Detroit City Council members are beginning to convene with the community ahead of the Sheffield administration’s fiscal budget recommendations.

District 4 Council Member Latisha Johnson hosted her first community coffee hour on Jan. 16 to introduce constituents to her team and ask residents to participate in local government.

Budget priority forums are being hosted in all seven City Council districts to gather input on Sheffield’s recommended budget for fiscal year 2026-27. The Department of Neighborhoods is hosting a Jan. 27 virtual meeting. Residents can also send feedback to yourbudget@detroit.mi.gov.

District 4 Manager Taylor Harrell, who previously worked on Mayor Mary Sheffield’s campaign, said the meetings will aim to confirm that the mayor’s agenda aligns with community priorities.

District 7 Council Member Denzel McCampbell is holding a swearing-in ceremony and community meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 28 at the St. Suzanne Cody Rouge Community Resource Center

At-Large Council Member Mary Waters is planning a town hall focused on deed fraud at 6 p.m. on Jan. 31 at the Northwest Activity Center.

Johnson will be hosting her monthly community meeting at 5 p.m. Jan. 26 at Hope Community Church. Johnson said the discussion will focus on complete streets and property tax assessment.

Last Friday, Johnson brought residents to The Commons, a cafe, laundromat and resource hub within the District 5 boundary. Council district lines changed this year based on U.S. Census population data. District 4 moved further west because it lost more residents relative to other districts.

Johnson said she learned that new constituents have faced many of the same challenges with flooding that are common across District 4. She encouraged residents to sign up for a sewer repair program for households impacted by the 2021 flood.

“In order for us to get information out, we need to be connected to all of you,” Johnson said. “Share information with someone else who can benefit from it, even if you don’t know whether or not they can, and you’d be surprised at who benefits from it. One thing that I felt before getting on council was that information was stuck in silos. It just didn’t make it to the east side.

“I have been advocating to make sure that every resource that we create that has been developed in the city of Detroit gets to the people, and particularly the people who need it the most.”

Renata Miller, the newly elected District 5 council member, also attended Johnson’s coffee hour event. Miller shared some of her experiences in her first month on the council, saying she was surprised to see how much the city is spending on legal settlements.

“How many people fall in front of a bus? It can’t be that bad, but people wish to draw money from the city,” Miller said. “It’s ridiculous the lawsuits we pay out, and this is taxpayer money.” 

Miller said she ran as a “grassroots person” who wanted to make a difference. She expects to be candid, saying she’s working to “maintain civility,” and asks for patience as she learns the new job.

Miller said she’s frustrated when city officials claim proposals or projects have community support when residents don’t even know about it. She wants to engage more constituents about proposed zoning changes, saying she’s an advocate for boosting commercial corridors and small businesses, “but we need to do it with integrity.”

Miller reminded residents how to pronounce her name, saying it’s pronounced Ren-ay-ta, not Ren-ah-tah. 

Willie Donwell, director of the Property Assessment Board of Review, reminded residents that appeal hearings are starting in March. Residents have a chance to lower their property taxes through the Board of Review process. 

“Please participate,” Donwell said. “There’s a lot of questions going on regarding assessments and property taxes in the state of Michigan, only you can help us make sure things are correct.” 

Donwell said the review process is more vital after the expiration of a program that saved thousands from tax foreclosure. The Pay As You Stay program wasn’t renewed in last year’s state budget. It significantly reduced delinquent taxes owed by homeowners.

Donwell said it prevented 16,000 homes from tax foreclosure.

Tree trimming for every district  

Miller posed questions about a tree maintenance contract to gain more insight into how city funds are spent.

Miller, along with McCampbell, did not have an official office space set up as of last week but committee work is underway. The exchange shows Miller’s approach to oversight of city contracts as part of the Neighborhood and Community Services Committee.

The council will be asked to vote on nine multi-million dollar contracts for tree maintenance across the city. A $3 million contract with Detroit-based Tree Man Services will be on Tuesday’s agenda for approval.

Miller asked how the city’s General Services Department will prioritize tree trimming and removal across the city during a Jan. 15 committee meeting. According to the city, one contractor will be hired for each City Council district and two others will be hired to respond to service gaps and aid in cleanup after major storms.

City documents show contractors will be responsible for all damage caused by their work to private property and must repair any tire ruts left by equipment.