Both Detroit and Flint City Councils unanimously passed resolutions in support of the referendum campaign to repeal Public Act 4, “The Local Government and School District Fiscal Accountability Act.”  On Monday evening, September 12, 2011 the Flint City Council voted on a resolution to support the referendum of Michigan’s Emergency Manager Law. On Tuesday morning, September 13, 2011 the Detroit City Council adopted a similar resolution, highlighting cuts in Michigan’s revenue sharing and the expanded power by emergency managers to dilute local representation and sell public assets. Text from both resolutions can be found at michiganforward.org.  Detroit and Flint join the cities of Pontiac, Benton Harbor, Eastpointe, Ypsilanti, and Montague in opposition to PA4.  Similar resolutions have also been passed by the Justice Caucus of the Democratic Party, the Ann Arbor Education Association and the NAACP.

“Communities continue to send a strong message to Lansing and state lawmakers that Democracy matters in Michigan,” says Brandon Jessup, Chairman and CEO of Michigan Forward and Chairman of Stand Up for Democracy.  “Michigan’s Emergency Manager Law bargains on one side of the table and it’s not on the side of the residents of the state.  Flint and Detroit are two communities in financial distress; the legislation isn’t the early warning system Governor Snyder suggests, instead, it’s a system that continues the cycle of overspending at the expense of tax payers.  Having the support of Detroit and Flint is huge for our campaign.  Both local legislatures are working hard to deliver balanced budgets to curb their deficits.  Flint has done this successfully, yet they are at risk of receivership because of over spending in the executive branch.  Our referendum is our main tool to preserve the voting rights of everyday Michigan residents and their tax dollars.“ 

Councilmember JoAnn Watson from the Detroit City Council presented the resolution to the Detroit legislative body and Flint Councilmember Sheldon Neely presented the resolution to the Flint City Council for adoption.  The passage of the resolutions by local city councils is a testimony that communities across the state are united in Standing Up for Democracy and putting an end to this dictator legislation.