of Councilman Eric Mays, who passed away on Saturday. He was 65 years old at the time of his passing. The city made an official announcement about Mays’ demise on Saturday evening.
Eric Mays Cause of Death
Eric Mays passed away due to natural causes following an illness. According to Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley, Mays’ dedicated and brave service endeared him to the people he represented in the First Ward.
Neeley expressed that Mays’ strong presence will be deeply missed at City Hall.
The loss of Mays is a significant blow to our community, leaving both friends and family in shock. Mayor Neeley, on behalf of Mays’ family, kindly requested that community members respect their privacy and provide them with the necessary time and space to grieve.
Let us continue to keep the family in our thoughts and prayers during this challenging period.
Who Was Eric Mays?
Eric Mays, born on September 16, 1958, in Flint, Michigan, U.S., was an American auto worker and political figure. He served as a member of the Flint City Council from 2013 until his passing in 2024, representing northwest Flint as the councillor from the city’s First Ward.
Throughout his tenure, Mays gained notoriety for his controversial behavior, which led to several suspensions and instances where he was escorted out of city council meetings.
In January 2016, Mays was incarcerated for 30 days following an incident where he allegedly crashed his car in 2013 and drove it nearly three miles, eventually facing the wrong way on Interstate 475.
Although no witnesses testified to seeing Mays operate the vehicle that night, multiple police officers stated that he admitted to driving under the influence on the evening of his arrest.
Representing himself in the trial, Mays questioned jurors about their religious beliefs and attempted to delay the release of Breathalyzer test results, alleging that the case was politically motivated.
On November 26, 2017, Mays entered a plea of no contest for purportedly pawning a city-owned laptop to “Music Man Pawnshop” nine times over two years.
In response to the allegations, Mays defended his actions, stating that his financial situation forced him to resort to such measures and that he believed the laptop was safer in the pawn shop due to past incidents of trespassing at city hall.
In 2020, during a verbal altercation with City Council President Monica Galloway, Mays likened her to Adolf Hitler and performed a Nazi salute as a form of mockery.
Consequently, he was ejected from the meeting by a police officer amid protests. Councilman Maurice Davis subsequently moved to have Mays stripped of his leadership roles, a motion that was ultimately approved by the council.
