DETROIT – Detroit Mayor Dave Bing is clarifying statements he made to a newspaper about asking the state for a million-dollar loan.
In a statement Friday, Bing's office said he has not asked Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder for a loan – as reported in the Wall Street Journal.
Bing's quote in the Journal was, "If Detroit fails, or doesn't make it, or doesn't come back as soon as we would like it to, it's going to cost the state money anyway. It's you pay me now or pay me later."
But to clarify, mayoral spokeswoman Naomi Patton said, "Mayor Bing has not asked Gov. Snyder for a loan from the state for $125-$150 million. In response to a reporter's question about whether he would ask Gov. Snyder for bridge funding for the city, the Mayor simply replied, "That's possible." When the reporter later asked how much he would like to ask for, the Mayor responded with the above mentioned range."
Michigan House Appropriations Committee Chairman Chuck Moss, R- Birmingham, told Local 4 Bing's original comments are "harsh" and "unfortunate," but "that doesn't sound like Dave Bing."
Any bailout would need legislative approval and no formal request has been made by Detroit.
The city could run out of money by the end of April.
A state finance review team has been working with the Bing Administration and will make a recommendation to the governor by the end of March.
The options are a consent agreement, an emergency manager takeover or bankruptcy.
Moss also told Local 4 Detroit needs, "A complete overhaul not just a bridge loan."