DETROIT, MI — Gov. Rick Snyder announced today that the process is underway to bring an emergency manager to Detroit.

The city will have 10 days to appeal the decision. A hearing would be held on March 12 if an appeal is filed. Snyder said he would then turn to an emergency loan board to choose an emergency manager.

“I have a top candidate,” he said.

He told a crowd at the Maccabbees building in Midtown that views today as a sad but hopeful day.

“At one point, (Detroit) was recognized as the most prosperous city in the United States,” he said. “We went form the top to the bottom.”

He said the decision won’t eliminate the role of elected officials in the city, acknowledging steps the mayor and city council have taken toward restructuring Detroit’s troubled finances.

“They haven’t been enough to solve the problem,” he said. “So lets work together.”

He said he expects an emergency manager to remain in place for at least a year and a half.

Follow Khalil AlHajal on Twitter @DetroitKhalil or on Facebook at Detroit Khalil. He can be reached at kalhajal@mlive.com or 313-643-0527.

