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The Detroit Journalism Cooperative is an integrated community media network providing insight on the issues facing Detroit. It features two radio stations, an online magazine, five ethnic newspapers, and a public television station-- All working together to tell the story of Detroit.The DJC includes Michigan Radio, Bridge Magazine, Detroit Public Television, WDET, and New Michigan Media. To see all the stories produced for the DJC, visit The Intersection website.Scroll below to see DJC stories from Michigan Radio and other selected stories from our partners.

Detroit officials get pay raises

State of Michigan
/
Michigan.gov

Detroit emergency manager Kevyn Orr has given the city’s leaders a pay raise.

Orr signed an order hiking city appointees and elected officials’ pay by 5% on June 30th. It went into effect July 1.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan seemed genuinely surprised to hear that news on Tuesday.

Duggan said he knew Orr was going to raise some appointees’ salaries to match raises that union employees got—though he says that’s offset by greater pension contributions, along with 10% wage cuts implemented in 2012.

“So it’s not really a 5% raise,” Duggan said. “I knew he had put out an order keeping the non-representatives equal with the union representatives, and I certainly supported that. I had not heard that elected officials were included.”

Duggan declined comment on whether it was appropriate for city leaders to get a pay hike while the city is in bankruptcy, saying he wanted to verify the order first.

Orr cited powers under the state’s emergency manager law to make the salary changes, which are usually made by a city Elected Officials Compensation Commission.

The raises are apparently covered in the city’s bankruptcy restructuring plan, which has yet to be approved by either creditors or Judge Steven Rhodes.

Sarah Cwiek joined Michigan Public in October 2009. As our Detroit reporter, she is helping us expand our coverage of the economy, politics, and culture in and around the city of Detroit.
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