Detroit neighborhoods are being relit, its vacant homes are being sold off or torn down, its public transportation is cleaner and more often on schedule, and the city has renegotiated some burdensome union contracts, The Associated Press reported yesterday. In the little more than a year since state-appointed Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr made Detroit the largest U.S. city to seek bankruptcy protection, it has experienced a wide range of improvements that will factor into Judge Steven Rhodes’s decisions during next month's bankruptcy trial. A major piece could fall into place today, with the expected release of the results of a vote by creditors, including more than 30,000 retired and current city workers, on whether to accept millions of dollars in cuts. When the city filed for bankruptcy, Detroit's debt was estimated to be $18 billion, and its revenue streams were too small to keep up with basic city services. Some of the most dramatic changes were designed to save the city money and didn't need to wait for the August bankruptcy confirmation trial.
