This morning a largely figurehead mayor will deliver a symbolic budget proposal to a City Council that is, for all practical purposes, a ceremonial body. For the next 17 months and two weeks (give or take a couple days) the real power lies with Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr.
However, because so many fail to understand the Dillon Rule's impact on municipal autonomy and because Lansing's historic hostility and/or indifference toward Detroit has helped validate this "local control" argument, we all have to pretend this budget address is a real thing. It's not. This is performance theater.
So, we'll live blog it. But we'll live blog it in a manner befitting the absurdist spectacle that this thing is--from Council's video feed. The show starts at 10:00-ish. Enjoy!
10:09 AM: The video is working. Bing is already talking. 100 unfilled post ions will be eliminated, including 20 firefighters and the deputy mayor position. There was also something about collecting outstanding taxes. Nixing phantom jobs and better tax collection, don't we hear about that every year?
10:13 AM: Bing wants to shrink Council's budget from $11M to $7M. That's a savings equivalent of two-thirds of that Belle Isle state park deal. Revenues must match expenses, Bing says. Man, if someone figured that out back in like 2005...
10:15 AM: Per a question from Ken Cockrel, Bing says Kevyn Orr had no involvement in crafting this budget but Bing is says he thinks the EM will approve. Let's hope!
10:17 AM: "The deficit is increasing at a decreasing rate," says CFO Jack Martin. The accumulated deficit will be $380M at the conclusion of the FY 2013. The deficit is increasing at a decreasing rate. I could cry.
10:29 AM: The Council cuts in the budget would leave each Councilmember with one staffer. Bing says that recommendation is based on Council staffing in cities with comparable cities. Saunteel Jenkins says the other cities cited were mostly governed by weak mayor/city manager systems and Councilmembers represent smaller districts than planned for Detroit. Andre Spivey wants to know if any other department is asked to take a 30% budget cut. Team Bing says no. Let's keep in mind, this is a conversation about a $4M cut to a budget that is $380M in the red. And that $380M number is generous because so many expenses were covered by long-term borrowing. Priorities!
10:33 AM: Boy howdy, City Council does not care for this proposed cut to their budget. They actually have a point about the shift to Council by districts will mean, once the EM moves on, Council will have a greater role in constituent services. Of course, this entire conversation is purely academic. You know, because, Kevyn Orr will make these decisions.
10:37 AM: Ken Cockrel, quoting Don Draper, points out that Detroit has basically spent a week nattering on about a cut to Council's relatively small cost instead of the overall budget problem. I'm guessing Cockrel is opposed to cutting Council's budget, but his larger point is right on. There are bigger fish to gut. That the Council's budget has so captured everyone's imagination kind of explains why the city's finances are such a hot mess.
10:41 AM: Well, that's that. The mayor has left the 13th floor and it's time for public comment!
10:42 AM: "Why not just shoot us and hang us?" The first public commenter asks. It's a good thing the conversation about the controversial decision to appoint an emergency manager to solve Detroit's budget problems hasn't devolved into meaningless hyperbolic rhetoric. Detroit love!
10:52 AM: The public comment (a transit advocate and police union official followed the "shoot us" lady) was brief. There was no Council discussion following Mayor Bing's presentation and that was that. As community theater goes, everyone played their roles well. This actually looked like a meaningful local government meeting. Now we wait for Kevyn Orr to make his move. Later.
