City Council to Vote on Budget Proposal

(DETROIT) -- The Detroit City Council will vote Friday morning on a budget proposal to cut about $5 million from the budget proposed last month by Mayor Dave Bing.

According to the Detroit Free Press, the city's emergency manager, Kevyn Orr, has the power to set a budget without the approval of the mayor or the council. Orr has insisted, however, that the two parties work towards a budget agreement before he passes judgement.

Bing's proposal would set the budget at $1.1 billion, making the $5 million cuts small in comparison to the city's $380 million budget deficit, says the Free Press.

Bing must accept the council's counter to his proposal, either completely or in part. The council would then have until June 3 to attempt to override any aspect of the budget that Bing vetoes.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

Detroit's Jobless Rate Dips

(LANSING, Mich.) -- Unemployment took a dive between the months of March and April in the Detroit market, according to the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget.

The department says that the unemployment rate for the Detroit-Warren-Livonia labor market went from 9.9 percent in March to 8.9 percent in April.

"Regional jobless rates decreased slightly throughout Michigan in April, although these seasonal reductions were somewhat below the typical April rate declines," Michael Williams, acting director of the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives, said in a statement. "However, the majority of local areas continued to record over-the-year jobless rate reductions."

Michigan's overall unemployment rate stood at 8.4 percent in April, down one-tenth of a percentage point from the previous month.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

Detroit Auto Dealer's License Suspended After Accused of Fraud

(DETROIT) -- A Detroit auto dealer has had its license suspended by Michigan's Secretary of State, after the business allegedly committed a number of fraudulent acts.

In having its license suspended, Monaco Motors, located at 15290 Gratiot Ave., has been banned from buying, selling, offering for sale or dealing in vehicles, a statement from the Secretary of State's office said. 

The auto dealer is accused of several fraudulent acts in the process of selling or dealing in vehicles, including allegedly fabricating insurance policy information when selling vehicles.

"If we find a dealer who is violating the law, we will take swift action to stop them from preying on Michigan consumers," Secretary of State Ruth Johnson said. "While most auto dealers are reputable business people, we will hold those who are not accountable."

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

Detroit Sees Lower Rate of Population Loss in 2012

(DETROIT) -- Of the 25 most populous cities in the United States, Detroit was the only one that saw its population decrease in 2012, but that population loss occurred at a lower rate than the year before.

According to the Detroit News, 0.7 percent of the Detroit population, just under 5,000 residents, left the city in the last year, leaving the remaining population just above 700,000. In 2011, the population fell by an estimated 7,500 residents.

Despite the population drop in the city, a number of Detroit suburbs saw growth. Shelby Township, Macomb Township and Novi each saw a population increase of more than one percent, reports the News.

Some experts believe that the population of Detroit will continue to decrease, perhaps as low as 600,000. However, the city has added nearly 10,000 jobs, which will likely be a good thing for the city's future.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

Former River Rouge School District Official Gets Prison Time

(DETROIT) -- The former Director of State and Federal programs for the River Rouge School District, Dolores Reid, has been sentenced to five years in prison for accepting bribes.

Last November Reid was found guilty by a Detroit Jury of acceptance of a bribe and mail fraud.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, evidence at trial showed that in 2010 and 2011 Reid accepted thousands of dollars in cash in exchange for dishing out preferential treatment to a company that provided tutoring services to the district.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio