Detroit voters hope Tues. election brings political stability to City Council, mayor’s office

Detroit seeks political stability with election

DETROIT — The look of the Detroit City Council could change drastically when voters go to the polls in the city’s fourth election in just over eight months.

Mayor Dave Bing is expected to easily win re-election in Tuesday’s nonpartisan race, but five incumbents are being challenged by 13 newcomers for the nine open seats on the council.

The nine-member board has been the subject for more than a year of a federal corruption probe that nabbed Councilwoman Monica Conyers for taking money for her vote on a waste hauling deal.

Council members have been criticized for public outbursts — such as Conyers twice referring to the council president as “Shrek,” a reference to the green cartoon ogre — and flip-flopping on critical city issues.

It voted against — then for — a state plan to turn the city’s civic center over to a regional authority. Cash-strapped Detroit is facing a $300 million deficit but had been sinking millions of dollars each year into basic maintenance at the convention center.

“I’m very optimistic that Detroit is reaching the light at the end of the tunnel,” University of Detroit-Mercy business professor David Whitty said. “You’re going to have a reform-minded City Council, for sure.”

Conyers resigned this summer and awaits a Dec. 1 sentencing for bribery. Councilwoman Martha Reeves, a former Motown recording star and lead singer of Martha and the Vandellas, failed to make it past the August primary in which she received less than 1 percent of the vote.

Two other council members decided not to seek re-election.

Of the 13 newcomers, four are former police officers, one is a popular former TV anchor, one is a pastor, and another is a convicted murderer-turned-motivational speaker.

The top vote-getter in the primary, Charles Pugh, left a position at the local Fox TV affiliate to run for the council. He has been criticized for poor money management after his condo went into foreclosure.

But Wayne State University Law School professor Robert Sedler said candidates’ abilities to manage their personal bills matter little to Detroit voters, who have seen elected officials do far worse.

“I would put that in the same category as personal things that do not interfere with one’s official duties,” Sedler said. “They’re not stealing money.”

A spokeswoman said Friday that Pugh is negotiating with his mortgage company to keep his condo, and an auction on the home has been postponed.

He’s also not the only candidate to have had money problems.

Council President Ken Cockrel Jr., the one Conyers derided as “Shrek,” finished second to Pugh in primary votes. The top vote-getter in the election assumes the council presidency.

Cockrel blasted Pugh for his financial troubles. But Cockrel owed $42,000 in fines related to late campaign finance disclosures in previous city elections.

Another council member running for re-election, Kwame Kenyatta, walked away from his Detroit house last spring after failing to reach a deal with his mortgage company.

The mayor’s office also has gone through months of turmoil.

Cockrel succeeded ex-Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who resigned in September 2008 as part of pleas in two criminal cases. Kilpatrick had been embroiled in a text-messaging sex scandal with his former chief of staff. The messages contradicted testimony he gave during a police whistle-blowers’ trial, leading to perjury, misconduct and obstruction of justice charges.

Cockrel lost to Bing in a May runoff and returned to the council, leaving Bing to complete Kilpatrick’s second term in office.

Facing Bing is accountant Tom Barrow, who lost in two previous runs for mayor and has a criminal past.

Barrow was convicted in 1994 on 11 counts of bank fraud, filing false tax returns and other charges. He was sentenced to 21 months in prison and fined. He recently appealed a U.S. District Court’s refusal to expunge the tax evasion conviction.

There are no “perfect” candidates, Barrow said.

“The important thing is that the public needs to know about a person’s experiences and make a decision fully informed,” he said. “I am a believer in looking at the whole person and determining what skill sets they bring to the job.”

Bing also has been criticized.

The founder and owner of the Bing Group steel supply companies moved into Detroit from his suburban home to run for mayor. He falsely claimed on an education video that he had a master’s degree in business administration. Bing later said the claim was meant to be interpreted in a different manner.

But as mayor, Bing has been effective. Saying Detroit is “broke,” he laid off workers and demanded a 10 percent wage cut to help address the city’s ongoing budget deficit.

“It’s important that our voters stay educated and stay engaged,” he said. “We’ve made a lot of progress. We’ve uncovered a lot of problems and brought solutions to the table.”

Also on Tuesday’s ballot: Nine charter commission members will be elected to revise the city charter, which will be presented to city voters for approval within three years.