State appointed financial manager could run Detroit; City Council meets without transparency

Image via Wikipedia

The city of Detroit is has received word from Michigan Governor Rick Snyder that an unelected emergency financial manager might be put in charge of the city if Mayor Dave Bing and the City Council do not improve Detroit’s financial situation.

The New York Times reports that emergency financial managers have increasing power in the state, and have been put in power to oversee smaller cities in Michigan, including Benton Harbor and Flint, as well as the Detroit Public School System.

Mayor Dave Bing is speaking with council members to try and trim the city’s budget by cutting 1,000 city jobs and restructuring union contracts, but mlive reports that these meetings are being conducted behind closed doors with no transparency.