Detroit 2026-2027 budget hearings: What to know

Date: March 11

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $2,000,000 

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $2,000,000 

Percentage change: 0%

Number of employees: 47 full-time, 31 part-time employees

What’s new this year:

• 1,660 records have been added to the historical archive in the last year, bringing the total to around 3,000 records. Five percent are on display at any given time, with some being loaned to outside organizations that display archives in their own exhibits for a small fee. 
• 26% increase in revenue over the last three years due in part to paid memberships which reached an all-time high this year with about 5,000 members.   
• $350,000 in grants were clawed back as federal funding priorities shifted over the last year, with some of the funding being restored through state allocations.

Things to watch:

• Revenue is a challenge as DHS currently operates with a “small” budget deficit, despite growth that Detroit Historical Society CEO Elana Rugh said narrowed the funding gap, and the museum millage it relies on for operations is stuck in limbo after a clerical error kept it from reaching the governor’s desk, even after it passed the state House and Senate. There’s still time to get a millage on the November ballot; however, the museum is planning for the worst-case scenario. If unsuccessful, DHS will need to reduce staffing, which is expected to significantly impact museum operations. Funding is still needed for capital improvements between the three city-owned facilities it operates, including improving the electricity supply and repairing the design studio inside the 175-year-old Carriage House, which is where many exhibits are built, maintained, and stored. 
• New exhibits on the horizon include a display at the Book Cadillac that will feature the history of all 43 municipalities in Wayne County; a return and expansion of the award-winning “The Hustle” exhibit about Detroit entrepreneurs; exhibits for America’s 250th and Detroit’s 325th birthday; and others that highlight Detroit as the “City of Champions.” 

Other things to note: 

• 100% of staff are trained to work with neurodiverse populations, such as individuals with autism, and the Detroit Historical Museum and Dossin Great Lakes Museum are designated Certified Autism Centers.
• 15,000 Detroit Public Schools Community District students visited the museums and their exhibits or engaged in programming last year through a partnership agreement between DPSCD and Detroit Historical Society. Transportation was cited as a barrier to after-school programming. 

For more information, check out the video of this budget hearing.

Kayleigh Lickliter, BridgeDetroit

Date: March 11 

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $2,750,000

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $2,750,000 

Percent change: 0% 

Number of employees: Not disclosed

What’s new this year: 

• The Erb Discovery Trails, expected to open this year, will engage guests in more interactive activities. 
• During the meeting, Dr. Hayley Murphy, the executive director and CEO of the Zoological Society, requested an additional $500,000 to the budget to develop a habitat for two coyotes at the Belle Isle Nature Center — the second property they oversee in addition to the zoo. She suggested the project outcomes will clarify the myths and misconceptions about human and animal interactions in one environment. In addition, $50,000 was requested for programming for older adults. 
• The Zoological Society is revising its sustainability plan, named Greenprint, to be integrated with a new conservation plan. 

Things to watch: 

• As a result of Murphy’s request to increase funding by $50,000 for older-adult programming, the motion to move the item to Executive Session passed. 
• If approved, the coyote habitat could be up and running by the end of summer or the beginning of fall. 
• The zoo’s tri-county mileage expires in 2027. The Zoological Society does not seek a millage increase, Murphy said, and is waiting for zoological authorities in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties to put a millage renewal on an election ballot. The motion made by Councilmember Scott Benson to have the Legislative Policy Division (LPD) draft a resolution calling for the mileage to be placed on the ballot for August’s primary election or November’s general election. 

Other things to note: 

• The Belle Isle Nature Center’s education programs saw more than 29,000 participants last year, director Amy Green said. The Nature Tots Program connects the nature center with Detroit neighborhoods. Many participants grow up to work in the park as interns and city workers because of more than 90 community partners. Youth also engage in after-school, STEM and summer camp programs. 
• Facilities condition assessment: Murphy suggested the Zoological Society must take a proactive approach to plan for maintenance, keeping the doors open and protecting the animals. A new work order system will help address the needs of the Detroit Zoo’s 125 acres. 
• Weather and road conditions impact attendance. Since reopening in 2022, more than 100,000 people have visited the Belle Isle Nature Center. 

For more information, check out the video of this budget hearing. 

— Gina McPherson, Detroit Documenters

Date: March 12

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $1,760,845

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $1,530,563

Percent change: 15% increase

Number of employees: 9 full-time employees

What’s new this year:

• Coolidge Bus Terminal, the new $120 million state-of-the-art service facility for DDOT operations, bus maintenance and repair, was noted as a recent accomplishment. The new facility will be capable of housing 144 buses with future expansion and 245 parking spaces for employees and visitors. 
• The Detroit Building Authority mentioned working with DTE Energy and the Michigan Department of Transportation for EV chargers. 

Things to watch:

• City service yard consolidation is a major capital project with an expected completion date of 2028, which is the relocation of the Michigan and 19th service yard to the former incinerator site on 5700 Russell St. and another service yard at 12255 Southfield Road.
• The authority is currently hiring a program manager for Phase 1 of a project using $20 million in CDBG-DR grant funds.
• Upgrades at the Skillman branch library are still in development, and the authority is collaborating with the Detroit Library Commission. Attempts to save the windows have delayed progress.

Other things to note: 

• The city has a new real estate website, buyproperty.detroitmi.gov, featuring a searchable map of city-owned properties for sale and a video tutorial on applying to purchase Detroit public property. 
• Of properties sold last year, 65% of them were sold to people with a Detroit address. 

For more information, check out the video of this budget hearing.

-Eboni Williams, Detroit Documenters

Date: March 12

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $300,000

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $300,000

Percentage change: 0%

Number of employees: Not disclosed

What’s new this year: 

• A new urban agriculture program awarded three $50,000 grants to farm cooperatives and six $15,000 grants to individual farms that are open to the public. Program offerings vary based on vendor but will run through the end of 2026.
• The farm stand program that delivered produce to 12 community markets over the last several years will transition to a mobile market through a partnership with Wayne County to offer fresh produce to all 43 municipalities in the county.
• Pilot program with four insurance companies that will provide vouchers to patients to purchase fresh produce at Saturday markets and mobile markets

Things to watch: 

• 21 privately-owned properties within Eastern Market’s footprint are currently on the market, and Eastern Market Corporation is actively engaged with owners to advocate for the sale of properties to existing tenants and/or food-related businesses 
• ECM is working with the Detroit Housing Commission to locate new community fridges in public housing properties. They currently partner with five to six existing community fridges across the city to drop off excess food from special events. 
• “Food is Medicine” program with Henry Ford Health System is expanding to include four insurance companies that will provide vouchers to patients to purchase fresh produce at Saturday markets and mobile markets

Other things to note: 

• Discussions are underway for a potential pilot program that would allow Detroit Public Schools Community District  to purchase fresh produce from Detroit’s urban farmers. 
• Eastern Market began accepting SNAP/EBT benefits at mobile just markets last year 

For more information, check out the video of this budget hearing.

Kayleigh Lickliter, BridgeDetroit

Date: March 12

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $2,600,000 

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $2,600,000 

Number of employees: 56

What’s new this year:

• Instability in state funding priorities and the unexpected removal of $4 million to $6 million from the governor’s budget led to the museum using lines of credit and its operating reserves to maintain programs that were under contract. Additionally, the museum faces challenges due to an error that kept the museum millage legislation from reaching the governor’s desk after it passed the state House and Senate. Further complicating these issues, a shift in federal grant funding priorities means the museum cannot pursue grants geared toward the Black population specifically, despite being a museum dedicated to preserving African American history. 
• The museum’s social media was credited for an increase in attendance, and the African American Museum Association has used the Wright as an example of how museums can leverage social media to reach larger audiences.  
• A new program will be unveiled in the next year that will bring art and cultural programming to neighborhood recreation centers.

Things to watch: 

• The museum was asked to host the African American Museum Association Conference in Detroit in 2028
• In partnership with the Mellon Foundation; the Wright is creating a C-suite leadership program for Black museums that will debut in January 2027.
• Legislation for a museum millage would have to be certified by the clerk by mid-May to make it on the November ballot. If that doesn’t happen, they’ll have to wait until 2028 to revisit the millage question. Museum officials are hopeful that they can raise $9 million over the next 12 months to overcome this challenge. 

Other things to note: 

• Wright members can visit other museums and attractions across the United States for free.
• One of the challenges nonprofit agencies such as the Wright encounter with philanthropy funding is that foundations typically don’t provide grant funds to improve city-owned facilities, and instead, provide funding for equipment, furniture, and other fixtures. 
• The museum schedules exhibits 2-3 years in advance. 

For more information, check out the video of this budget hearing. 

-Kayleigh Lickliter, BridgeDetroit

Date: March 12

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $0 general fund subsidy. (Land Bank CFO Reginald Scott reported the quasi-public agency’s fund balance is $64.2 million)

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $0 general fund subsidy 

Percent change: 0%

Number of employees: 56

What’s new this year:

• The Land Bank is still seeking a nonprofit developer to partner on a $15 million development on Longview Street, which would create 30 affordable housing units.
• The Land Bank currently has just 2,118 structures in its inventory, down from a high of around 40,000. Of those, just 750 are in the sales pipeline because others are either occupied, slated for demolition, or already under contract. Director Tammy Daniels expects to sell 540 structures this year. 
• Daniels said some of the authority’s biggest goals this year are increasing transparency in its inventory and providing more resources for home repair.

Things to watch:

• Will the city continue to fund the Land Bank? CFO Scott projects a $16.5 million fund balance this year. CFO Reginald Scott said it’s expected to run a $9 million deficit in FY2027, which would reduce the budget’s spendable amount to $6.7 million next year. 
• Councilmembers had questions about the effectiveness of the Nuisance Abatement Program, which uses lawsuits to seize blighted properties. Mary Waters thinks it’s illegal; Latisha Johnson said it’s a useful tool to eliminate blight. 
• Councilmembers also wanted to make sure that residents have opportunities to purchase the 57,000 vacant parcels in the Land Bank’s inventory. They continue to hear from residents who say they missed out on opportunities to buy.

Other things to note: 

• The authority plans to launch an AI chatbot in April. The Land Bank received 67,000 calls in 2025. 
• The compliance team is currently monitoring 4,700 properties. Historically the failure rate has been around 15%, and those homes are reconveyed to the Land Bank.
• Council President James Tate wanted to know what the Land Bank does to prevent speculators from buying property. His district, which includes Brightmoor, has a lot of vacant land. Land Bank staff reiterated that 50% of vacant land are side lots or neighborhood lots available only to homeowners. 

For more information, check out the video of this budget hearing.

-Aaron Mondry, Outlier Media

Date: March 13 

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $571,808

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $529,919

Percent change: 7.9% increase

Number of employees: 3 full-time employees

What’s new this year:

• The Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) is losing 1.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) in the proposed budget. Director James Ribbron reports the board won’t be able to fill a vacant position, and the loss increases the workload on remaining staff and may hinder their ability to add appeals to the docket within 30 days. Ribbron said the removed position was the BZA’s appeals specialist, a role instrumental in helping board members understand the system.
• The BZA has implemented Accela — a licenses and permits system that allows people to look up cases. There is now a computer at the BZA’s front desk for public use for these purposes. Because the computer is so new, the BZA does not yet have statistics on its use. It can be accessed at the BZA’s office in the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center: 2 Woodward Avenue, Suite 212, Detroit, MI 48226.
• The number of cases the BZA hears has dropped since 2024, when there were 93 cases. There were 42 cases in 2025 and between 30 and 35 cases so far this year. Ribbron attributes the decrease in 2025 to several cannabis and auto-related cases the year before. However, fewer cases mean the BZA’s revenue is expected to drop — from $112,000 projected in FY2026 to $53,040 in FY2027.

Things to watch:

• One large expense for BZA is the contract with a court reporting system that transcribes proceedings for $6.25 per page. City Councilmembers questioned whether that cost could be reduced. Ribbon has asked the city’s procurement department to review this contract.
• There is one vacancy on the BZA, and four other members’ terms will end this year. Ribbron reported that while absenteeism is not a problem for board members, tardiness is. Ribbron was asked to provide this kind of information to the councilmembers who appoint the BZA board members. 
• Entities who are dissatisfied with a BZA decision can appeal to the Circuit Court.

Other things to note: 

• Several councilmembers and Ribbron expressed the need to communicate well with residents to let them know about planned development and how they can have input into changes for their neighborhoods. Currently, only people within 300 feet of a development project have to be notified.
• Could they cut the number of cases handled by the BZA by informing the public of ways to challenge decisions made by Detroit’s Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department (BSEED) before coming to the BZA? The public is not making use of alternatives that exist for them.
• Is the reduction in the number of BZA cases a good thing – possibly due to developers and others complying with ordinances better? Or is it a bad thing – due to development not happening as much as we think?

For more information, check out the video of this budget hearing.  

-Marcia Hartman, Detroit Documenters

Date: March 13

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $21,900,000

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $20,700,000

Percent change: 5.8% increase

Number of employees: Not disclosed

What’s new this year: 

• PLD will create a new lighting plan over the next year that will center around community input and focus on improving lighting in neighborhoods and alleys. The last time the city’s lighting plan was updated was in 2014. 
•  “Light Up Detroit” program will roll out this year to create new mid-block lighting in Detroit’s neighborhoods. 
• The Public Lighting Department and Public Lighting Authority have been working in the last two years to replace thousands of old, rotting light poles and wires to create a uniform look throughout commercial corridors.

Things to watch:

• Discussions underway about expanding PLD’s apprenticeship program to create a pipeline of local talent in the lighting and power industry. 
• There’s an overlap between the work DTE Energy and PLD are doing on power lines, and the department hopes to find a way to coordinate.
• PLD is looking to improve visibility of the department in the next year so people know who to call when a streetlight is broken. 

Other things to note: 

• Public Lighting Authority Director Beau Taylor admitted to using ChatGPT to respond to councilmembers’ budget questions, and said he would love to integrate AI into the department’s software. 
• PLD typically fixes broken lights in need of minor repair within five days of being notified, and two weeks for larger, more complicated repairs. 
• PLD hired a new staff member to handle community relations following a resolution in last year’s budget that called for better coordination with residents. 

For more information, check out the video of this budget hearing.

-Kayleigh Lickliter, BridgeDetroit

Hearing date: March 13

Mayor’s proposed fiscal year 2027 budget: $45,389,682

Adopted fiscal year 2026 budget: $43,472,160

Percent change: 4.2% increase

Number of employees: 319.5 

What’s new this year:

• On Feb. 17, 2026, the Detroit Public Library Commission approved a contract with a firm to assess the inside and outside of all DPL locations (including, for example, flooring, HVAC, lighting, roofs) and how much it would cost to address issues. The assessment is due at the end of August or early September. The estimated cost could be $200 million to $300 million across all libraries, according to Brown.
• The Detroit Public Library reported 85 staff vacancies – partly because of branch closures – and is prioritizing customer service representatives, which are entry-level positions.

Things to watch:

• Libraries’ capital improvement assessment due later this year.
• How DPL will rally to try and get funding for branch repairs and improvements.
• Skillman, Monteith and Knapp branch re-opening.

Other things to note:

• Library reopenings:
  • Skillman branch is slated to re-open in 2027. Renovation plans include window replacement, a new roof, front entrance repairs and landscaping.
  • Monteith Branch is projected to re-open in late 2026 or early 2027, though that’s a rough estimate. The boiler, which had asbestos, was replaced. Other repairs, including flooring, are forthcoming. The library is expected to get new computers, desks and library materials.
  • Knapp branch closed in January 2026 and a re-opening date is unclear. The library’s boiler has been replaced, and DPL will install an HVAC system by the spring. Flooring must be replaced.
• The passing of Proposal L means the library’s budget is no longer being captured by the Downtown Development Authority (DDA), adding an estimated $2 million annually to the Detroit Public Library’s budget.  

For more information, check out the video of this budget hearing.  

 — Nushrat Rahman, BridgeDetroit