By Greg Murray on May 29, Comments. One of those requirements was the creation of 11 brand new city positions. To facilitate the creation of these positions, the Detroit City Council was required to develop and approve not only the job descriptions, but was also required to set a salary range for the two executive level positions.
More about that boondoggle laterβ¦. This is where the intrigue continuesβ¦. The state is hereby prohibited from reducing the state financed proportion of the necessary costs of any existing activity or service required of units of Local Government by state law.
A new activity or service or an increase in the level of any activity or service beyond that required by existing law shall not be required by the legislature or any state agency of units of Local Government, unless a state appropriation is made and disbursed to pay the unit of Local Government for any necessary increased costs.
The provision of this section shall not apply to costs incurred pursuant to Article VI, Section Apparently, my statement struck a chord with the Detroit City Council. At the urging of Councilwoman JoAnn Watson, the Council immediately referred the issue to its law department for an opinion on my assertion that the consent agreement violated the Headlee Amendment.
Shortly thereafter, the Detroit City Council held a two-hour long closed session to discuss the potential violation of not only the Headlee Amendment, but whatever else may be a violation of state law or the newly-adopted, Detroit City charter.
