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Adam
F L I N T O I D
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Dayne Walling takes initial steps towards saving the city?
FLINT (WJRT) - (11/11/11) - Big changes were taking shape in Flint Friday.
Late Friday afternoon, Mayor Dayne Walling announced that three employees are being relieved of their duties.
Effective at 5 p.m. Friday, the city's finance director and two employees from the Department of Community and Economic Development were let go.
Additionally, the mayor accepted the resignation of the Director of the Department of Community and Economic Development. |
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Adam
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Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:24 pm |
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J HUNTINGWORTH TUNE
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I think that this move by the State of Michigan is long past due.Our streets are no longer safe, and the number of unsolved homicides in Flint increases at an alarming rate.I hope that the EFM will demand ,of Governor Snyder,an increased MSP presence.Flint is now a ward of the State. |
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Sat Nov 12, 2011 12:26 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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| I will have more details at a later time. However a more influential group of Flint Pastors had the ear of State Treasurer Andy Dillon at a recent meeting and only two City Council were invited. |
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Sat Nov 12, 2011 7:35 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Q&A with Gov. Rick Snyder on Flint's financial emergency and likely state takeover
Published: Friday, November 11, 2011, 10:10 PM Updated: Saturday, November 12, 2011, 1:17 AM
By Khalil AlHajal | The Flint Journal
The Flint Journal)Gov. Rick Snyder answers questions at the Bavarian Hotel in Frankenmuth on Friday evening.
Gov. Rick Snyder spoke with the Flint Journal on Friday about a state takeover likely to come after a review panel declared Flint to be in a financial emergency.
Flint Journal:
Have you started vetting candidates, and what are you looking for in an emergency manager?
Snyder:
We've started that process, in terms of looking, because the report came out on Tuesday — that's when I received it and its recommendations. We're still waiting to hear from Flint, whether they'd like to have a hearing or appeal on the findings of the independent panel. But the independent financial panel found fairly dire financial results in terms of both the budget deficit and a lack of cash in the city. So a financial manager is one of the things that we need to look at, so we've started that process. And the statute actually has criteria for their background. They need to have five years qualification in business or finance. There's a number of qualifications to make sure they're well prepared for the position they would be taking.
Flint Journal:
What was the final straw that led to this financial emergency, from your perspective?
Snyder:
Well there's been difficult times for quite some time in Flint... We always try to work with communities in avoiding these situations. So we actually had people from Treasury trying to work with Flint going back to the summer time. It came down to saying 'Let's get this independent financial review done.' And their findings are really quite troublesome.
And the real question here is — let's not dwell on the problem. Let's find a solution. And let's put a solution in place where Flint can get back on its own feet and be successful. And so there are a number of priorities I want to focus on. The top priority is making sure public safety can be done better and better. That's something we already tried to help with, starting last summer, when I asked the state police to send in additional troopers to Flint, because the crime rate is too high in Flint and we want to see that continue to come down.
Flint Journal:
What would happen to the city's public safety force under an emergency manager?
Snyder:
We're going to work hard on public safety as one of the top priorities... We want to find ways where we can work with the city of Flint again in partnership, in terms of how the state can work with the city of Flint, the county and work together to improve public safety in a city that has too much crime.
Flint Journal:
Do you expect there are more communities that will fall under an emergency manager in the near future?
Snyder:
Well, we try to avoid a financial manager whenever we can, and that's really what the statue that we put in place does, is put in an early warning system. The good part is, we're only talking less than a handful right now of communities and schools with an emergency manager. There are three cities and one school district that currently have them. So it's not a high number to begin with. But we could see some additional jurisdictions that could be in trouble that we're going to work with to try to avoid the problem.
Flint Journal:
Flint went through a takeover from 2002-04. Do you have confidence this time it will work? What is different this time?
Snyder:
One of the other things that we did with the emergency financial manager law that we put in place — there's been a law on the books for emergency managers for 20 years — this was basically to say two things: Let's put in an early warning system to help communities avoid it. And secondly, if they need an emergency financial manager, how can we give them additional powers so they can do it faster and better and get out and get it back to the community. That's something that we're seeing some progress with.
For example... the village of Three Oaks had a financial manager that has left this fall. They finished that process. If you look at the city of Benton Harbor, they have a financial manager today, an emergency manager. But literally, they've had a balanced budget now. And they're working towards getting a budget surplus put in place, And that's the process of how you get out of having an emergency manager and having it turned back to the community. So by doing these things, hopefully we're going to be able to cycle through the process, get it out of trouble quicker and better so it can self sustain for the long term. So I'm confident that there's a major improvement over what was there before. |
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Sat Nov 12, 2011 7:42 am |
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Adam
F L I N T O I D
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quote:
J HUNTINGWORTH TUNE schreef:
I think that this move by the State of Michigan is long past due.Our streets are no longer safe, and the number of unsolved homicides in Flint increases at an alarming rate.I hope that the EFM will demand ,of Governor Snyder,an increased MSP presence.Flint is now a ward of the State.
So will you have these same sentiments if/when the state comes in and eliminates our entire police force like they did with Pontiac? |
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Adam
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Sat Nov 12, 2011 8:36 am |
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J HUNTINGWORTH TUNE
F L I N T O I D
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quote:
Adam schreef:
quote:
J HUNTINGWORTH TUNE schreef:
I think that this move by the State of Michigan is long past due.Our streets are no longer safe, and the number of unsolved homicides in Flint increases at an alarming rate.I hope that the EFM will demand ,of Governor Snyder,an increased MSP presence.Flint is now a ward of the State.
So will you have these same sentiments if/when the state comes in and eliminates our entire police force like they did with Pontiac?
Yes. |
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Sat Nov 12, 2011 9:54 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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quote:
J HUNTINGWORTH TUNE schreef:
quote:
Adam schreef:
quote:
J HUNTINGWORTH TUNE schreef:
I think that this move by the State of Michigan is long past due.Our streets are no longer safe, and the number of unsolved homicides in Flint increases at an alarming rate.I hope that the EFM will demand ,of Governor Snyder,an increased MSP presence.Flint is now a ward of the State.
So will you have these same sentiments if/when the state comes in and eliminates our entire police force like they did with Pontiac?
Yes.
Flint Journal:
What would happen to the city's public safety force under an emergency manager?
Snyder:
We're going to work hard on public safety as one of the top priorities... We want to find ways where we can work with the city of Flint again in partnership, in terms of how the state can work with the city of Flint, the county and work together to improve public safety in a city that has too much crime.
I believe the state recognizes the danger in ignoring the Flint crime. They have been supportive and the state helicopters really created a presence during the Halloween weekend and beyond. I think we can expect assistance.
Andy Dillon is not afraid to come in and address the crime issues with our pastors. I feel optimistic. |
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Sat Nov 12, 2011 12:25 pm |
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Adam
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So the state just hates Pontiac/didn't feel like working with them? Aren't police and fire a big percentage of the budget? I'd rather have our mayor and council make the tough cuts than have the state do it for us.
Wouldn't it save money if the state got rid of Flint police and 911? I'd rather have our leaders do it than the state. |
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Adam
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Sat Nov 12, 2011 12:52 pm |
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Adam
F L I N T O I D
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Sat Nov 12, 2011 12:56 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Adam- Don't you remember the posts from union leaders such as Bossman and Raul Garcia? Walling never cooperated with them. They were always distressed because they brought cost saving proposals only to have them rejected and meetings canceled without warning. had some of those measures been adopted Flint would have seen some relief.
Coiuncil is forbidden to interfere in the administration and the running of the departments. They control to a great extent the budget and the legislative process. However, much of this council seemed complacent and willing to just let Walling do what he wanted. They never would have let Williamson get away with some of this financial mess. Kincaid and Freeman know the budget so well, they had to see irregularities and yet they kept quiet for the most part. Only they know the reasons they kept quiet.
I know you read the Review Boards determination letter. They emphasized there should be no consent order because neither the Mayor nor the Council displayed the desire to fix the financial mess. You cannot count on this administration or Council to do what is right. |
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Sat Nov 12, 2011 3:26 pm |
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theboyzmom
F L I N T O I D
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| The big problem with the City/ Unions is the pension plan. Every new officer you hire cost you money forever - and big money at that with a huge unknown attached to it. Since the pension fund is already dangerously underfunded, we should not add to that problem by hiring more City officers - let the county sheriff or the state police take over - keep the pension liability off the City. |
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Sun Nov 13, 2011 7:43 am |
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Adam
F L I N T O I D
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Have you ever heard the Walling side of the story?
Isn't council authorized to give a rubber stamp to extreme measures like cutting the police department? Isn't it always politically beneficial four our mayors and council to try and avoid cutting police and fire which are a main part of the budget to avoid any political repercussions?
It's clear we can not count on the council and/or mayor to do what is necessary but we can at least make an attempt to try and get them to do it even if it a long shot. I'd rather our mayor and council cut the police force than to have the EFM do it.
I think we do have like a 1000 retirees getting pensions. A bankruptcy could possibly solve our pension problem but I doubt the city or EFM will take us through bankruptcy to ease our pension strain. I wonder if we could at least eliminate the "13th check"? I'd rather have 12 big checks a year than a mere pittance of any checks after bankruptcy.
I guess no police department did work out ok for Pontiac so I think we will soon be seeing the last of the City of Flint police force. |
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Sun Nov 13, 2011 9:46 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Even before the Stanley administration the City was using early retirements as a short term fix for their budgets. They often gave five free years towards retirement or other inentives so the higher paid employees would retire and lower the payroll going forward.
The problem is they knew the long term effect probably would not hit their administaration and they either did not care or did not comprehend the long term results. The pension fund was over 90% funded and it's decline is recent. The city stopped paying in the required amounts because they could not afford the expense. I believe these obligations are contractual as the retirees relied on the representations made when they decided to retire. Also the lawsuit initiated by the widows who lost their health insurance claims the City Council passed a resolution in the 70's to guarentee their continued health care.
Bankruptcy would not eliminate the pension problem and only incur long financially exhaustive court battles.
Cathy Shafran News Bureau did have a student reporter who claimed the new system has improved police response. But Flint is not Pontiac and the situations are not quite the same.
Read todays Detroit paper. They headlines has two stories that parallel Flint's plight. |
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Sun Nov 13, 2011 1:08 pm |
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Dave Starr
F L I N T O I D
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| Improved police response???? A few weeks ago we hd 2 groups shooting at each other in the middle of the street. Six hours later, we were number 51 on the response list. A few days late, one group shot at & hit, slightly, a gut on the next street. I had to flag down a cruiser leaving that scene to show him where the shooters stood & where the empty AK-47 & 12 gauge casings were. When I called 911 to tell them where the casings were, I was told they'd add it to the file. |
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I used to care, but I take a pill for that now.
Pushing buttons sure can be fun.
When a lion wants to go somewhere, he doesn’t worry about how many hyenas are in the way.
Paddle faster, I hear banjos. |
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Sun Nov 13, 2011 1:39 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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| Improved police response in Pontiac and not Flint. Sorry for the confusion david! |
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Sun Nov 13, 2011 5:39 pm |
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