Closed-door meetings held to fix Wayne County financial emergency

DETROIT – Wayne County Executive Warren Evans asked for the determination and Gov. Rick Snyder agrees: The county has a financial emergency.

Wayne County is facing a $150 million budget shortfall. Evans is asking for a consent agreement with the state and is likely to get it. Already he's been negotiating with county unions for concessions and is making headway.

Underfunded pensions are a big problem, so is declining tax revenue. Evans is interested in selling the Guardian Building, where county offices are housed. Dan Gilbert has expressed an interest in the building and possibly bundling a deal that includes the failed Wayne County jail site, which has been languishing, unfinished for months.

Sources tell Local 4 the governor has met behind closed doors with the leadership of the Michigan legislature to talk a possible legislative fix, such as funds to help finish the jail project. A source close to the talks says everything is in play and nothing is even close to being final.

After the legislature backfilled Detroit's bankruptcy with hundreds of millions of dollars, the likelihood for money for Wayne County is not high.

"When it comes to spending, whether for roads or Wayne County, this legislature doesn't want to open the purse strings," said political strategist Dennis Darnoi.

He's right. So far there has been no action on coming up with the hundreds of millions of dollars needed to start fixing our potholed roads and crumbling infrastructure even though the legislature worked through the summer. It still hasn't come up with a solution, something Darnoi called months ago.

"There isn't the will to negotiate, there isn't the will to find compromise and there sure as heck isn't the will to raise taxes," he said.


About the Author: