Mayor Duggan will not fill Deputy Mayor McKinnon’s vacant position

When Detroit Deputy Mayor Ike McKinnon retires at the end of this month, Mayor Mike Duggan announced today that he will not be filling the vacant position.
“Our current management team is stable and functioning well,” Mayor Duggan said. “I don’t see a reason to bring in another high-level employee if it isn’t necessary.”
The Detroit City Charter requires only that an official by designated to exercise the powers of mayor in the event the mayor is absent from the city or temporarily disabled. Section 5-108 of the Detroit City Charter allows the mayor to designate a “director of a department of the executive branch as the deputy mayor.”
Mayor Duggan filed paperwork with the City Clerk today to designate Police Chief James Craig as the executive who would perform the duties of mayor in his absence.
“Chief Craig remains the full-time police chief. His day-to-day duties will not change, and his pay will not change. He will be entirely focused on running the Police Department,” Duggan said. “However, should an emergency arise when I am out of the city or incapacitated, Chief Craig is the person legally designated as deputy mayor who will exercise the powers and duties of the mayor during any absence.”
“My focus will remain 100 percent on managing the Police Department and reducing the level of violence in this city,” Chief Craig added. “It’s rare that Mayor Duggan is ever unavailable, but I do appreciate his confidence in designating me to act as mayor if the situation should ever arise.”