By Rick Pluta, Michigan Public Radio Network
LANSING, MI – Governor Rick Snyder says he expects state intervention will be necessary in the coming year to help fix the finances of struggling local governments and school districts. The governor says he hopes to avoid in most cases the extreme step of naming an emergency manager.
The new emergency manager law was one of the most controversial acts of the governor's first year on the job. The law is being challenged in court, and is the target of a referendum drive to put a question on the November ballot.
There are currently five jurisdictions being run by emergency managers and at least two more - including the city of Detroit -- are under review. But the governor says there are many more cities and school districts struggling with their finances.
"And so I think you'll see that applied in a number of cases, hopefully not a large number of cases," Snyder says.
The governor says he won't rule out naming more emergency managers where local governments cannot get their budgets in order. The governor says he also expects at least one city - Benton Harbor - will soon emerge from state receivership.