Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and Attorney
General Bill Schuette believe that the suspension of PA 4 restores the previous
emergency financial manager statute, PA 72 of 1990. Operating under this interpretation,
the Local Emergency Financial Assistance Loan Board acted in-turn this week to
reappoint those serving in emergency manager capacities under the new (former)
law.
Emergency financial managers (EFM) were
appointed to Benton Harbor, Ecorse, Flint and Pontiac. Only the EFM for Flint
is a new face as Joseph Harris (Benton Harbor), Joyce Parker (Ecorse) and Louis
Schimmel (Pontiac) were simply reappointed under the change in statute. The new
EFM for Flint is Ed Kurtz who had served in the same capacity from 2002 – 2004.
Michael Brown, who was serving under PA 4, cannot serve under PA 72 as he was
once deputy mayor of Flint, prohibited under the prior law.
The three individuals serving as emergency
managers for school districts under PA 4 were also reappointed under PA 72 –
Detroit (Roy Roberts), Highland Park (Joyce Parker) and Muskegon Heights
(Donald Weatherspoon).