Flint Emergency Manager Restores Limited Powers, Pay To Council, Mayor

Flint Emergency Manager Michael Brown has decided to restore limited responsibilities and salaries to the city's mayor and city council, the Flint Journal reports. Brown stripped the elected officials pay and suspended city council meetings after being appointed on Dec. 1.

According to Michigan Radio, Mayor Dayne Walling will now receive 60 percent of his former pay and full benefits coverage. Earlier this week, Brown also restored Walling's authority to participate in economic development, master planning, intergovernmental affairs and community engagement, and will allow the mayor to serve on an advisory board.

"Manager Brown has followed through on his commitment to make this a collaborative process that involves elected leadership and engages residents," said Walling in a written statement.

Flint City Council members will now receive about half their previous pay with no benefits, Michigan Radio reports.

"We've been meeting and we've been talking about the role and the responsibilities of the city council and talking about having a forum for the city council to be able to continue to play a role in government," City Council President Scott Kincaid told the Flint Journal. "So I'm pleased that he's looking at us playing a role."

In a written directive issued Tuesday, Brown announced that city council would be allowed one scheduled meeting per month for hearing public comment, conducting public hearings and addressing other matters to be decided by the emergency manager, the Flint Journal reports. Brown will also allow council members to attend public meetings in their respective wards, Michigan Radio reports.

Under Michigan's Public Act 4, signed into law earlier this year, Gov. Rick Snyder can send specially-appointed emergency managers to financially struggling cities or school districts and take over the powers of locally elected officials. Flint is one of four Michigan cities and school districts to have an emergency manager in place.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/21/flint-emergency-manager-restores-power-pay_n_1163038.html

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