Governor Rick Snyder is standing by his proposed consent agreement as an alternative to placing Detroit under the control of an emergency manager with sweeping power. Detroit officials have lambasted the proposal. But, as Michigan Public Radio’s Rick Pluta reports, the governor says time is growing short.
Governor Snyder says city officials have until March 26th to accept his offer, or come up with alternative that he can agree to. The governor’s proposal would leave the city council and Mayor Dave Bing with very limited authority. Everything they would be subject to veto by an independent board, which would also handle all the city’s finances.
The governor also says the city should not look expect a cash lifeline.
“I would not have any expectation of short-term cash assistance from the state directly as a practical matter because we need long-term solutions, we need structural solutions in place, and we need to see that there’s a path to do that,” he says.
Mayor Bing and other city leaders say they won’t agree to the governor’s plan. The governor says he’s waiting on a counter-offer.