The Detroit City Council has taken its strongest step yet in its ongoing crisis of city government, placing consideration of a resolution to remove embattled Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick upon the formal agenda for Tuesday afternoon. The council additionally voted to consider referring the matter to Governor Jennifer Granholm, who is further empowered to remove Kilpatrick.

In recent months, Kilpatrick has come under fire for a multitude of improprieties while in office. Most scrutinized have been his actions in brokering a secret, multi-million dollar whistleblower case settlement, his extramarital relationship with now-resigned Chief of Staff Christine Beatty, and his subsequent testimony.

As reported in The Detroit Free Press, if the council were to approve both measures slated for tomorrow, it “would set up a dual process designed to let both tracks proceed in case one stalls.”

As was previously reported, the council will further deliberate on a measure to formally censure the mayor. The proposed measure reads: “Mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick has failed in his obligations, has violated the trust of the citizens of Detroit, violated provisions of the Detroit City Charter, and dishonored the office which the citizens entrusted to him.”

The council, which voted 5-3 with one abstention to consider the resolutions, is divided on how to proceed. Some, like Councilwoman Monica Conyers, believe that the people of Detroit should have the final say.

“I think that the people of the city of Detroit elected this mayor and they ought to get rid of the mayor,” Conyers said. Discussing the matter’s possible referral to Gov. Granholm, she said “We shouldn’t throw it off on someone else.”

Kilpatrick, no stranger to scandal, currently remains under criminal investigation and has been charged with eight felony counts, including perjury, misconduct in office, and obstruction of justice. If convicted of felony perjury alone, Kilpatrick would face up to 15 years per count.