PONTIAC, MI   (WKZO) -- Former Portage City Manager Michael Stampfler was named the city of Pontiac's emergency financial manager in 2010.  Now he says the law as its written is doomed to failure, that's if voters don’t dump it first. Stampfler says the legislation that allows the appointment of such managers needs some key changes.  He says they not only need to fix the finances in these schools and communities, but make sure they have the know how to avoid getting in trouble all over again.

He says what's in place now is good to start with, but it needs major refinement.  Specifically, he says, just balancing the books for communities isn't good enough. Opponents of the state’s Emergency Manager Law have 40-thousand more signatures than they need to qualify for the November ballot,

It will be up to the State Board of Canvassers today to make it official.  If   Canvassers approve the ballot item, then the current version of the law giving emergency managers greater powers would be suspended and an earlier version of the law would be in effect again.   The final status of the new law would be decided by voters this fall.  There are currently three school districts and four municipalities being run by Emergency Managers. 

A group trying to derail the petition drive says its authors used a smaller font in the title on the petitions than required and that should keep the measure off the ballot. The Canvassers will hear their arguments today. There are also several other petition drives seeking a spot on the November ballot that are on the Board of Canvasser’s agenda this week.