Cockrel On Budget: "I Don't Trust The Mayor's Math"

DETROIT (WWJ) - Now that Mayor Bing has removed some controversial members of his administration its back to trying to solve the city's budget woes.  WWJ Newsradio 950's Florence Walton reports reaching a budget compromise with Council is a top priority.

The personnel turnovers and whistle-blower lawsuit against Mayor Dave Bing come at a critical time for the city. Detroit is facing the threat of a state take over and the new budget year begins at the end of this month.  Councilman Ken Cockrel has called the lawsuit a distraction but he says Mayor Bing is planning to meet individually with Council members to talk about Council's additional cuts to public safety.

"When you consider in the police department, they have over nine million dollars worth of vacant positions, theoretically, the mayor could opt not to fill some of those vacant positions and absorb that two percent cut, without having to layoff a single officer, so I think it's just scare tactics, which are designed to whip the public up into a frenzy so they deluge us with letter," said Cockrel.

Detroit's new budget year begins at the end of June and Cockrel is accusing the mayor of using scare tactics to whip up public hysteria over cuts to public safety.

"I don't trust the mayor's math in some cases, particularly in the case of the police department the reality is our cuts to the budget of the police department and fire department will only impact that budget to the tune of about two percent," said Cockrel.

Detroit has a budget deficit of more than $155 million dollars.