The new Wayne County executive, Warren Evans, has kicked off his term by announcing a 5 percent cut to the salaries of all his appointees.
Evans said the move will save Wayne County taxpayers $1.2 million. He said he will also make nine fewer executive appointments than his predecessor.
Evans acknowledges those actions alone won't solve the county's serious financial troubles, but "it starts to send the message that there's got to be a shared sacrifice here."
Evans said he'll come up with a budget plan in the next 90 days to help the county achieve long-term financial stability, "not just how to balance this year or next year, but how do we work ourselves out of the mess that we find ourselves in."
Evans said the yearly structural deficit and a stalled jail project are among the big problems the county faces.
-- Virginia Gordan, Michigan Radio Newsroom
