Detroit COO Retiring After 6 Months
Health concerns have forced Detroit's chief operating officer to step down from the job he's held for six months. Bob Buckler's retirement is effective immediately, said in an interview Monday.
The 61-year-old former president and COO of Detroit Edison said he was following doctors' orders.
"My doctors have convinced me of the seriousness of my position,'' Buckler told the Associated Press.
He declined to give details of his health problems. Buckler was appointed by Mayor Dave Bing in April to handle the day-to-day operations of the struggling city, which is suffering from a dwindling population and a budget deficit estimated at $85 million.
"We've been working every single day to try and make things better,'' Buckler said. "That's why I came to work here. I believe in fixing the city right now.''
Bing spokeswoman Karen Dumas said the city is searching for Buckler's replacement.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
