MichiganRadio

Detroit Chooses New Mayor, Council DETROIT, MI (Michigan Radio) - Detroit voters are choosing the city's Mayor and a new City Council today.

Tuesday is the fourth time Detroiters will vote for Mayor just this year, following former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's resignation last year. Incumbent Dave Bing is expected to win handily, though challenger Tom Barrow has gained ground in recent weeks.

There will also be at least four new faces--and possibly more--on Detroit's nine-member City Council. Incumbents are facing a tougher challenge this year, at least in part because the current Council has been plagued by scandals, including the resignation of former Councilwoman Monica Conyers. She pleaded guilty to bribery this summer.

Detroiters will also vote on ballot initiatives to elect a majority of Council members by district, and whether to approve a 500-million dollar infrastructure bond for the Detroit Public Schools. The bond money comes from Federal stimulus dollars. It has faced some opposition because it would extend re-payment on a 1994 bond issue, which recent investigations have shown were marred by fraud.
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