DETROIT (AP) – The day-to-day operations of Detroit’s city government are back in the hands of its elected mayor and city council.
State-appointed emergency manager Kevyn Orr on Thursday signed one of his final orders and relinquished control of the city after 18 months of state oversight.
“The city is more than ready,” Orr told reporters before signing Order 42 putting the nine-member council and Mayor Mike Duggan back in charge of Detroit’s finances, police department and other facets of city government. “This is really a good day for the city. We have a little bit more to go, but this is the right thing to do.”
Orr was appointed in March 2013 to manage Detroit’s troubled finances, and he took the city into the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. His exit becomes effective if and when federal Judge Steven Rhodes approves the city’s restructuring plan in bankruptcy court. The bankruptcy plan would wipe out $7 billion of Detroit’s $12 billion in long-term, unsecured debt while restructuring city services.
The orderly transition of responsibilities from Orr to the city reflects the continuing cooperation between Detroit and Lansing, Gov. Rick Snyder said in a statement.