Should Mayor Bing Resign?

With the recent whistle blower lawsuit that was filed on Wednesday and having the rest of his administration in shambles Mayor Bing is finding it harder to keep his name out of the spotlight when he routinely tries not to talk with the media. Mayor Bing has been in office for only a little more than two years now and has had 3 Police Chiefs, 2 Fire Commissions, has no Deputy Mayor as far as I know, and has had more turnover in his administration than any mayor in recent history.

According to a whistle-blower lawsuit Mayor Bing was having alleged plans to become the city of Detroit Emergency Financial Manager (EFM) but to also run the Detroit Public Schools. Plans to dissolve city council as well as the school board (both elected positions), so that he will have complete control over both. Couple this with his recent battles with city council over the budget people are wondering if Mayor Bing should resign as Mayor of Detroit.

How can the mayor effectively run a city when he can’t run his office or his cabinet? The Detroit Works project is in delay at this time (work was suppose to be done in May of this year) and others projects are on hold. Bing’s leadership has been questioned not only by the recent lawsuit, but also by the ordinary citizen. The threat of an Emergency Manager coming to Detroit is very real at this time, and public safety is an issue since most people do not feel safe in the city. All of this leads to the question, should Mayor Bing resign?

“Detroit Mayor Dave Bing announced this afternoon that he requested and received the resignation of Karen Dumas, his chief of communications.

"The controversy of the last few days cannot and will not be a distraction to me or this administration," Bing said.

Bing read a statement and did not take any questions.

"I also accepted the resignation of Shannon Holmes," Bing continued. "I didn't ask her to leave nor did I solicit that she leave. She's decided to pursue other career opportunities and will remain with the administration for the next two weeks to transition.” From the Detroit Free Press.

If Mayor Bing does decides to resign he will be replace by city council President Charles Pugh until a special election perhaps this August and November. President Pugh has in the past expressed his interest in the office of mayor.

Here is a list of the turn over in the Bing Administration.

Warren Evans, chief of police
James Barren, chief of police
James Mack Jr., fire commissioner
Seth Doyle, deputy fire commissioner
Robert Buckler, chief operating officer
Kirk Lewis, chief governmental and corporate affairs officer
Al Fields, group executive for utilities
Delbert Brown, director of Coleman A. Young International Airpor
Charles Beckham, group executive of operations
Sreenivas Cherukuri, director of information technology services
Sue Carnell, group executive in mayor's office
Lee Stephenson, deputy director of recreation
Warren Palmer, director of planning and development
Larry Hightower, director of Detroit Workforce Development Department
Bob Warfield, communications director
Darchelle Strickland Love, special projects
Saul Green, Deputy Mayor
Rochelle Collins, Executive Assistant