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Detroit's first budget under the Emergency Manager
The Free Press reports about the Detroit mayor's first budget in the Emergency Manager era "Bing's 1-billion budget focuses on preserving basic services":
Mayor Dave Bing presented a $1-billion budget to the City Council this morning, kicking off negotiations that the mayor said would be a challenge for the city already struggling to provide basic services.
“Even though we’re in the midst of a fiscal challenge of historical proportions, we must focus on the quality of life,” Bing said to council members.
Bing said he expects the city’s accumulated deficit to grow to as much as $380 million by the end of the fiscal year, which ends June 30, saying more draconian cuts to staffing would be more damaging to city services than potential savings would justify.
Among the highlights Bing presented:
• Funding levels for public safety, transportation, blight removal, public lighting and parks and recreation would be kept “as close to current levels as possible,” Bing said, although open positions on the police and fire departments will not be filled.
• The city would continue furloughs now in place -- one unpaid day off every two weeks for city workers -- for another seven months, from the end of the fiscal year to February 2014.
• User fees for licensing and the like would rise 15%-50% to help raise revenue.
“Even though we’re in the midst of a fiscal challenge of historical proportions, we must focus on the quality of life,” Bing said to council members.
Bing said he expects the city’s accumulated deficit to grow to as much as $380 million by the end of the fiscal year, which ends June 30, saying more draconian cuts to staffing would be more damaging to city services than potential savings would justify.
Among the highlights Bing presented:
• Funding levels for public safety, transportation, blight removal, public lighting and parks and recreation would be kept “as close to current levels as possible,” Bing said, although open positions on the police and fire departments will not be filled.
• The city would continue furloughs now in place -- one unpaid day off every two weeks for city workers -- for another seven months, from the end of the fiscal year to February 2014.
• User fees for licensing and the like would rise 15%-50% to help raise revenue.
