Dissed: Detroit City Council Refuses to hear Kwame Kilpatrick's Budget Speech

Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick worked the City Council table Monday as he prepared to present his budget, shaking the hands of the same group that has called for him to resign, even presenting birthday flowers to tiara-wearing Councilwoman Barbara-Rose Collins.

Then the council told him to get out.

President Ken Cockrel Jr. stunned the mayor and those packed into the council chamber to hear Kilpatrick's budget speech when he informed Kilpatrick the council would "not entertain your budget address at this time" and abruptly adjourned the meeting, breaking a council tradition that goes back at least 40 years. The council plans to work on the written version of the recommendation but has no plans to hear a presentation from the mayor.

The $3-billion recommendation itself contains none of the upheaval endemic to Kilpatrick's previous six budgets, which included shrinkage of the city workforce, a $300-a-year trash fee, ceding control of city institutions like the Detroit Zoo and employee concessions.

Instead, the budget essentially continues existing spending with a 4% increase in staff in the Finance Department to improve the city's troubled bookkeeping, which has cost it millions. Kilpatrick also announced that the state has released the remaining $35 million in revenue sharing it withheld because of the city's late submissions of audits. [MORE]