Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who stands 6-foot-4 and sports a sparkling diamond earring, is a big man in a big city with big problems.

Despite several nagging scandals that include $210,000 in dining and entertainment charges on his city MasterCard; a $300 million budget deficit, and the threat of laying off 612 police officers and 120 firefighters, the outspoken 34-year-old mayor says he's running for re-election in November -- and predicts he'll win.

His supporters say Kilpatrick -- whose mother is Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-MI) -- inherited deep-rooted problems such as major businesses bolting Detroit for the suburbs where crime is low and affluence his high; and the federal government's reluctance to adequately fund many of Detroit's social programs.

"He's capable of leading this city, and despite the political antics, he's more than capable of correcting our fiscal situation," Howard J. Hughey, a spokesman for Kilpatrick, told BlackAmericaWeb.com last week. "He's the guy for the job."

But critics of the mayor -- who remains the nation's youngest big-city chief executive -- say he is immature, has consistently shown poor judgement as the city's chief executive, and lacks the leadership experience to guide the city back to fiscal health.

Last week, the mayor threatened to cancel the city's annual July 4th fireworks after a contentious budget dispute with the City Council. The event attracts tens of thousands of people from Detroit and neighboring Windsor, Ontario.

But his biggest headaches have come perhaps from his own alledged spending.

The Detroit Free Press has reported that Kilpatrick charged more than $210,000 on the city's MasterCard in his first 33 months in office. Some of the charges include an $850 steakhouse dinner; $3,837 on chauffeured sedans; and $11,644 on Super Bowl hotel rooms.

The city took nearly two years to turn over documents, the Free Press reported. The records they relinquished were missing some items, and the city omitted information such as bank and credit account numbers, home addresses, private phone numbers and charges reimbursed by the mayor.

Although the mayor has offered to repay the money and insists that some of the charges are being disputed, the recent allegations have given the mayor's opponents more ammunition to cripple his bid for re-election.

"I will write a check for everything that is in dispute with our credit card company," the mayor said at a recent press conference. "Everything. Every dollar."

In an unprecedented strategy to win over voters, Kilpatrick, in a 60-second radio ad that aired last week, apologized for his past mistakes concerning the credit card charges and for another scandal about a city vehicle that was registered to his wife. The mayor's apology, according to the Free Press, may be the first in Detroit political history where a mayor has asked residents to forgive him through a series of ads.

"It's been said that I'm too immature, arrogant and yes, even a thug. There's the lie that a disgraceful party was held at the Manoogian Mansion, where my wife and children live. And then yes, there are my own mistakes -- like the infamous red Navigator and the credit card issues that have helped to fuel this image.

"Some say these issues question my ability to be a good mayor," Kilpatrick said, adding, "Detroit, I've made some mistakes, and I'm sorry if those mistakes hurt anyone. But I have never disrespected the office of mayor or Detroit's citizens.

"Despite some mistakes, I have stood strong. I've stood strong and remained focused on the oath that I took. I'm looking forward to talking to you during this campaign about the real Kwame Kilpatrick and the real Detroit."

But some say the allegations against the mayor come at a bad time for Detroit.

Kilpatrick's first two budget plans ended in deficits, and the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, is also expected to end in the red -- a potential $300-million deficit next year, which threatens to send the city into receivership.

Council President Maryann Mahaffey told the Detroit Free Press the mayor has had three years to deal with the escalating fiscal problems.

"This administration has led Detroit to the brink of financial insolvency and possible state receivership," Mahaffey said.

Only time will tell whether the mayor's apologies will translate into votes this year, but Kilpatrick's aides insist that attacks on the mayor -- like the credit card scandal -- is another example of how the media and others are trying to discredit a young, intelligent black man with a bright future.

"Some people want these scandals to distract Detroiters from what really matters," Hughey said. "This mayor has made tremendous progress the past few years, but there is still work to be done."

"He said he will pay back the money to appease the media," Hughey added."Some of the charges are being disputed, but they wanted to make a big story out of it. To alleviate any further problems, the mayor said he'll pay back the money out of his own pocket."

Hughey said that under Kilpatrick's leadership, there are 7,400 new housing units in the works and crime in Detroit has dropped to a 40-year low. The mayor plans to build 40 new parks, said Hughey, along with committing "hundreds of millions of dollars" in commercial and retail development.

"This mayor is certainly dedicated to the full revitalization of this city," Hughey said.

Ron Scott, a community activist and youth counselor who has followed Detroit politics for years, told BlackAmericaWeb.com "the benchmark for success" for any big-city mayor is whether a city is fiscally stable, and with Detroit facing a $300 million budget deficit, Kilpatrick, who has made some political "missteps," Scott said, is an easy scapegoat for critics.

"He's facing many challenges," Scott said in an interview last week. "I don't want to see him maligned. People should challenge him on policy, not personality. He's young, black, hip-hop and wears an earring. He's a convenient target."

Scott said Kilpatrick also inherited critical economic problems that he could not control.

"I'm not sure any mayor can change Detroit unless the city has economic strength," he said. "Corporations have not given as much to Detroit as they could have, and white people left Detroit for the suburbs and took their wealth with them."

Two weeks ago, Kilpatrick issued a statement announcing he had canceled family plans over the Memorial Day holiday weekend and would stay in town. The family had planned to attend the Tom Joyner Foundation annual fund-raising cruise for students of historically black colleges.

Hughey said the mayor has Detroit's best interest at heart, but insists that he constantly faces a double-standard.

"He's a young man, and the criticisms play into stereotypes with young African-American males," said Hughey. "Despite the controversies, the mayor will push on and will certainly be re-elected."