Pugh gives latest on Detroit's financial crisis

DETROIT (WXYZ) - Detroit still has time to keep an emergency manager from taking over the city's finances, but they need to act quickly.

One of the biggest sticking points getting a deal put in place between the city and union leaders to cut expenses - a long-term plan to avoid a cash crisis depends on concessions.

But eight of the nine members of the financial review team believe that Detroit can come up with a plan to avoid an emergency manager.

Members of the City Council spoke to 7 Action News about their plans to keep the city in city hands.

“Gary Brown and I met with Mayor Bing yesterday and told him that we want to be at the first meeting the mayor has with the review team so the mayor agrees,” says City Council President Charles Pugh. “I'm not afraid of Andy Dillon saying get it done before February because, honestly,  when the mayor came to the table the other day to talk to Council, he said, look, if we don't have the concessions we need, there will be additional lay-off, which is what Council has been pushing the mayor to say from the beginning.”

State treasure Andy Dillon who is on the financial review team, says if deal can be struck by early next month, it could preempt the work being done by the review team.