Detroiters will have a chance to decide how a portion of the budget gets spent in their neighborhoods, thanks to a new pilot initiative Mayor Mary Sheffield launched.
Sheffield announced the city’s new participatory budgeting process, which proposes $250,000 per City Council district to be spent on infrastructure-type projects in neighborhoods that residents will propose.
Participatory budgeting allows residents to directly decide how to spend public funds. While Sheffield was a Detroit City Council member, she asked former Mayor Mike Duggan’s administration to allocate funding toward a participatory budgeting program to provide residents a choice in how to spend money in their districts.
“It took a long time to get here, but I’m very proud to announce that under this mayoral administration, residents will now have a direct say in how to dedicate a portion of city funds to their neighborhood projects in the city,” Sheffield said. “This will ensure that the people who live, work, and raise families here have a voice in the investments that shape their communities.”
Funds will be geared toward small to medium-scale capital improvement projects, including: parks and recreation center enhancements, street or sidewalk upgrades, community safety infrastructure or neighborhood beautification.
How it works for Detroit neighborhoods
Each of the seven City Council districts will receive a $250,000 allocation, which could be used on projects such as park improvements, recreational enhancements, beautification projects and other neighborhood needs.
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Leadership roles will be open to the public. Design committee members collaborate with residents, community organizations and the city to establish the rules and procedures of the process. Starting Monday, Nov. 16, residents can apply to volunteer for the design committee, which will be responsible for setting up rules, proposal guidelines and voting eligibility.
Applications for the delegate committee members, which will review public input and refine the ideas into project proposals, will open in the spring.
They can sign up at www.detroitmi.gov/pb and the city will choose a total of 16 committee members, who will be required to attend an orientation on Jan. 9, 2027, and meet weekly for five weeks, followed by up to six meetings through March, said Tanya Stoudemire, chief financial officer.
Phase two involves decision making, in which residents submit their project ideas and vote on them. The city will open an application window in February 2027 for the budget delegate committee, which will manage and develop the ideas into proposals and create a final list of projects.
Phase three involves implementation.
Residents can be involved by applying to serve on a committee, attending participatory budget community meetings, submitting ideas and voting on finalized projects. Public ideas will be accepted in May 2027, refined between June-September, and voted on in October 2027.
Areas of need in Detroit
Mose Primus, president of the Yorkshire Woods Community Organization, highlighted many positives in his neighborhood, including community gardens, park and green spaces, a flower garden, and the potential for building out a bee farm. But problems such as living on blocks full of trash and abandoned homes need to be addressed in his neighborhood and surrounding areas, he said. He and his neighbors often see squatters in abandoned homes, many of which are owned by people outside of Detroit and left to sit, Primus said.
“We have abandoned apartment buildings that the city needs to crack down on the ownerships of these buildings, because it makes the neighborhood look bad,” Primus said. “Even some vacant houses that are owned by LLCs and people from out of the state, they don’t want to sell them.”
Ros Haskins and Larry Chatfield, president and vice president of the Bagley Community Council, said for the most part, the Bagley neighborhood is in good shape. The neighborhood could use some updated bus shelters and benches, adding that most stops require riders to stand. And, they would like to see a public park in the area.
“The closest park to us is Palmer Park,” Haskins said.
However, they want to highlight the neighborhood’s Motown history, having housed musical legends such as Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, with a musical note sculpture and sign that reads: “Bagley, home of the Motown stars.”
“We have several different Motown musicians that grew up in Bagley. We’ve been working on ways to market that in a positive way for Bagley,” Haskins said.
City Council President James Tate anticipates his colleagues will approve the budget item next year. His constituents have often sought investments in upgraded sidewalks, beautification, neighborhood street signs and improving recreational centers with kitchens.
“I think, because this program is geared toward capital projects, it won’t satisfy all of those concerns that folks have because they do want programming, and maybe we can expand to that direction in future years,” Tate said.
During the previous budget cycle, City Councilmember Denzel McCampbell urged the administration to use the participatory budget process.
“We’ve heard a lot about beautification, park improvements, more amenities for seniors and families like pickleball courts, “McCampbell said.
The District 7 council member recently held a roundtable with Cody High School students to identify their neighborhood needs, some of which included employing youth to help seniors with lawn care services, along with a community hub to help with various issues, such as “substance use disorder, health, and homelessness” along with providing a wellness and hangout hub for teenagers.
Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact: dafana@freepress.com. Follow her: @DanaAfana.