Detroit — Mike Duggan is officially Detroit’s 75th mayor after taking the oath of office just after 11 a.m. today in the mayor’s office on the 11th floor of the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center. Duggan was sworn in by City Clerk Janice Winfrey as his father, U.S. District Court Judge Patrick Duggan, held a Bible. Outgoing Mayor Dave Bing also stood by his side.
“My goal is to move this city back to elected leadership Oct. 1,” Duggan said. “Everything I’ll be doing with the City Council and with the elected police commission is going to be geared toward returning us to elected leadership Oct. 1.”
Duggan, Detroit’s first white mayor in 40 years vowed quick action, acknowledged the limits on his authority with the city under a state-appointed emergency manager, Kevyn Orr. But he vowed quick action to improve services for the city’s 700,000 residents, 83 percent of whom are black.
“I’ll be dealing with things like getting the buses running and the snow plowed and those kind of day-to-day things that people in Detroit deserve,” Duggan said. “At the moment, we have a division of responsibilities that I respect. I’m not going to spend any time complaining about it. I’m going to do the best job I can on the areas I’m responsible for. I’m hopeful the plan will work out.” -- The Detroit News
