Detroit's mayor may have less time than he expected to grapple with Detroit's fiscal crisis.
A campaign to recall Dave Bing is seeking to boot the former NBA star and businessman from office before the 2013 mayoral election.
Language for the recall petition was approved by the city clerk on Nov. 5, giving proponents until February to accrue 43,000 signatures in support, according to CBS Detroit.
If successful, the recall would cause a special election to be held in May that would cost the financially-strapped city upwards of $500,000, WXYZ reports. The winner would still need to run in the 2013 primary and general election for the mayor's seat.
According to WDIV, the petition filed by State Rep. John Olumba (D-Detroit) reads, "Mayor Bing reduced the hours that police precincts are open to the public."
Olumba first introduced the petition in October, but the Wayne County Election Commission didn't approve the original language. According to the Michigan Citizen, the original language read: "The mayor has compromised public safety in Detroit. He discriminated against residents by designating only a portion of the city with proper fire emergency response times. He closed fire stations, which has led to prolonged response times for the remaining parts of the city.”
In an earlier story on Olumba's quest to remove Bing from office, the Citizen reported the Congressman wrote a letter to MIchigan Attorney General Bill Schuette calling for an investigation of the mayor on the grounds of fraud and embezzlement; claims the administration soundly rejected.
It looks like campaign organizers are already hard at work spreading the word of the recall effort. During an emergency city council session Tuesday to discuss the financial crisis, three people used public comment as an opportunity to express support for Bing's recall. Each speech was met with applause.
But that doesn't mean 43,000 Detroiters would sign their names to see Bing gone. Where do you stand? Take the poll below and let us know.
