People laughed when Mayor Mike Duggan first predicted that Detroit could emerge from active state oversight this spring. On Monday, it happened.<\/b>
\nFor the first time in years, Detroit is in charge of its own budget. A Michigan commission assigned to oversee the city\u2019s financial decisions voted on Monday to end its day-to-day control.
The vote was a nod to Detroit\u2019s improved fiscal shape and a string of balanced annual budgets following its slide into bankruptcy five years ago. Other signs of the renewal that has been taking place for several years can be found on the streets, which we visited last week.
We asked Mayor Mike Duggan, who was first elected in 2013 in the middle of the city\u2019s financial crisis, what this moment means. The interview has been edited and condensed.
Why does an end to active state oversight matter?
For as long as I can remember, you had various city agencies under judicial or federal or state oversight or receivership. This is the first time in my memory that the city of Detroit and all its agencies have had full self determination.
During the bankruptcy, how quickly did state officials think Detroit would be back to handling its finances on its own?
I said I expected us to be out of state oversight by the spring of 2018 \u2014 and everybody laughed. It just seemed, given where Detroit was at the time, kind of a long-shot.
Is Detroit ready?
We are. If you were with me in community meetings, you\u2019d see where people come and say: \u2018You need to reopen more recreation centers.\u2019 And I say, \u2018Look, this city ended up in financial crisis because its elected officials didn\u2019t have the courage to say to you that with the revenue we have, we can\u2019t afford to do that. I\u2019m not going to allow us to get to the point where anybody from the outside ever takes over again. So I\u2019m just going to tell you truth: We can\u2019t afford to do that right now.\u2019 And inevitably there a huge round of applause from the crowd. People in this city just want to be told the truth.
As revenues grow, Detroit is bringing basic services like street sweeping back. How\u2019s that going?
The first time, we put up signs saying \u2018Please remove your cars for the street sweeper,\u2019 and people thought it was a joke. They didn\u2019t move their cars. The second and third time, people said, \u2018Oh my God, they\u2019re really sweeping streets.\u2019 It may seem like a small thing to you but for people in this city who are thinking, \u2018I\u2019m getting tired of living here, maybe I\u2019ll move out,\u2019 that street sweeper coming down the street says the quality of life is really being restored.
So, does this mean everything is great in Detroit now?
Each year we have moved the needle in a positive direction and you can just see it. We have a six month wait list now to get an apartment in Midtown. But we\u2019ve got a long way to go. Other cities have had a big advantage on us. We\u2019re up for it.
If you could magically one thing about the city right now, what would it be?
The violence. That\u2019s a huge part of our focus \u2014 to keep driving down the rate of violence.
When Detroit filed for bankruptcy, lots of experts said it was a risky move that would forever tarnish the city\u2019s image and financial standing. But does Detroit\u2019s experience make an argument in favor of struggling cities going bankrupt?
The bankruptcy certainly gave us a restructured balance sheet that gave us money to deliver more services. But it was a traumatic experience for the people who lived here. I wouldn\u2019t recommend it to anybody.<\/p>\n

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