The Detroit City Council has again delayed voting on a consent agreement that would stave off an emergency manager.
The Council spent most of Tuesday discussing several court challenges that could doom the agreement regardless of how they vote.
Some Council members also questioned whether they should vote at all. They think the proposed agreement is itself illegal on several grounds.
Council President Pro Tem Gary Brown wanted to move ahead with a vote.
He said any decision they make will be resolved in court anyway, and not voting risks an emergency manager.
“None of us want to see that," Brown said. "And so the only way to keep the consent agreement alive, and on the table and in front of the Governor as an option, is to vote today.”
Council member Ken Cockrel Jr.also wanted the Council to vote Tuesday.
He said a consent agreement may be distasteful, but it’s better than an emergency manager.
“An EM would be very bad for the city of Detroit," Cockrel said. "And so I’m less concerned about where the person comes from, and more concerned about seeing that it doesn’t even get to that point.”
Cockrel said despite many remaining hurdles and the state’s Thursday deadline, he still thinks a deal can be reached.
The Council is set to take up the issue yet again Wednesday evening.
The Council also voted Tuesday to raise Detroit's corporate income tax to 1.9%. That's expected to bring an extra $7-9 million a year into the cash-strapped city.
