The Metropolitan Affairs Coalition has released Q&As with the mayoral candidates in Detroit, asking them each five questions to see how they would best serve the city.
MAC is a non-profit public/private partnership dedicated to enhancing the economic vitality and quality of life in Southeast Michigan. The agency does not endorse candidates, but rather said in a statement it wants to show how the candidates plan to ensure “Detroit is a top destination for people to live and do business, and that city government, cultural, educational, and nonprofit organizations are supported in serving the full diversity of our residents and businesses.”
“MAC provides a unique regional perspective from business and labor, in addition to local government and education institutions,” MAC President Amy O’Leary said. “MAC does not make candidate endorsements. Detroit’s next mayor, like Mayor Duggan and his predecessors, will have a seat on the MAC board along with the three county executives.”
For example, MAC asked the candidates: What is the greatest factor in making Detroit more nationally (and internationally) competitive, and what will you do to help give us the edge?
The responses:
Jonathan Barlow
Detroit’s competitive advantage lies in our resilient people and strategic location. To harness this, we must invest in infrastructure, digital access, and neighborhood innovation. As mayor, I will initiate a $500 million Detroit Business Growth Fund to support small businesses and attract anchor employers in tech, logistics, and clean energy. City services will be streamlined to operate at the speed of business, making Detroit the most business-friendly city in the Midwest. Through strategic sister city partnerships, we’ll open international markets for local businesses, enhancing our global presence. Central to this is the Reach Every Family plan, ensuring that as Detroit ascends on the global stage, every household benefits from the growth.
James Craig
Public safety and economic confidence are the foundations of competitiveness. As Mayor, I will build on my proven leadership to reduce crime, clean up blight, and continued-stability to City government. When Detroit is safe, clean, and well-managed, we attract businesses, retain families, and reclaim our global reputation as a city of innovation and resilience. My administration will also leverage our cultural attributes and our international geographic footprint to attract national and international business.
Fred Durhal III
To take Detroit to greater heights, we must strive to make Detroit a city that provides opportunities for all working and middle-class families, as well as developers, small businesses, and entrepreneurs. As mayor, I will focus on making Detroit an attractive city to develop, start a business, and raise a family. To achieve this goal, I will:
- Cut taxes to provide relief to developers, homeowners, and small businesses.
- Create more commercial corridors and vibrant, walkable streets in every Detroit neighborhood by expanding the DDA authority outside of downtown.
- Make communities safer by recruiting more police and firefighters to serve the city, and providing them with resources and technology that will help them do their jobs quicker, more effectively, and safer.
- Work to build regional transit that will attract and retain talent, business, and connect communities.
- Cutting red tape together with implementing regulatory reform
- Create a one-stop permitting process and uniformed inspection process
Saunteel Jenkins
The greatest factor in making Detroit more nationally and internationally competitive is enhancing our workforce for both job opportunities and entrepreneurship. We will engage in a holistic approach to developing our residents from cradle to career to boost our workforce and our entrepreneurial opportunities by creating stronger, more intentional training and career pathways for Detroiters. We will partner with high schools, colleges, businesses and labor to ensure a highly trained, highly skilled workforce that is prepared for jobs of today and tomorrow. We must also restructure our property tax assessments to be more competitive with other markets.
Solomon Kinloch Jr.
Detroit’s continued national competitiveness requires a vision that is founded on three key factors – (1) the city’s and state’s ability to attract and retain business, (2) the city’s and state’s ability to grow, attract, and retain job talent, and (3) the city and state’s ability to strengthen our schools. To accomplish these targets, a multi-layered, targeted approach focused on cooperation and partnerships with various city and state stakeholders is key. Such an approach can:
- Create a business-friendly climate through tax policies that stimulate growth, capital investment, and entrepreneurship. This would allow Detroit to use its strategic location and infrastructure strengths as an internal hub of international logistics, innovation, and development to enhance growth opportunities.
- Streamline state and city regulatory licensing, inspection, and permitting processes.
- Develop industry, education, and workforce training partnerships to align education and workforce training priorities with those of industry needs.
- Expand the preservation and development of affordable housing in the city for working families and the middle class.
- As mayor, I will be an advocate for education and champion a cohesive school vision for all schools, in coordination with philanthropy, business, and labor.
- Enable continued investment in high-quality early childhood education programs, such as Pre-K, to make sure it is accessible to all Detroit children.
- Advocate for increased and equitable funding for our elementary, middle, and high schools to improve school facilities, improve teacher wages, and provide necessary school-based health, social service, and after-school supports for our families.
Todd Perkins
To make Detroit globally competitive, we must invest in all our people, not just the pockets that have traditionally received resources. My administration will lead with data, strategy, and equity to drive growth from the neighborhood up, targeting job development, digital access, infrastructure, and public services in underinvested districts using tools like the city’s Digital Equity Map. Designed by a Detroit native, former Director of Digital Equity, Christine Burkette. The first step is working more collaboratively with our neighbors just across the water, Canada, to identify ways we can build and support shared economic opportunities. As mayor, one of my most critical roles will be to seek and attract investors who believe in our citywide strategy to rebuild neighborhoods and bridge the gap between long-time Detroiters, the people who built this city, and the “New Detroit” residents moving in. I believe bridging that gap and combining our talents will amplify our impact and support the internal branding strategy my advance team is already working on. We will reposition Detroit not just as a city of potential, but a city delivering on it. Detroit’s edge is in our people, our grit, and our ability to innovate under pressure. I’ll make sure our investments reflect that.
Mary Sheffield
In order to make Detroit a destination and world world-class city again, we have to improve the overall quality of life. In almost every Department, we have to reduce red tape and make it easier to do business in Detroit. This is exactly what first established Detroit as a Destination City, where families from all over the world came to thrive and to stay for generations after. My administration will ensure that Detroit will be the leader in small business development, will attract world-class companies and jobs, and will be a place where legacy Detroiters can be empowered to succeed. From there, we have to cultivate the existing talent as well as create more commercial corridors that ensure that families stay in Detroit, keeping the economy strong and consistently competitive.
MAC also reached out to candidates Joel Haashiim and DaNetta Simpson, who did not immediately respond.
“It’s important for voters in every election to have information about candidates, their positions on issues and plans for serving in office,” O’Leary said. “The Detroit area is regional in nature. MAC is focused on issues that impact the city and the region at large. Further, our regional leaders are better able to tackle these issues together. The most effective version of our region’s elected leadership will continue to build stronger relationships with each other and drive a conversation focused on maximizing unique strengths and mutual benefits.”