Skubick: Snyder to declare financial emergency in Detroit

Gov. Rick Snyder is expected to declare a financial emergency in Detroit and pave the way for potential action during a news conference Friday afternoon, FOX 2 political analyst Tim Skubick reports.

Skubick says Snyder will not announce the appointment of an emergency manager during the noon announcement on the campus of Wayne St. University. Instead, he will give city officials their allowed time for due process. "This administration is very sensitive about due process, giving the city a chance to respond before he pulls that trigger," says Skubick.

Skubick says city officials will have until March 11 at 5 p.m. to request a hearing.

"At the end of the day (Snyder) will do what he needs to do but he will be methodical about it," says Skubick. "And yes, it may be a foregone conclusion in everybody's mind and all the indicators point in the direction (of an emergency manager), but until he gets to the point where the city has due process, he's not going to go there."

A state-appointed review team determined last week that Detroit is in a financial emergency, and Snyder has been mulling whether to appoint someone to confront the city's $327 million budget deficit and $14 billion long-term debt.

On Thursday, Mayor Dave Bing said "too many people think the city can come out of this by itself," and he's "more interested in working with Lansing than fighting with Lansing."

The emergency manager would be responsible for overseeing all of the city's spending. Bing and the City Council would keep their jobs, but the manager would decide all financial matters. And only the manager would have the power to authorize the city to take the bankruptcy route.

You can watch Snyder's announcement live on FOX 2 and myFOXDetroit.com beginning at noon.

- The Associated Press contributed to this report