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. 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 

Date: March 16

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $174,419,599

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $172,488,760

Percent change: 1.1% increase

Number of employees: 1,311

What’s new this year: 

• Community risk reduction initiative will create a plan for each city council district that focuses on fire safety and education and other types of district-specific risks and needs.
• DFD’s first paramedic class graduated last year and the second class is ongoing. 
• Detroit is the largest HEARTSafe designated municipality in the country and DFD has a goal of making one school HEARTSafe every month until it has reached all Detroit schools, which will ensure teachers, coaches, and other school staff know CPR and how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).
  

Things to watch: 

• DFD has selected a contractor for the Nurse Navigation program, which will come before the city council in the near future. 
• DFD plans to expand the Code Blue program, which supports displaced Detroiters who are experiencing a housing emergency. 
• Senior building support will be offered through the mayor’s Office of Senior Affairs and will provide safety training and other resources to every senior building in the city. 

Other things to note: 

• DFD launched a self-reinspection program for businesses that have complied with previous fire inspections. Rather than conducting annual inspections for businesses that have a history of compliance, they are able to self-certify.
• DFD’s revenue from EMS runs is around $22.7 million, which is expected to increase 5-10% as more firefighters become licensed paramedics. 
• Council members expressed concern about the city’s ability to support firefighters and their families when they receive a cancer diagnosis that is believed to be associated with the toxins they’re exposed to while on the job, and were interested in ways to increase support and resources. DFD said two firefighters recently passed away due to cancer and two are currently receiving treatment. 

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

-Kayleigh Lickliter, BridgeDetroit

Date: March 16
FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $35,735,745

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $31,611,175

Percent change: 13% increase

Number of employees: 100

What’s new this year: 

•  A new “rapid response team” to address repairs and investigate improvements with city facilities that provide after school programming for youth. 
• Decrease in staff — from 146 in last year’s adopted budget to 100 in Mayor Sheffield’s proposed budget — as the city’s large demolition effort begins winding down. C&DD is working with the Human Resources Department to find other opportunities for impacted employees. 
• Decrease in demolitions — from 1,797 in FY 2025 to 675 in FY 2026 and 220 budgeted this fiscal year. Of those, 133 are emergency demolitions. 

Things to watch: 

• Chandler Park Fieldhouse was supposed to be open year-round but has been closed due to challenges with the amount of air and heat the dome’s mechanical units can push out simultaneously during cold weather, which is a common issue for inflated domes, C&DD Director Tim Palazzolo said. The dome, according to Palazzolo, is an “architectural wonder” that the department is “constantly learning more research everyday.” 
• Council member Mary Waters asked about an apprenticeship program, which she said she added $1 million in last year’s budget for. Director Palazzolo said he never heard about it. 
• Around 400 properties have been tested for  potentially contaminated backfill dirt at demolition sites and most of the properties that still need to be tested are privately-owned. The next step is replacing any dirt where testing reveals contamination. Who will be responsible for the cost of cleaning up the soil is still to be determined. 

Other things to note: 

• $10 million is proposed for improvements to facilities and assets with a focus on recreation centers and fire houses. 
• Clear boards, similar to plywood commonly used to board up windows/doors, will be used to secure blighted commercial properties. The clear boards were used to secure residential properties using Proposal N bond funding, which couldn’t be used for commercial properties.  
• Facilities maintenance team completes more than 6,300 assigned tasks per year, an average of about 17 tasks per day. 

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

-Kayleigh Lickliter, BridgeDetroit

Date: March 11

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $300,000

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $300,000

Percent change: 0%

Number of employees: 6

What’s new this year:

• Planned expansion of docking for cruise ships and charter boats. Port Authority will request federal funds and fundraise from shipping companies and developers to expand its docking capacity.
• The authority received a state grant to accelerate its decarbonization efforts. It has installed 10 air monitors and is working to track and warn the public about high-emission days at the port. It recently installed solar panels on its headquarters. See below for more on its transition to hydrogen power.

Things to watch:

• Port Authority received a planning grant to create plans and specifications to convert two types of boats and a piece of equipment to operate on hydrogen fuel cells. Both engines on the Detroit Princess dinner cruise boat would be converted, eliminating the smell of diesel at dockside.
• The authority aims to raise money for a Mobility Innovation Terminal, “a hub for low-carbon intermodal solutions.” It’s raised $2.5 million from the state and is hoping for $3 million combined from the city and county. Total budget is $25 million, including $19 million in federal dollars. The terminal would serve as a lab for the University of Michigan school of Naval Architecture.
• The authority hopes to attract shipbuilding business to the downriver area, and is “engaging with potential investors who are interested in reenergizing shipbuilding in the Great Lakes.”

Other things to note:

• The Port Authority’s total budget is $2.04 million. Beyond the city’s contribution, the authority receives revenue from the county, state, dock fees and grants.
• 69 cruise ships brought 20,634 passengers into Detroit last year.
• The three-day Tall Ships Festival drew 15,000 visitors last year. The event was logistically complex; the authority envisions holding it again in five years.

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

-Koby Levin, Outlier Media

Date: March 11 

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $11,308,032 

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $11,168,287 

Percent change: 1.2% increase

Number of employees: 90 

What’s new this year: Following Mayor Mary Sheffield’s Rise Higher Detroit platform, Municipal Parking Department Director Keith Hutchings floated these key initiatives: 

• Expanding the use and capability of the Park Detroit app 
• Expanding the residential parking program 
• Offering awards and discount programs for small businesses 

Things to watch: 

• This year’s proposed budget increase is primarily for salary and benefits reflecting new union contract rate increases and will be partly offset by a reduction in professional vendor contracts. 
• The department’s fleet of enforcement vehicles are all electric (EV) and “a huge feather in the city’s cap,” Councilmember Scott Benson said. The department would like to ultimately be fully EV; “the savings are exponential,” Hutchings said, and the existing EV fleet is more efficient. 
• The department will launch a text-to-pay feature in the next one to two months, which will help mitigate broken meters, bad Wi-Fi connections, and other confusion and issues around payments. “We’re going to make it so it’s absolutely impossible not to have a way to pay,” Hutchings said. 

Other things to note: 

• Hutchings cautioned against comparing Detroit’s parking issues to nearby cities like Ferndale and Birmingham, which have less car traffic and smaller populations. He said both cities follow Detroit’s lead in parking initiatives and solutions. 
• The department wants to add a “multimodal” feature to the ParkDetroit app. Users would see more parking options where they can take the Detroit People Mover, QLine, Lyft or Uber to the destination. “The biggest benefit for that is around events,” Hutchings said. The feature would later include the Detroit Department of Transportation, MoGo, Detroit Airport Express, D2A2, Michigan Flyer and Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority. 
• Parkdetroit.us is the main portal for parking issues and info, including paying meters, contesting tickets, joining the residential parking program, getting resident discounts and learning about new initiatives. 

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

— Noah Levinson, Detroit Documenters 

Date: March 13

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $4,268,256

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $1,572,674

Percent change: 171.4% increase

Number of employees: 38

What’s new this year:

• Brittni Brown is the newly appointed director of Media Services.

• The department is conducting a strategic review of the operations to improve internal processes, clarify workflows and identify opportunities to streamline work across city departments.

• Closed captioning will be planned for Channel 10 immediately. 

Things to watch:

• City vendor ENCO will be expanding closed captioning capabilities within the next two weeks for the city’s news Channel 10. 

• City of Detroit YouTube channel and website also will be revamped to incorporate approaches to keep residents engaged and informed.

• Mayor Mary Sheffield’s Rise Higher Detroit transition initiative aims to ensure residents receive clear, timely information about city programs, services and resources. 

• The Media Services Department will continue to work with city officials to record and publish meetings and public announcements to ensure Channel 10 is a clear and consistent platform that keeps Detroiters informed.

Other things to note:

• Reason for the large budget increase: The cable department with 19 FTEs, previously separate, will be consolidated under Media Services.

• Media Services public requests: The Media Services Department fulfills an average of 2,000 multimedia requests per year — most of which are graphic design requests to support the city’s administration and City Council communications.

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

-Shaheda Jenkins, Detroit Documenters

Date: March 18

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $2.4 million

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $1.9 million

Percent change: 26% increase

Number of employees: 19

What’s new this year: 

• DAH will be upgrading its website to provide more and better information about the hearings process, as well as have all forms and documents required by property owners. 
• The department launched a text messaging service in December to notify property owners of unpaid judgments. It also contracts with a law firm to help with collections.  
• Other goals: Host community blight court and enable livestreaming of hearings. 

Things to watch: 

• The collection rate for judgments has increased to 30%. Two years ago it was 16%. Director Julianne Pastula credits improved outreach, enabling more people to attend hearings. 
• Pastula said that DAH would like to have an “amnesty day” — similar to one held by the 36th District Court — to waive late fees and penalties. 
• DAH issues blight clearance certifications, which confirms that a property owner has no outstanding blight tickets. It issued more than 2,500 last year at a 64% approval rate. This is the first year DAH reported this number to City Council. 

Other things to note: 

• The department has been more aggressive in issuing liens and garnishment filings when property owners don’t pay their fines. 
• Councilmember Santiago-Romero asked if tickets can ever be waived. She said she hears from constituents who get a ticket — sometimes repeatedly — and can’t afford the fine. Pastula said DAH cannot waive tickets, and encouraged residents to resolve correction orders before they become tickets. 
• DAH is one of the few departments with higher revenues than expenditures. Last year it took in $6.7 million compared to its $1.9 million budget.

For more information, check out the video of this budget hearing. [Editors: Hyperlink “check out the video” to the video]. 

— Aaron Mondry, Outlier Media

Date: March 16  

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $7,450,000

FY 2026 Adopted budget:  $7,450,000

Percent change:  No change

Number of employees: 80 FTE including Transit Police

What’s new this year: 

• 16 refurbished railcars purchased from Toronto, Ontario, will be retrofitted to replace the existing Detroit People Mover (DPM) fleet.
• The system enhancement study initiated in the fall of 2025 will continue to identify ways to increase mobility and quality of life for Downtown Detroit.
• The department will use marketing efforts and strategies to increase ridership and generate revenue.  

Things to watch:

• DTC has begun a $1 million Community Benefits Agreement for infrastructure improvements at the Water Square station to be completed by spring 2027.
• DTC will be using new technologies to maintain and service the tracks with minimal disruption to businesses, residents and riders.

Other things to note: 

• DPM ridership increased by 248,325 riders, or about 23%, for a total ridership of 1,323,589 in 2025.
• The DPM will be celebrating its 40th anniversary next year. 
• Part of the 40th anniversary events will be the renaming of the Financial District station in honor of former Mayor Coleman A. Young.

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

—  Damien Benson, Detroit Documenter

Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the total ridership for the Detroit People Mover in 2025.

Date: March 16  

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $238,142,092

 FY 2026 Adopted budget: $209,155,060

Percent change: 13.9% increase

Number of employees: 1,224

What’s new this year:

• Youth and seniors: DDOT plans to launch a year-round free bus program for K-12 students and work with the mayor’s education liaison to reduce absenteeism and increase access to youth activities and extracurricular programs, according to DDOT Executive Director Robert Cramer. Meanwhile, the “Accessibili-D 2.0” program, originally a self-driving shuttle for seniors and people for disabilities, aims to expand to include veterans and survivors of gun violence, new parts of the city and become a permanent DDOT service for residents. This year’s budget includes $1 million to get it up and running, Cramer said, and then DDOT plans to rely on a Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) grant.
• Bus shelters and seats: DDOT plans to install 100 shelters and 175 benches and is in the process of replacing cloth bus seats with plastic ones. DDOT aims to replace seats on 68 buses by July.  
• Rider experience: DDOT has funding to do en route enhanced bus cleaning and surface cleaning at transit centers to improve the clean and safe experience. A pilot version of this touch-up program is expected to be implemented March through April and then system-wide in fiscal year 2027. DDOT is revamping “real-time information” for the public and is working with a partner that the People Mover and SMART used to track detours and rider alerts, Cramer said.

Things to watch: 

• Bus availability: From July to this point in the year, bus availability fluctuated, Cramer said, citing “technical capacity, capabilities and skillset of the workforce,” forcing DDOT to rely on vendors, instead of leaning on technicians in house.
  •  Four all-electric buses are expected to be on the road in May. Drivers and mechanics must be trained.
  • Cramer said DDOT has resolved issues with 45 New Flyer Clean-Diesel buses, about 50% of which were not working on a daily basis. Thirty-five of those buses are now available.

• Coolidge Terminal Project: This $165 million project, roughly 15 years in the making, is nearing its April opening. Riders won’t interact with this terminal, but mechanics and drivers will, Cramer said.
• Citywide access to EV charging: Three new public fast chargers and 11 level-2 chargers are available. Another 21 fast chargers are planned for 2026 and beyond. District 3 Council Member Scott Benson raised concerns about the reliability of chargers at recreation centers. Ryan Michael, deputy chief of business innovation and emerging industries for the mayor and acting chief of the Office of Mobility Innovation (OMI), said the city works with partners, including the Construction and Demolition Department, to ensure that chargers are fixed and parts are ordered to restore service.

Other things to note:

• New union contracts increase pay for transportation equipment operators (TEO) and maintenance staff. Driver numbers have gone up after new contracts were approved in November 2025.
• The safe system initiative includes an incentive program to earn $500 every quarter for zero preventable crashes.
• DDOT’s Ride Free for Three program soft-launched last year and is for Detroit-based businesses to offer new employees free monthly passes. Since it launched, DDOT provided more than 100 passes and is looking to continue the program into fiscal year 2027.

For more information, check out the video of this budget hearing. [Editors: Hyperlink “check out the video” to the video]. 

— Nushrat Rahman, BridgeDetroit 

Date: March 18 

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $7,763,615

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $8,216,258

Percent change: 5.5% decrease 

Number of employees: 42 

What’s new this year: 

• A $400,000 reduction in the disability affairs office. 
• The Detroit Business Opportunity Program certifies businesses that wish to procure contracts with the city, and has certified over 300 Detroit-based businesses to date.
• New CRIO Director Jade E. Mathis is looking to address how to improve areas of language access services.

Things to watch: 

• Introducing a mental health component in the Disability Affairs division.
• Plan to hire a position in the Cannabis Affairs division. 
• How they will be able to use AI to improve service delivery. 

Other things to note: 

• CRIO includes nine divisions: Civil Rights Department, Disability Affairs, Policy, Communications and Engagement, Data, Cannabis Affairs, Incentives and Compliance, Detroit Business Opportunity Program and Veterans Affairs. 
• The Disability Affairs division would like to introduce braille in materials and expand to have two in-house sign language interpreters. 
• Total taxes on cannabis are currently 51%, which may lead residents to purchase it on the black market.
• One public commenter urged the city to reallocate the $400,000 back to the disability affairs. 

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

— Eboni Williams, Detroit Documenters 

Date: March 13

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $248,133,209 for water; $452,304,234 for sewerage

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $265,262,400 for water; $532,222,800 for sewerage

Percent change: 6.5% decrease for water; 15% decrease for sewerage

Number of employees: 650

What’s new this year:

• DWSD is launching an alley sewer repair program with $184 million in federal block grant funding. The program will reconnect more than 10,000 private sewer connections to the city’s mainline that have shifted or collapsed. Director Gary Brown says this will reduce basement backups and alley cave-ins and reduce the amount of debris in the sewer system. There are no income requirements, and the money will be divided evenly among the seven districts. Brown estimates one-third of all homes in the city have a problem with their lateral sewer lines. He said the department is first focusing on homes that are completely unconnected to the city’s main sewer line.
• DWSD is proposing a 3.5% rate increase for water, sewerage and drainage fees. Brown said that translates to $0.96 per Mcf, or 7,480 gallons.
• DWSD plans to clean 8,000 of the city’s 90,000 catch basins to reduce flooding and replace 3,500 lead service lines. 

Things to watch:

• Councilmember Gabriela Santiago-Romero and Brown talked about educating the public on how to clean basins to prevent flooding — as well as what to do with the material they take out. Let’s see if they let the public know what to do!
• DWSD sues commercial clients that are behind on water bills. Right now, there are 25 pending cases. The lawsuit comes with a threat of shut-off.
• DWSD hired 15 new positions on the operational side. Brown said they were “critical to improving DWSD’s service level and backlog reduction.”

Other things to note:

• Councilmembers asked Brown about notifying residents of issues with water service. His response: “You think I have the email address for every customer?” Gary Brown asked rhetorically; it sounded like the answer was no.
• Lifeline H2O is still accepting applications.
• Brown said DWSD “just hired an internal auditor that is beginning to audit these contractor accounts to make sure that they’re within the guidelines of the contract, that they’re not taking shortcuts and doing shoddy work.”

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

— Briana Rice, Outlier Media

Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the year-over-year percent change in water spending and omitted sewerage spending.

Date: March 18

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $42,510,294

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $40,859,902

Percent change: 4% increase

Number of employees: 366

What’s new this year:

• BSEED is revamping its certificate of compliance process with a goal of getting at least 25% more certificates. The plan also includes resource fairs, and legal action for property owners with large portfolios without certificates. Right now, the city has a 14% compliance rate.
• BSEED is updating its permitting platform so that residents will be able to do more online.
• BSEED is creating an artificial intelligence policy and then plans to use AI as part of its permitting process.

Things to watch:

• The budget calls for more housing inspectors and fewer commercial building inspectors. “We believe that it was necessary to have the housing inspectors in the neighborhoods more so than the building inspectors. We believe that we’ve got the commercial enforcement covered,” Director David Bell said.
• BSEED is expecting to contract with a third party to review its processes and streamline initiatives. There is not a contract in place yet, but Bell said there should be one by the end of the year.
• Bell said if a resident does not speak English, BSEED works with the Civil Rights, Opportunity and Inclusion Department to interpret. 

Other things to note:

• BSEED is implementing same-day permitting for landlords, business owners and homeowners who need to make simple alterations and repairs. Permitting previously could take up to 30 days.
• BSEED is piloting a permitting process for single- and two-family housing that is supposed to reduce construction costs and the permitting process timeline. Final recommendations will come in 10-12 months.

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

— Briana Rice, Outlier Media

Date: March 19 

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $6,709,857

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $5,542,511 

Percent change: 21.1% increase

Number of employees: 40 

Note: The prior hearing ran over by 1hr 40mins. This hearing was shortened to only the introductory presentation and closing remarks, and everything else was moved to executive session.

What’s new this year: 

• Neighborhood planning and youth engagement 
• PDD discussed developing its own economic development strategy as well as supporting the mayor’s plan for economic development, with an emphasis on supporting retail.
• Expanding the economic development toolkit through partnerships.

Things to watch: 

• Two new community framework plans to come (Denby/Whittier and Forest Park).
• Focus on youth engagement, recreation, literacy and retention in the city.
• Citywide, bring “Plan Detroit” to fruition and update the Historic Preservation Plan.

Other things to note: 

• Councilmember Whitfield-Calloway’s motions were a) to look into the repurposing of Bethune and Coffee schools in District 2 and b) to discuss how Detroit may get more of the “family fun spaces” popping up around the state.  
• Repeated mention of youth engagement (in short and long term) as well as engagement for seniors. Planning seems to be conceived not just inter/intra-district but cross-generational. After the session, a caller offered a reminder to engage individuals with disabilities in planning. 
• Mentioned the rising cost of subscriptions for things such as AutoCad.

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

— Nick Kramer, Detroit Documenters

Date: March 19 

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $63,649,515

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $64,440,297            

Percent change: 1.2% decrease

Number of employees: 160

What’s new this year: Art Thompson, chief information officer, led his presentation with the announcement of ESRI’S SAG Award, Knight Foundation invitation to peer learning network, Bloomberg’s Mayor Challenge finalist, and other significant national recognitions.

• Winnie Liao was appointed by Mayor Sheffield as Detroit’s new COO for DoIT
• Reduction of 17,000 hours of staff time without a reduction in FTE (full-time equivalent) due to better utilization and management of city data
• Major infrastructure security enhancements for the City of Detroit

Things to watch: 

• DoIT has built a working Detroit Development Tracker prototype which is close to completion. The department has shown it to councilmembers’ staff, and looks forward to a public roll out soon.
• A citywide AI-usage policy has been completed, and is getting some final revisions before being published.
• The department is rolling out new enhanced cyber awareness training for all City of Detroit employees.

Other things to note: City Council’s contributions to this presentation were prepared, enthusiastic, and inquisitive. 

• Angela Whitfield-Calloway – Delivered an urgent request on behalf of residents to improve service requests via the city website and the Improve Detroit App. She also emphasized the need for expert AI training and oversight tracking across all departments.    
• Denzel Anton McCampbell – Shared his concerns around data sharing, supplier support, data loss protection, ordinance changes, and the rise in senior and parking scams city and state-wide.  
• Coleman Young II – Possibly the most enthusiastic council member, confessed his excitement around DoIT’s drone innovation and testing with the Detroit Fire Department, and encouraged residents in the tech industry to produce AI tools, and how the city can leverage AI tools across 34 unique departments.   

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

— Crystal Starr, Detroit Documenters   

Editor’s note: This section has been updated to correct the reason for staff time reductions.

Date: March 20 

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $16,114,447 

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $15,669,539

Percent change: 2.8% increase

Number of employees: 107

What’s new this year:  

• Sheffield’s initiative to ensure city employees receive a living wage of $21.45 an hour is being implemented by the Department of Human Resources. The increase will start with the July 13, 2026, pay period and will affect about 900 employees. 
• Paid parental leave for city employees will increase from six weeks to eight weeks. The city is also working to help employees access affordable child care by partnering with MI Tri-Share, a program that allows the State of Michigan and the employer (the City of Detroit) to share child care costs with the employee. 
• Efforts are underway to expand artificial intelligence (AI) use in employee training programs. The Human Resources Department is working to ensure risks are mitigated and that eventually, all departments use AI to some degree for staff training.

Things to watch: 

• There has been a decrease in remote workers as more return to the office. This has raised concerns about office space and parking space. Questions were raised about whether the nearly $1 million plus construction project underway to create a parking lot for one worksite is the best use of funds. The costs and benefits of remote work could be studied further, although the idea of employees returning to in-person work was not challenged during the hearing. 
• The Human Resources Department also committed to studying the costs of outsourcing work (especially skilled trades) and evaluating whether hiring in-house employees for this work would be feasible and more cost-effective. 
• Human Resources is overseeing an effort to interview employees about their employment experience. The goal is to give them an opportunity to share what works well and what doesn’t and to identify how the city can improve. 

Other things to note: 

• A state audit reportedly found that more than 29% of payroll and contractor payments were made in error, primarily as overpayments. Human Resources disputed this figure, noting that retroactive payments after union contracts were negotiated were counted as overpayments in the audit, even though employees were owed that money under agreements. Director Denise Starr said she would share more information with councilmembers. 
• Despite a 30% increase in hiring, the percentage of employee discharges during their probationary period decreased by 23%. Efforts to hire locally are ongoing, and department officials were encouraged to recruit local college grads to help keep talent in the area.
• The Human Resources Department reported it has kept health insurance costs under control, which officials attribute in part to the wellness/prevention programs offered.

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

— Marcia Hartman, Detroit Documenters 

Date: March 20

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget:

• Economic Development Summer Jobs Program: $2,500,000
• Detroit Employment Solutions Corp. (DESC): $665,000 general fund subsidy
• Total: $3,165,000

FY 2026 Adopted budget: 

• Economic Development Summer Jobs Program: $2,000,000
• DESC: $1,965,000
• Total: $3,965,000

Percent change: The summer jobs program would see a 25% increase. DESC would see a 66% cut to its subsidy.

Number of employees: Not disclosed

What’s new this year: 

• Eliminated one in-person career center (2835 Bagley) due to low traffic. That area of Southwest will now be served by three “flex centers,” effectively popup career centers.
• Adding $500,000 to the budget for Grow Detroit’s Young Talent, the city’s summer jobs program for teens, to add a “career readiness component” and start two weeks earlier “for at-risk youth”
• BeNext job training program enrolled 89 people in Brightmoor.

Things to watch: 

• DESC leadership wants companies to pay for more of GDYT. Forty percent of GDYT funding comes from government sources (local, state and federal); the remainder comes from philanthropic sources (Apple, Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation) and employers. Terri Weems, interim president of DESC, did not specify the funding breakdown between philanthropy and employers.
• DESC serves 30,000 to 40,000 people per year at its career centers. The folks they help are often looking for jobs to meet work requirements of federal benefits programs. DESC trains 2,000 to 3,000 people a year, primarily as commercial drivers (CDL-A or -B) and nurse assistants (CNAs)
• While it wasn’t mentioned during this presentation, DESC is working to fill a multi-million deficit stemming from accounting failures related to federal grants.

Other things to note: 

• DESC’s budget is primarily federal — it anticipates $57 million in federal revenue this year, a return to pre-2020 levels
• DESC offers free Safe Serve training to Detroiters who work at restaurants. One person per shift must have this certification, per state law.

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

— Koby Levin, Outlier Media

Date: March 20  

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $4,438,953 

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $4,457,420

Percent change: 0.4% decrease

Number of employees: 12

What’s new this year: 

• This Office of Aerial Mobility will be established to deal mostly with the unmanned aircraft system. This will align Detroit with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations, putting the entire city under one set of rules. Technologies for this work are being evaluated.
• The airport is seeing its first significant developments in the last 60 years. The new $6 million operations facility for AvFlight, which will include office and hangar space, is expected to be completed in April, with a grand opening planned for June.
• The $3.5 million MyFlight Tours facility is expected to be completed in May.

Things to watch: 

• Plans are underway for an aerospace talent hub for underserved populations near Conner Street and Gratiot Avenue. The goal is to bring in like-minded partners to promote aviation and invest in Detroit students as young as 5 through graduation to earn an Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) Certificate. Memorandums of understanding are in place with most Wayne County schools so students can participate in aviation education. Negotiations are still being finalized.
• Low-level traffic management systems could be used for drones or other aircraft operating between 0 and 1,000 feet. It can also assist in coordination with trains, marine, or ground mobility. The chief mobility officer will help determine how to move forward without multiple systems doing the same things while also monetizing the systems. 
• A grant from Michigan allows for a trailer to be outfitted with drones and flight simulators. Airport personnel and community partners will take it throughout the city to spark young people’s interest in aviation.

Other things to note: 

• The airport’s estimated economic impact on the city is growing. In 2011, the impact was $20 million on Detroit; now it’s more than $550 million.
• Although training is available at Davis Aerospace Technical High School for students interested in aviation careers, the cost to the student for the years of post-secondary training required to be a commercial pilot is about $100,000.
• The XPONENTIAL conference, a showcase of autonomous vehicles and related technologies, will be in Detroit in May and will feature developments at the airport. 

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

— Carole Hawke-Diop, Detroit Documenters

Date: March 20

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $60,413,051

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $55,051,922

Percent change: 9.7% increase

Number of employees: 301.5

What’s new this year:

• New Health Department Director, named by Mayor Sheffield in early March, is Ali Abazeed, former head of Dearborn’s public health department.
• Abazeed promises “health in all policies approach” (HiAP) designed to embed health-related programs throughout city policies, recognizing that “housing, transportation, economic development and infrastructure shape health outcomes.” For example: basing community health workers at city recreation centers.
• The department will administer Rx Kids, a program that provides cash to expecting and new mothers. The city is investing $350,000 on top of a $250 million statewide investment by the State of Michigan and additional funding from various philanthropies.

Things to watch:

• Rides to Care program provided 25,000 rides to doctor’s appointments for new and expectant mothers in 2025. Through the end of 2025, it averaged more than 1,500 rides per month.
• The Health Department’s violence prevention program is its single largest budget line item at $10.8 million
• The Detroit ID program, which provides city-issued ID cards regardless of the recipient’s immigration or housing status, is being shifted out of the Health Department’s budget and into Human Services. The program will continue to have three staffers.

Other things to note:

• 42% of the department’s budget comes from the City of Detroit general fund, with the remainder coming from state and federal grants
• Last year, 189 of 298 full-time employees worked in grant operations
• The Health Department added three “lead advocates” using state funding to increase awareness of the city’s various lead prevention programs

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

— Koby Levin, Outlier Media

Date: March 23 

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $21,893,170

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $21,883,977

Percent change: .04% increase

Number of employees: 116

What’s new this year: 

• The Law Department is looking into using AI to process FOIA requests. It had more than 11,752 public record requests in 2025. Councilmember McCampbell, citing Outlier Media, asked why record requests take so long. Corporation Counsel Conrad Mallett said they are dependent on other departments to get information back to them, so it’s not always his department’s fault. He added that last year every department got a FOIA coordinator and he hopes that will speed up response times. 
• Mallett said the department is working on a study to determine if blight ticket fines need to increase to improve code compliance among landlords.  
• Multiple councilmembers — Santiago-Romero, McCampbell, Tate — asked if the city can get involved in redeveloping multifamily buildings or portfolios that go into bankruptcy or receivership, potentially creating a kind of public housing. They cited properties in Palmer Park, on Greenfield Road and those owned by RealT. Mallett entertained the idea and thought talking to the Housing and Revitalization Department and the Detroit Housing Commission made sense. 

Things to watch: 

• The city may soon enter into a consent agreement with RealT in its nuisance abatement lawsuit against the crypto real estate company. Mallett said a receiver may take over the repairs on RealT properties, and the city might have to relocate tenants and demolish 50 properties. In response to a question from Councilmember Whitfield Calloway, he said they would go after the personal assets of the company’s founders to recoup unpaid taxes and other expenses. 
• Mallett said his staff had a successful mediation with former tenants of the Leland Hotel and expects they will be able to retrieve their belongings in the next 30 days. Tenants were ordered to leave the building Dec. 10.
• Councilmember Johnson spoke about issues in her district with the Travel Inn, which has been a constant source of crime and deplorable conditions for more than a year — but somehow has a Certificate of Compliance. Mallett said the Law Department has begun coordinating with other departments and is “trying to get to a resolution that’s constitutional and satisfactory to residents.”

Other things to note: 

• Right to Counsel provided representation to 16,296 defendants in 36th District Court. Councilmember McCampbell asked if funding the program will be a recurring budget item. Mallett said it’s a big priority for Mayor Sheffield. “I can say with some degree of certainty that Right to Counsel is going to be front and center of the Law Department’s budget as we go forward,” he said. 
• Councilmember Santiago-Romero asked about ways to identify buildings that are at risk of getting condemned, and work with BSEED and the Health Department to prevent situations like the Leland from happening again. Mallett said his department has already started coordinating with those departments on just such an initiative, and has identified 15 buildings that meet those criteria. 
• Mary Waters said she expects bills will be introduced in the state Legislature related to deed fraud and LLC transparency. 

For more information, check out the video of this budget hearing. [Editors: Hyperlink “check out the video” to the video]. 
— Aaron Mondry, Outlier Media

Date: March 23 

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $466,881,400

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $455,406,061

Percent change: 2.5% increase

Number of employees: 3,588.50

What’s new this year: 

• DPD’s mental health co-response unit will now be available 24 hours a day, with a new night unit to respond to mental health calls.
• Chief Todd Bettison said the department will focus on property crime this year, including retail fraud.
• 593 of the department’s 2,602 officers, or 23%, are Detroit residents.

Things to watch: 

• There are now 1,088 greenlight locations in Detroit, the city’s camera surveillance partnership with local businesses.
• Chief Todd Bettison has instructed his officers to spend more time in senior apartment buildings, saying citing narcotics trafficking and the potential for older Detroiters to be crime targets.
• DPD will dedicate staff to patrolling parks, in addition to focusing on street racing, block parties and drifting.

Other things to note: 

• In 2025, violent crime dropped 10% and property crime dropped 9.4%.
• The gunshot detection technology ShotSpotter covers about 38 square miles of Detroit, and Bettison said it has led to 256 arrests. Officers were able to give life-saving aid 114 times as a result of a ShotSpotter notification.
• Almost $437 million, or 94% of the budget, goes to officers’ salaries, wages and benefits.

For more information, check out the videos (part 1 and part 2) of this budget hearing. 

— Briana Rice, Outlier Media

Date: March 23

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $4,809,268 

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $4,711,541

Percent change: 2% increase

Number of employees: 43

What’s new this year: 

• Applications for the BOPC youth advisory panel increased this year: Every district in the city now has a youth representative. BOPC hopes to hold some meetings in high schools to increase connections with city youth.
• BOPC eliminated its complaint backlog since the previous fiscal year.

Things to watch:

• Citizen complaints to the BOPC have increased 73% since 2022, and have ticked up slightly each year, with a 10% increase from 2024 to 2025.
• BOPC leadership asks for $248,994 more than the mayor’s proposal provided
  • The mayor’s proposal eliminated the commission’s roughly $111,000 travel budget. BOPC leaders are asking for that money restored so they can continue to attend the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement conference.
  • BOPC asks for a stipend increase from $573 to $1,4645 for the chair, and from $386 to $1,130 for commissioners. The total yearly stipend line item would increase from $53,179 to $153,179. There hasn’t been an increase since 2012. Commissioners attend weekly meetings during the week, plus committee meetings, and review citizen complaints.

Other things to note: 

• When BOPC identifies complaint trends, it sends policy reminder memos to the department that are read at roll call every day for a week.

For more information, check out the video of this budget hearing (starts at 38:40). 

— Koby Levin, Outlier Media

Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC), Downtown Development Authority(DDA), Economic Development Corporation(EDC), Local Development Finance Authority (LDFA)

Date: March 19

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: 

DEGC: $2,091,489, EDC: $2,856,000 

FY 2026 Adopted budget: 

DEGC: $2,091,489 via HRD, EDC: $676,000

Percentage change: DEGC: 0% change, EDC: 322% increase 

Number of employees: 70 (65 with 5 staff vacancies )

What’s new this year: 

• Focus shifts from outside of the city’s core to neighborhood and small business development.
• To pursue economic diversification, DEGC will “place bets” on the aerial mobility, life sciences innovation, and defense sectors.
• Launching a Motor City Match alumni program.

Things to watch: 

• The tax ‘abatement cliff/sunset’ and progress of relevant legislation (PA 255 of 1978 Commercial Redevelopment Act, PA 210 of 2005. Commercial Rehabilitation Act, PA 146 of 2000 OPRA, Act 147 of 1992 NEZ, PA 198 of 1974 Industrial Facilities Exemption Act).
• What role DEGC et. al. play in crafting of municipal/regional data center and digital infrastructure policy.
• Efficacy of the multiple business sustainability efforts pursued across several programs.

Other things to note: 

• There was good discussion regarding the need for businesses and developers to be good neighbors and the need to take the Master Plan and community input seriously. 
• There was frustration, especially on the part of Council President James Tate, on how various stalled developments/growth continue in the same areas; one could sense a “put up or shut up” vibe.  
• AI forced its way into the discussion, especially in the description of how the DEGC now has access to Placer AI and can share this with small businesses so they have a better understanding of customer patterns; note that this Placer AI is based in Israel and could have other users than marketing intelligence. 

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

Date: March 18

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $0 from the City of Detroit. DIA’s current budget is $45.5 million, with revenue generated through ticket sales, fundraising and a tri-county property tax millage. The DIA functions as an independent nonprofit since the city’s bankruptcy.

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $0 from the City of Detroit

Percent change: 0%

Number of employees: 395 full-time budgeted, 343 full-time filled.

What’s new this year: 

• New exhibition of the museum’s African American Collection, which is one of the largest in the world
• Looking to launch an interactive, immersive space for children and families this summer
• Increased unionization in the museum. There are two unions, AFSCME and CWU, currently representing under 100 members of the staff. Contract negotiations for just over 200 more employees, also represented by AFSCME, will begin in spring 2026.

Things to watch: 

• Detroit Cultural Center Association (DCCA): a conglomerate of institutes in the midtown area established within 12 organizations with at least one member representing for the board, with a long-term model being Chicago’s museum district
• Woodward and Farnsworth underground parking, closed in 2011 by the City of Detroit, has been possessed by the DIA since 2015. As a part of the DCCA, they are trying to revamp the structure. However, the hurdle is the repair estimate of $49 million. 
• Art and wellness focus coming later in the year to encourage community wellness and engagement 

Other things to note:

• Two major projects at the museum are the installation of air handlers and installment of the contemporary arts section.
• An estimated 50,000 Wayne County residents took advantage of free admission. 
• There is free professional development for teachers, and senior groups can come for a guided or self-guided tour. 

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

— Kayla White, Detroit Documenters 

Date: March 19

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $5,634,507

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $5,851,701

Percent change: 3.7% decrease

Number of employees: 23

What’s new this year: 

• The OAG’s next peer review is scheduled for August 2026. Peer reviews are required every three years and ensure the office’s work is in compliance with the generally accepted governmental auditing standards. The office passed its first peer review in August 2023.
• Recent audits: A performance audit of the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) was initiated on March 17. Auditor General Laura Goodspeed noted that DDOT has been flagged as high-risk. An audit of the Office of the Assessor Division of the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, initiated on Feb. 6, was suspended on March 11, due to a perceived conflict of interest identified by the city’s Law Department.
• The OAG has made a Proportional Funding Request in the amount of $6,575,034, or 0.41% of the prior fiscal year’s General Fund budget. This would provide a funding increase of $940,527 over what was suggested in the Mayor’s FY 2027 Proposed Budget. The request asked that the OAG’s entire budget be placed into Executive Session for further consideration.

Things to watch: 

• Settlement of Disputed Claims: A total of $19,000 in claims awarded in 2023 by the OAG have not been paid by the city. These were claims originally denied by the Law Department that were appealed before the Auditor General. The OAG is attempting to resolve this matter with the Law Department and the Legislative Policy Division.
• Goodspeed said if the Proportional Funding Request is not granted, the department would feel the impact in contractual services and the training budget. Twenty-five staff members are what the department feels are required, and approving the request would move them from 23 to 24 FTE. Additionally, Goodspeed said the lack of additional funding would hinder the mandatory training necessary to pass peer reviews.
• A number of audits are currently underway, and are conducted according to factors such as risk assessments and requests made by City Council. They include: Citywide Payroll, Human Resources Employee Services, Police Authorized Towing, Health Department Food Safety Operations, the Joe Louis Greenway and a follow-up audit of the Detroit Public Lighting Department.

Other things to note: 

• Goodspeed seeks to reconvene the Tow Rate Commission in April pending the appointment of a designee from the Detroit Police Department and appointees from City Council and the Mayor’s Office. Prior to 2024, the Tow Rate Commission had not convened for over 10 years because there was no quorum. It is supposed to convene every two years to set rates for police-authorized towing. 
• Member Calloway expressed her concerns about the effects of property tax foreclosure on residents. She inquired about the slow uncapping of transfers and proper entry of data into the Property Tax Database. Goodspeed advised Calloway to contact Jerome Lee, Internal Audit Division at the Office of the Assessor, regarding a forensic audit of citywide residential property tax assessments from January 2025.

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

— Gina McPherson, Detroit Documenters 

Date: March 23

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $34,384,326

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $33,321,872

Percent change: 3.2% increase 

Number of employees: 325

What’s new this year:

• The court is requesting about $300,000 (or $60,000 per employee, including salary and benefits) to hire five new employees for the civil division to address an uptick in cases. Chief Judge William McConico said the amount of civil cases at the court is “almost crashing the division,” including credit card companies suing residents and vehicle foreclosures. The court doesn’t have the staff to handle the paperwork.
• The specialty court – focused on drug treatment, mental health, veterans’ treatment and an empowerment docket for women involved in sex trafficking or exploitation – has a federal funding gap of $500,000. Six case managers are over their maximum capacity though need is rising, according to Judge Shannon Holmes, who presides over the specialty court division. The program has been forced to go into “pause mode” because of funding uncertainty, she said. Additional funding would be used for an additional case manager and tethers and drug testing for those who enter into the program.  
• McConico requested that 73 court employees (including 43 who are Detroit residents) – who earn below a living wage according to the court’s analysis – be brought up to the new standard Mayor Mary Sheffield recently announced. The wage boost would cost roughly $500,000. Sheffield had proposed a minimum wage increase to $21.45 an hour, or $44,616 a year, for full-time city of Detroit employees.

Things to watch:

• Will 36^th District Court employees also see a wage boost?
• The court is looking to start a “diversion system” to help people avoid eviction if they don’t owe much money. A pilot program is starting to work on that.
• Why is the civil division seeing an uptick in cases? McConico said over the past three years, the civil division has had an additional estimated 40,000 cases filed that the court did not have in 2021 or 2022.

Other things to note:

• The 36th District Court is once again offering an amnesty program that waives late fees and penalties for cases where a judge has made a final ruling. The program is operating now and available through Thursday, April. 2. It brought in about $400,000 in two weeks, McConico said. An average ticket may have an additional $100 to $130 in late fees, fines and warrant costs. It’s unclear if the program will be extended.
• License restoration clinics will continue.
• McConico requested $500,000 for the court’s general operating budget, including utilities and postage.

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

— Nushrat Rahman, BridgeDetroit  

Date: March 26  

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $42,515,104 

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $90,608,255 

Percent change: 53% decrease

Number of employees: 118.5 

What’s new this year:  

• A renewed focus: A revamped Housing and Revitalization Department (HRD) would focus on developing affordable housing (through public private partnerships, property acquisition, financing, etc.), preserving existing affordable housing, ramping up infill housing development and managing commercial real estate sales and tax incentive processes, according to HRD Director Julie Schneider.  
• Budget breakdown: HRD plans to focus on housing production, and proposed $5.1 million for projects, $4 million for the Affordable Housing Development and Preservation Trust Fund (an increase from last year), $4.2 million from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for affordable housing development, $500,000 for public facility rehabilitation programs and $250,000 for scattered site asset preservation, Schneider said. One-time grants include $28 million of CDBG disaster recovery dollars (which have not been awarded yet), $361,000 of HOME-ARP – American Rescue Plan funds through the HOME Investment Partnerships Program – for supportive housing and $1.6 million for “pro-housing,” focused on small buildings (with two to 8 units, for instance), she said.  
• The 2026-27 plan: HRD expects to preserve 2,000 units of existing affordable housing (an increase of about 600 units from this year) and restart the Section 108 loan program (through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development). The city is expecting to start construction on 600 affordable housing units this year, and complete 2,000 units of affordable housing in the next 18 months, Schneider said.  

Things to watch:  

• Infill housing: HRD plans to focus on infill housing. Schneider said the city expects to release a request for proposal (RFP) for pre-permitted designs with the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC) so that designs are available for people looking to develop housing. Schneider said the city has funding to develop eight different designs, but that is a starting point. As for the affordability of the infill housing, she said community land trusts are a part of the infill strategy.   
• Palmer Park: When asked about the Palmer Park neighborhood, Schneider said the city has identified 12 to 18 properties in the worst condition that need intervention, and mentioned intentions to work with the City of Detroit’s Planning and Development Department (PDD) and the Historic District Commission to identify a rehab plan. There are 1,500 units in this area, she said, acknowledging that it’s going to be a long process.  
• Faith-based developments: David Bowser, chief of staff for Mayor Mary Sheffield, said the mayor planned to announce a faith-based development initiative to provide direct technical assistance and funding help to faith-based partners. The administration has started initial conversations.  

Other things to note:  

• Home repairs: Rico Razo, chief of home repair and neighborhood stability services, said the city launched the Detroit Home Accessibility Repair program, funded by $6.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars, and identified 232 households for that program, though that number may be closer to 260 households. The city is asking for a $5 million earmark from the federal government to do more bathroom accessibility. This year’s budget includes a pilot program to assess the existing conditions of buildings for accessibility, Schneider added.  
• Real Token: Chelsea Neblett said the city is working with the nonprofit United Community Housing Coalition (UCHC) to reach out to residents – providing legal services and escrow support – living in Real Token properties, the blockchain real estate company the city of Detroit sued. HRD has been working with the law department and the Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department (BSEED) to relocate households living in unsafe conditions.  

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

— Nushrat Rahman, BridgeDetroit  

Date: March 27  

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $39,674,249 

FY 2026 Adopted budget: N/A

Number of employees: 112 

What’s new this year:  

• The newly proposed Human, Homeless and Family Services Department (HHFS) aims to bridge the gap between people and resources and serve as a one-stop shop for vulnerable residents, according to Mayor Mary Sheffield’s chief of staff David Bowser. Programs currently in other departments – such as home repair, the neighborhood opportunity fund, Detroit housing services, the housing resource helpline and homelessness solutions at the Housing Revitalization Department (HRD) and Detroit ID and SisterFriends Detroit at the Detroit Health Department (DHD) – would be condensed and moved to the new HHFS department. 
• HHFS will have four major divisions – housing stability, family services, home repair and neighborhood services and homeownership and tenant services –  so residents know exactly where resources are, Bowser said. The department plans to bring together programming spanning homelessness – previously within HRD – to home ownership.  
• The budget includes a 10% increase, to $9.2 million, in general funds for homeless services. The $39.6 million budget is comprised of grants and general funds, which consolidates existing pools of money and programs under one new roof. Here is the breakdown of the budget:  
  • Administration and finance: $226,096 
  • Home repair and rehab: $10,774,120 
  • Homeless services: $9,240,000 
  • Housing and neighborhood services: $16,659,908  
  • Programmatic/departmental operations: $2,649,125 
  • SisterFriends: $125,000 

Things to watch:  

• The city plans to have a robust marketing campaign, so residents know what HHFS does, Bowser said.  
• Bowser provided a rough organizational chart for what HHFS will look like though exact leadership roles have not been finalized.  
• Luke Shaefer, the city’s first chief executive of Health, Human Services and Poverty Solutions, tasked with overseeing the HHFS department, highlighted goals and metrics, including:
  • Reducing childhood poverty over the next four years to a 20-year low (by 21.5% to 40%)
  • Bringing down chronic absenteeism by 25% for targeted cohorts
  • Growing wages by 15% for the lowest 20% of Detroit wage earners
  • Minimize how long people stay at emergency shelters by 20%
  • Ramping up permanent housing by 25% for those who are chronically homelessness

Other things to note:  

• HRD Director Julie Schneider offered metrics for home repair, housing services and down payment assistance: The city expects to complete nearly 1,500 homes within this fiscal year through a broad range of programs, from senior emergency repairs to lead hazard reduction work; the Detroit Housing Resource Helpline connected 80,500 callers to more than 30 resources; this fiscal year, the city is expecting to serve about 3,400 residents in emergency shelter, and round three of the down payment assistance program – which provides up to $25,000 in down payment supports – already has 39 applications. That program has room for 400 to 500 residents.  
• Terra Linzer said the city is working with the Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department (BSEED) and the Detroit Health Department to ensure each emergency shelter site has at least one visit a month by a city department, in addition to any complaint inspections. Those visits started this year.
• Detroit ID, with three staffers, will move from the health department to HHFS, with plans to expand pop-ups for people to receive cards. SisterFriends Detroit, a program for moms and babies, will also move over to HHFS and integrate with other similar programs. The Office of Immigrant Affairs and Economic Inclusion will be its own division outside of HHFS.  
• The city is deploying a home repair task force. Fiscal year 2027 will include home repair programming, including critical home repair. 

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

— Nushrat Rahman, BridgeDetroit 

Date: March 25

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $160,417,191

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $129,859,490

Percent change: ~23.5% increase 

Number of employees: 937.8

What’s new this year:

• The General Services Department is seeking to increase its budget this year with a focus on after-school partnerships, enhancing evening programming and investing in recreation centers. Overall, $22.1 million of this proposed budget is allocated to recreation centers. More recreation center staff positions are included to accommodate for more nighttime and weekend programs.
• Construction on the Brennan Recreation Center, the only recreation center in District 7, will ideally begin in April. This recreation center is funded by a $20 million donation from the Detroit Pistons. Director Crystal Perkins said the department has budgeted for an additional $3 million set to help rising costs for construction and building materials.
• The General Service Department plans to spend $1 million removing 350 additional dead, dangerous or diseased trees through the tree removal program. This is in addition to 73 backlogged requests from when this program started in 2023. 

Things to watch: 

• Councilmember Scott Benson and Councilmember Latisha Johnson moved to add $1 million to the General Services Department budget for safety and compliance enforcement in local parks and encouraged the department to partner with the Detroit Police Department and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office to restart a park patrol program. 
• The City of Detroit and the General Services Department took over cleaning freeways in the city from the state of Michigan when former Mayor Mike Duggan was in office due to a desire for more frequent cleaning. MDOT reimburses about $650,000 of the $5.5 million annual cost for litter cleaning and mowing services.

Other things to note: 

• Councilmembers advocated for resources in their districts, including amenities at parks and recreation centers.
• The General Services Department cleaned more than 7,000 alleys through its alley cleanup program as part of the Blight to Beauty initiative but sunset the program. Alley cleaning services are completed as needed and by request through City Council, the mayor or Department of Neighborhoods. 
• As of February 2026, the General Services Department oversees the city’s fleet vehicles. Councilmember Angela Whitfield Calloway expressed concern about the management of fleet vehicles, including the number of city employees allowed to use the vehicles and the policies around staff taking the vehicles home to areas outside Detroit, saying these vehicles should not be a perk. Director Crystal Perkins says the department is working on a vehicle-use policy. 

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

— Erin Butler, Detroit Documenters

Date: March 25
Two departments with distinct budget amounts comprise the entirety of what is considered “non-departmental” in the city budget:

Non-Departmental (department 35)
FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $186,772,885

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $243,399,893

Percent change: ~23.3% decrease
Number of employees: 189

Debt Services and Legacy Pension (department 18)
FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $310,865,877

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $314,572,609

Percent change: ~1.2% decrease
Number of employees: 0

What’s new this year: The rise and use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the City of Detroit’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO), as OCFO has “embraced” the use of AI in operations and procurement.

• The City of Detroit is sending the chief financial officer (CFO) and other officials in the department to attend an AI conference, as artificial intelligence is increasingly being used for financial operations. They did not mention the name or location of the conference.
• Discussion of AI also being used to help City of Detroit vendors navigate the procurement process for city contracts.
• City of Detroit currently uses Oracle Enterprise, and OCFO noted that AI locates bank reconciliations in the general ledger and unusual journal entries before the auditors.

Things to watch: 

• Councilmember Gabriela Santiago-Romero requested that Project Clean Slate be moved from Non-Departmental to Human, Homeless and Family Services, where she suggested it made more sense. Deputy CFO Budget Director Donnie Johnson replied they could look into making that change.
• The General Retirement System is 99.75% funded, and the Police and Fire Retirement System (PFRS) is 92.8% funded. The lower percentage for PFRS is due to some collective bargaining increases to their pensions, but with 13.1% of each paycheck going to fund pensions, it is catching up.
• Motion passed to maintain and grow the rainy day fund.

Other things to note: 

• Detroit finally received a $6M reimbursement from FEMA for past flooding, and this will be used to supplement the solid waste fund.
• CFO mentioned that the revenue estimating conferences are a great best practice and demonstrate good governance.
• CRCMich.org wrote a summary brief of the Feb. 13 biannual revenue estimating conference used to establish the city’s economic forecast and anticipated revenues for the coming fiscal years (beginning July 1 of each year). 

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

— A J Johnson, Detroit Documenters

Date: March 27 

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $10,101,391

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $9,874,694

Percent change: 2.3% increase

Number of employees: 61

What’s new this year: 

• Mayor Mary Sheffield has formed an Office of Human, Homeless and Family Services. This department will be a “one-stop-shop” for residents in need and will oversee many poverty alleviation programs.
• The mayor has also created an Office of Senior Citizen Affairs, an Office of Youth Affairs and an Office of Neighborhood and Community Safety.
• The Department of Neighborhoods has been reconfigured and now has office hours Mondays and Fridays from 9-5 p.m. and Wednesdays from 2 -6 p.m. at seven recreation centers across the city, with a plan to eventually have office hours at 12-15 locations.

Things to watch: 

• The administration wants to work with more faith-based institutions on projects like turning parking lots into green space to reduce stormwater fees. 
• Sustainability initiatives include: energy efficiency upgrades at municipal buildings, better reporting for water and energy usage, an expanded composting program and publishing a “zero waste plan” in partnership with the Department of Public Works.

Other things to note: 

• The administration wants to increase the number of active block clubs by 20%.
• The mayor’s office wants to expand the newly launched senior food access program from seven senior apartment buildings to 25, serving 2,500 seniors weekly. 
• The Office of Sustainability plans to use data from 75 air quality monitors across the city to develop air quality and public health recommendations. 

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

— Briana Rice, Outlier Media

Date: March 25 

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $73,484,615

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $68,837,035

Percent change: ~6.8% increase

Number of employees: 450

What’s new this year: 

• The assessor’s office is transitioning from a labor-intensive model to one more based on technology using multiple regression analysis. Modeled after similar use in the city of Philadelphia, the analysis looks at factors like schools, streets, traffic and recreation that help a person determine where they want to live. Assessor Alvin Horhn said by better understanding the differences in value among neighborhoods, his office can address the issue of overassessment.
• Councilmember Gabriela Santiago-Romero moved to discuss putting $1 million into a pilot program enforcing restrictions on trucks in residential areas in Districts 6 (Santiago-Romero) and 4 (Latisha Johnson). The motion passed and will be addressed in executive session. Topics for future conversations included money for truck-related road repairs and residents who have foundation and other home repair problems due to this truck traffic.
• This year, the office was able to add $10 million for legacy pensioners — hit hardest by the city’s bankruptcy — so they could have a prorated 13th check. This will be the third year issuing a 13th check. 

Things to watch: 

• CFO Tanya Stoudemire said around $100 million remains in unspent American Rescue Plan Act funds, which must be spent by the end of the calendar year. Stoudemire was confident it would all be spent, but said an expedited reconciliation process this year is needed to assess where money may need to be reallocated. A great portion of that $100 million is for affordable housing which is seasonally dependent, with many projects expected to be complete by June and July.
• 2026 Residential Economic Condition Factors Map modification. Currently, 287 residential neighborhoods are identified. When complete, 335 residential neighborhoods are expected.
• Targeted outreach for new contract bids: over 3,800 vendors have registered since December. Submissions are up in public services, camp programs, tree trimming, maintenance, repair, operations, supplies and more.

Other things to note: 

• There is a slight reduction in existing full-time equivalent (FTE) employees drawing on general fund monies. These reductions drew on efficiencies and vacancies and “will not affect operations.” Overall, the office is looking to add 15 FTE employees this year compared to FY 2026.
• Horhn said the city’s housing stock is strong and desirable, pointing out that you can still buy a solid, foundationally secure house for less than six figures. Even though that supply of the market is shrinking, it is still there. He said they have seen a 3.1% increase in transfers from 2024 to 2025, and based on transfers through March 1 of this year, expect that trend to continue. Johnson moved that councilmembers look into requiring presale inspections when deliberating in executive session.
• Presentation pull quote: “Detroit’s economy demonstrates notable resilience.” Gabriel Ehrlich, director of the University of Michigan’s Research Seminar in Quantitative Economics.

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

— Noah Levinson, Detroit Documenters 

Date: March 26

FY 2027 Mayor Proposed budget: $212,108,134

FY 2026 Adopted budget: $172,360,913

Percent change: 23% increase

Number of employees: 486

What’s new this year: 

• The main source of the $40 million budget increase is a boost to street funding. $5 million of this is due to the street sweeping budget (22 FTE) being shifted to streets from the solid waste section of the budget. Much of the rest comes from new revenue from an increased state fuel tax and a new state marijuana tax. The streets budget includes road repairs and repaving, snow and ice removal, bridge repairs, street sweeping and potholes.
• Streets work planned for this year includes resurfacing or paving 27 miles of residential streets and 17 miles of major thoroughfares and installing 300 new speed humps. The department will install ADA-compliant ramps and repair sidewalks along resurfaced roads.
• New streetscapes will be constructed on Livernois (McNichols to Clarita) and West Grand Boulevard (Cass to Rosa Parks)

Things to watch:

• Public Works plans to spend $8 million this year to clear a backlog of 6,300 sidewalk repair requests, with a focus on sidewalks in front of occupied houses
• Council added $500,000 to the department budget to pay for more refuse bins in commercial areas and near bus stops; there are plans to add 450 containers (300 recycling, 150 trash)

Other things to note:

• Permit fees are expected to generate $5.2 million for the department this year
• 103,000 residential households (48% of the city) have opted into the curbside recycling program

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

— Koby Levin, Outlier Media