Wayne Co. Commissioners OK Consent Agreement at Special Meeting

Wayne County avoids a financial emergency for now after commissioners approved a consent agreement with the state Thursday, according to a Detroit News report.

»Via the Detroit News

The commission passed the measure during a special meeting called earlier this week. The agreement was approved 14-1, with Commissioner Jewel Ware (D-Detroit) voting against it, the report stated. Wayne County Executive Warren Evans and State Treasurer Nick Khouri still need to OK the agreement before it goes into effect, the report added.

The consent agreement allows the county to deal with its $52 million structural deficit without being appointed an emergency manager going into mediation or filing Chapter 9 bankruptcy, the report stated. The county’s financial woes arose from a $100 million decrease in yearly property tax revenue for the past seven years, as well as county pension system that’s underfunded by more than $900 million, the report added.

»RELATED: Wayne Co. Commissioners to Decide on Consent Agreement

Here’s what the consent agreement will do for the county once it’s implemented, according to the report:

• keep Evans and the commissioners in their current roles
• Evans also will have additional powers when it comes to negotiating with unions that ultimately lets him lower county employee wages and make pension cuts in an effort to eliminate the structural deficit
• the county must give the state financial status reports