Detroit City Council votes to remove Krystal Crittendon

By Amy Lange
Fox 2 News

DETROIT (WJBK) -- Tuesday, Mayor Dave Bing got Detroit City Council to oust Krystal Crittendon as corporation counsel.

Bing and Crittendon have sparred for months over the consent agreement with the state.

Three council members, JoAnn Watson, Brenda Jones and Kwame Kenyatta told the mayor no.

"It's clear that this leadership is out of control and maybe it is time for someone else to come in and run this ship," remarked Kenyatta, who even went as far as to say the city should go bankrupt.

"Maybe it is time for bankruptcy because clearly we're bankrupt on a moral, political and justice level even if we're not bankrupt on an economic level."

But the other six council members approved the mayor's request meaning Crittendon reverts back to her old position within the law department.  She is simply unappointed from her position as top lawyer.

"This is specifically about the mayor's ability to be able to appoint and unappoint those who work for him," said City Council President Charles Pugh.  "I believe the mayor should be able to do that."

"The mayor made the case for wanting to appoint his own corporation counsel and wanting to make that choice, that selection for himself in these difficult times," Council Member Saunteel Jenkins.

"I've been hearing rumors for awhile," Crittendon told Fox 2's Alexis Wiley by phone.  "I heard some really specific rumors this past weekend, so I thought that it might happen, but I didn't here it from either the mayor or city council.  I saw it on television like everyone else."

Does Crittendon believe she did the job she was supposed to do?

"Absolutely and if I had to do it over again I'd do the same thing."

Meanwhile, the mayor is pleased council approved contracts worth nearly $7.5 million to outside firms to continue the restructuring.  The city also wants to stop making contributions to pension plans, have employees pay 30 percent of healthcare costs and implement furloughs, as well as 400 to 500 layoffs.  But even that might not prevent an emergency manager from taking over.  The state's review team will make a recommendation to the governor on January 11.

"I personally don't believe that anybody's going to come in here and replace this team and do a better job," said Bing.