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Detroit Moving Forward With Layoffs, Restructuring

DETROIT (WWJ) - Detroit Mayor Dave Bing is moving forward with his plan to help ease the city's financial crisis.

Bing already announced plans to lay off another 500 city employees and furlough hundreds more early next year.

Thursday he gave a progress report.

"The first thing that we're doing is putting a plan together. Because of all the different union contracts, it's not just a clean slate that we can say we cut it off and this is the way that we're gonna move forward," Bing said. "There's bumping opportunities within all the different unions, so it's a laborious task but we're working on it now."

Bing was also asked about whether he's feeling pressured concerning a new emergency manager law legislators are debating in Lansing.

"No, I wouldn't necessarily say that because, as we've reached the milestones that we've agreed upon, we think that we can manage the city without an emergency manager coming in," Bing said.

Tensions are high in the city as State Treasurer Andy Dillon conducts a 30-day review of Detroit's financing, weighing the need for a state-appointed manager.

Detroit is now projecting a $113 million deficit by June 30 and Dillon says the city's finances are eroding quicker than expected.

Bing said he's meeting with Dillon to make sure the state understands that the city is moving ahead with its financial restructuring.

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