After a night where local media was abuzz with speculation of upcoming deals (and almost stealing Sarah Palin's thunder), it was announced today that Detroit Mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick, has decided to accept the plea agreement offered to him regarding ongoing perjury and other charges. The self-described “hip hop” mayor will resign effective September 18. In addition to pleading guilty to two felony charges: obstruction of justice regarding the manipulation of evidence in the whistleblower lawsuit, and with assault of a court officer, he has been stripped of his law license, is ordered to pay $1 million in restitution, will spend four months in jail, and will be on probation for five years. Six other pending charges will be dropped. As a result, Governor Jennifer Granholm has adjourned the removal hearing that began on September 3.

Am I glad that the man has finally resigned? Hell, yes. I’ve been advocating just that for months. Southeastern Michigan has been paralyzed as an unwilling hostage to this travesty since last fall when the text message scandal was first made public. A wiser man with grace, good sense, true ethics and a commitment to his city would have bowed out much sooner. Instead, we the city, state and country have been subjected to revelation after scandalous revelation. As a business and property owner in the City of Detroit, I – along with others in the community - have been holding my breath for months waiting for the other shoe (or axe) to fall. While some in the city still supported Kilpatrick, a growing number of residents began to express dismay over this continuing embarrassment.

Still, I’m not exactly giddy over Kwame’s fall from power. In actuality, the entire situation is a crying shame. It didn’t have to happen. Here was a charismatic and charming man who so many of its residents entrusted with the hopes and dreams for a better Detroit. Kilpatrick showed a tremendous amount of promise from the start, but instead of making dreams come true for the many, he decided to capitalize on his standing and abused the position that he was given.

From the alleged wild parties complete with strippers, extramarital affairs, misuse of public funds, aggressive bullying and flagrant disregard of the law, we have witnessed a once budding leader poised on the cusp of greatness sink into a morass of illegal and self-destructive behavior. Kilpatrick has emerged from the other side not much more than a common criminal. He wrongly thought his authority could deflect felony charges, and wrongly played the race card with audacity when the going got tough. He appeared to be surrounded by a contingent of “yes” men who encouraged his “gangsta” conduct instead of reining their "boy" in.

It was only after local news reporters began an investigation of the mayor did story after unbelievable story of corruption in the city came to the forefront. Many of the cases involved Kilpatrick’s relatives and friends, and the web of impropriety extended even into the media.

City Council President Ken Cockrel Jr. will fill the position of acting mayor for the time being. Let’s hope he has the interests of the city, and not of himself, firmly in sight, so that the city can heal this gaping wound and press forward.