DETROIT – So far, Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr has not stripped the Detroit City Council of pay or budget since taking the helm.
However, expect Orr to issue an order soon clarifying the Council's role. He will be spelling it out in print after lawyers finalize the details.
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City Council members such as Gary Brown want everything to be crystal clear.
"For me it's business as usual. I mean, I take the emergency manager at his word. He's going to be focused on trying to reduce our unfunded liability and working with creditors," said Brown. "He wants us to move forward with operations and policy decisions that are within our purviews."
The soon-to-be-released order from Orr almost pales in comparison to what the restructuring firm, which was hired before Orr took over, presented to the Financial Advisory Board. That firm has been hired to cut the fat and has found plenty at City Council.
The firm recommends eliminating 78 positions and suggests making City Council members part-time.
As one would imagine, that recommendation was greeted with a resounding thud. Sources do not expect any slashing and burning of staff in the short term.
However, the long term is something else entirely.