The Associated Press
DETROIT— Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is set to announce a plan that would prevent the deep cuts currently expected in the police and fire departments.
Kilpatrick’s staffers said he’ll announce a cost-cutting plan Aug. 26 that will result in the elimination of far fewer than the 800 police and fire jobs that have been projected, The Detroit News reported Wednesday.
“We want to dispel the notion that the cuts will be as dramatic,” Deputy Mayor Anthony Adams told the Detroit Free Press.
Kilpatrick must cut about $70 million from the departments as the city faces a $300 million budget shortfall and a takeover of its finances by the state.
The City Council called for budget cuts to begin July 1. City Auditor General Joe Harris said delaying police and fire layoffs is costing the city about $5 million a month.