al jazeera's john hendron reports. >> reporter: for the motor city first came the debt, and then came the bankruptcy, and then the bankruptcy bill. it's soaring like detroit's historic skyline. >> there's definitely a lot going. >> reporter: the city council deweyfully continues meeting. since the state of michigan took over the finances, it's a state-appointed emergency manager kevin orr who calls the shots. he's handed contracts to lawyers and bankruptcy experts worth more than $62 million and counting. only his office knows the real total. >> my question is, has it even exceeded $62 million? i don't have that answer. i should have that answer as an elected official. >> reporter: for this working class auto town facing the largest city bankruptcy in u.s. history, one thing's for sure. the price of paying the legal elite will rise. >> i was talking to a group of attorneys, and i said, oh, you know, it's going to cost tens of millions of dollars and it's going to be a very expensive process. they laughed at me, and they said it won't be tens of millions of dollars, it will be hundreds