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  • Gov. Rick Snyder discusses the city consent agreement with the media Monday at his office in Detroit. The Associated Press

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March 28, 2012

Snyder optimistic on Detroit

Associated Press

DETROIT — As negotiations continue on a consent agreement with the state to restructure Detroit and manage its finances, Gov. Rick Snyder said he still is waiting on a list of "action items" from the city.

The list should include plans for a lighting and regional transit authorities, and even how Detroit's largest public park - Belle Isle - can be operated by the state, the first-term Republican governor said Wednesday during a town hall meeting at Wayne County Community District in Detroit.

"What I hope they are, are very specific ideas that have timelines and deliverables," Snyder said of the action items. "We don't need more plans. We've had plans going back for 40, 50 years in Detroit. We need things to get done."

Two days after announcing his office was close to an agreement with Detroit Mayor Dave Bing and the City Council, Snyder remained optimistic Wednesday that it only was a matter of time before a deal is reached. He did appear perturbed by the time it has taken the city to get to this point.

"There isn't a lot of good reason why this couldn't have been done some time ago," said Snyder, who continued to promise support for the city without committing money to helping Detroit out of a $200 million budget deficit.

The City Council on Tuesday approved borrowing $137 million to help meet payroll, but Deputy Mayor Kirk Lewis said some type of state funding still will be needed to get the city through the current fiscal crisis.

A consent agreement would prevent the appointment by Snyder of an emergency manager to oversee Detroit.

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