Tagged: walling

Tuesday is the deadline for anyone who wants to be the mayor of Flint to get their nominating petition filed with the city clerk. More than 2 dozen people have expressed an interest in being Flint’s next mayor, including the man who currently holds the office.  

Dayne Walling plans to turn in his nominating petitions before Tuesday’s deadline. He’s been mayor since a special election a few years ago.  

“I’ve been in the position for less than 2 years at this point.  A lot of the work we’ve had to do has been to clean up the old messes.”  

Not everyone is happy with the job Walling’s done as mayor. Under Walling’s watch, violent crime has soared as budget cuts forced the city to lay off police officers.

Flint faces serious budget problems. The city is struggling to absorb a nearly $20 million budget deficit. The state recently approved the city’s plan to sell $8 million in bonds to reduce its debt. The city has also laid off a hundred  workers this fiscal year.  

This evening, the city is expected to take another, though much smaller step to reduce spending.  

Flint’s Local Officers Compensation Committee meets tonight to decide whether to impose a ten percent pay cut for the mayor and city council. The cut would translate into about a ten thousand dollar cut in pay to the mayor and a few thousand dollars each for Flint’s 9 city council members.

The city of Flint has scored a partial victory in its efforts to get its city budget deficit under control.   But there is still more work to do. The city of Flint is looking at a projected $17 million budget deficit.  

City leaders had asked the state for permission to sell $20 million in bonds to stabilize Flint’s budget. But the state only approved  $8 million in bonds. The Flint City Council must still approve the $8 million bond issue. 

Flint mayor Dayne Walling says that will help get the city through the current fiscal year. Flint has already laid off dozens of city employees, including police officers. 

But Walling says Flint may need to cut $12 million in city spending next year. The mayor says a proposed change in state revenue sharing could force evcen deeper cuts next year.

“We of course need to see where the state finally comes down with state revenue sharing when they’re through with their budget process.  Of course the legislature will have its say on the governor’s proposal.”

Flint, like other Michigan cities, stands to lose millions of dollars under the governor’s proposed changes to state revenue sharing.