LANSING — Sen. Sylvia Santana (D-Detroit) has introduced legislation to end state oversight of the city of Detroit as a condition of the 2014 “Grand Bargain,” which pulled Detroit out of bankruptcy.
“The time for the so-called ‘Grand Bargain’ has come and gone, and so too should the parameters of that law,” Sen. Santana said. “The city of Detroit is financially solvent, and it’s time we give back what is owed to the people who made sacrifices for this to happen, especially on their retirement income.”
The “Grand Bargain” legislation appropriated $195 million to the city of Detroit in return for a number of restrictions on the city — including state oversight of city finances for 20 years.
The proposed legislation is made up of Senate Bills 222-226 and would:
- Repeal the Michigan Financial Commission Review Act;
- Repeal the Michigan Settlement Administration Authority Act;
- Repeal the position of chief financial officer on Detroit’s financial commission;
- End the population threshold exclusion specific to Detroit regarding opting out of employer-provided healthcare for public employees; and,
- Modify the restrictions placed on public pensions.
“It’s time we started talking about this, and I hope these bills will be the start of a spirited, encouraging discussion on this matter,” Sen. Santana said.
The legislation was referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
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