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Detroit Council: There's still time for budget deal

Some council members say Mayor Bing, a former NBA star, is not "playing ball" the way he needs to in budget negotiations with the city council. Councilman Kwame Kenyatta, center, brought a basketball to the press conference.
Sarah Hulett
/
MIchigan Radio
Some council members say Mayor Bing, a former NBA star, is not "playing ball" the way he needs to in budget negotiations with the city council. Councilman Kwame Kenyatta, center, brought a basketball to the press conference.

The budget stalemate between Detroit’s mayor and city council continues. But council members say they’re hopeful Mayor Dave Bing will reopen negotiations after pledging to end them.

City Council President Charles Pugh says there are still nearly two days left before the start of the new fiscal year:

"We feel like there is valuable time we should be using to come up with a number we would be willing to accept. $30 million was too much, but we feel like there is a number less than $30 million that we can agree to."

The two sides have been at odds over how much money to cut from next year’s budget. The council approved $50 million in cuts on top of what Bing proposed.

The mayor presented a plan to restore $30 million. But the council rejected that proposal earlier this week.

Mayor Bing has said police and fire layoffs, parks closures, and bus route cuts would result if the council's plan stands.

Sarah Hulett is Michigan Public's Director of Amplify & Longform, helping reporters to do their best work.
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