Diane Bukowki at the Michigan Citizen is reporting that Detroit mayoral candidate Dave Bing is a member of a business group that is urging the sale of part of the city water system.
Unions and residents are upset with the quiet move to sell off city infrastructure, Bukowski reports, and Bing (who as a former basketball star and businessman is among the better known mayoral candidates) has not yet responded to questions about his involvement in the matter.
Bing is among a group of business leaders that is supporting a recent settlement agreement drafted by the U.S. judge charged with overseeing the financially troubled Detroit Water and Sewerage Department. The agreement recommends the sale of part of the system that serves Macomb County and the creation of a regional water authority.
While some believe that the city charter requires that any restructuring of the water department be put to a vote, according to the terms of the proposed agreement the changes would only require the signatures of Detroit’s mayor, Oakland and Macomb County officials and the Detroit City Council, Bukowski reports.
Call ‘em Out a Detroit-based community political action group that describes its mission as “stamping out samboing and selling-out of our community by elected officials,” is holding a Mayoral Candidates forum Tues. Jan. 6 at 6:30 p.m. at the Northwest Activities Center on Meyers. Discussion of plans for the city water department is expected.