A reader’s reply regarding Flint:
Sounds like there are several, ah, different views on who was really responsible for the decision. But I believe, and feel free to correct, that all of the emergency managers were appointed by the governor.
According to Wikipedia:
When the Referendum petitions were approved by the Michigan State Board of Canvassers on August 8, 2012 under orders from the Michigan Supreme Court, PA 4 was suspended and the previous version, PA 72, was reinstated.[2] All current EM except for Michael Brown in Flint were reappointed as EFM by the Local Emergency Financial Assistance Loan Board. Brown was previously a Flint City employee in the past five years and was not eligible under PA 72 to be an EFM.[3] The Sugar Law Center filed to challenge PA 4 and PA 72. PA 4 was repealed by Michigan voters in the 2012 general election,[4] and the Michigan Legislature subsequently passed Public Act 436 of 2012 to replace the revived Public Act 72.[5]
Whether or not all of them were appointed through this board is unclear from that article, and I’m a little late in the evening to pursue this further. The board’s composition?
The Local Emergency Financial Assistance Loan Board (ELB) is ex officio formed board consisting of the State Treasurer of Michigan, director of licensing and regulatory affairs and the Director of Technology, Management and Budget as members or their respective designees.[27] The Board selects the emergency manager and chooses between the emergency manager’s cost cutting plan and the local unit board’s alternative plan.[5] The ELB approves all major financial decisions over $10,000 while a municipality is under emergency management, including transfers of publicly owned assets.
No doubt the governor has some influence.
