Welcome back. I’m still Malachi Barrett.
Budget negotiations have been a showcase for City Council members who are running for mayor to demonstrate their ability to deliver resources to residents.
Council President Mary Sheffield and Council Member Fred Durhal III each made more than 60 requests for line item changes to the budget. Both are running to replace Mayor Mike Duggan by highlighting their experience on the council.
A vote to authorize the $3 billion budget is set for Monday, April 7. Last year the budget was approved just before midnight after a marathon meeting.
The City Council can affect roughly half the budget, only the $1.58 billion in discretionary spending included in the General Fund.
The council started with $86 million in adjustments to the budget, most of which were for one-time programs and projects.
The Legislative Policy Division only found $38.5 million in available revenue, to fund council priorities. That includes $28 million from the General Fund and $15 million in federal pandemic relief funds.
Council members discussed splitting the $28 million in General Fund revenue nine ways, with each member having $3 million to use on their projects. But ultimately they decided against it.
While Tigers fans enjoyed Opening Day, the council deliberated through the afternoon. At one point, Executive Policy Manager Irvin Corley Jr. warned the council that they needed to cut down their requests or plan to work over the weekend.
“I’ll bring pancakes,” Corley joked.
Council members secured $3 million in additional funding for the “ShotStoppers” community violence intervention program, which has proven to reduce shootings in specific high-crime areas by paying local organizations to disrupt conflicts.
The extra money, which is on top of a $4.4 million boost already included in the budget, will continue funding five groups and help add two more on the east side.
Durhal said the funding is needed in case state lawmakers don’t pass the Public Safety Trust Fund, which would direct $18 million to Detroit. Durhal said the end of federal pandemic relief funding means Detroit needs to find a “strong funding source” to keep the program running.
Council members reduced a request to add $16 million to the Department of Transportation budget to $2 million. The original request would have brought the total funding to $225 million. Transit advocates have called for doubling DDOT’s budget over the next five years, starting with a $16 million increase.
DDOT Director Robert Cramer said a $20 million boost already included in the budget will help hire more drivers and improve reliability, and it isn’t feasible for the department to put additional money to good use.
The boosted $209 million budget will help hire drivers, add new shelters at bus stops and expand paratransit service.
“I’m very hesitant about us being able to push farther than we’ve already been pushing in a very positive and supportive budget,” Cramer said.
What are candidates saying?
Here’s a weekly roundup on what candidates for Detroit offices are up to.
Durhal joined us on Detroit Next, where we talked about his philosophy on using tax breaks to promote development. Durhal has described himself as “unapologetically” in favor of tax incentives, despite pushback from groups like Detroiters For Property Tax Justice.
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“As far as abatements are concerned, they’re necessary until we get to a point where we lower property taxes, the market starts to stabilize and the cost of doing business is not as much,” Durhal said.
Durhal also supports expanding the boundaries of the Downtown Development Authority to direct economic incentives and redirect property tax revenue to reimburse developers for construction costs.
“If we expand this out into commercial corridors, we can create a main street in every single council district,” Durhal said. “Walkable communities include access to fresh groceries, a pharmacy and retail opportunities. It’ll create an environment for small businesses to thrive and that helps tackle one of the biggest problems we have, access to generational wealth.”
Durhal is continuing to field questions on social media. He talks about building a world-class transit system by putting more buses on the road, having them run on time and building more shelters. He also advocated for a regional transit system to connect Detroit to its neighbors.
Durhal’s daughter took over his Instagram page for a look at campaign stops across the city. The campaign scheduled a meet-and-greet at Morningside Cafe on Saturday, April 5. His campaign had a billboard truck circle streets around Comerica Park for Opening Day.
Council President Mary Sheffield appeared on Detroit in Black and White for a wide-ranging interview. Sheffield touted her partnership with Mayor Mike Duggan and passing 20 pieces of legislation in her “People’s Bills” agenda.
Sheffield talked about incentivizing development in commercial corridors with tax incentives and reducing regulations on small businesses. She said there news to be “serious conversations about the future” of the Detroit Land Bank Authority, suggesting the city’s Planning Department should take control of the land bank’s property inventory.
She pitched herself as the “most qualified and capable” candidate for mayor.
In an email to supporters, Sheffield’s campaign said media appearances have reached nearly 200 million people already. The campaign said it surpassed a $150,000 fundraising goal for the first quarter of the year. April 25 is the next deadline to report campaign finance activity.
Businessman Jonathan Barlow appeared on the Shad Vs. Everybody podcast. Host Rashad Sterling typically interviews rappers, actors and artists. They had a conversation about hoops, civic engagement, small business development and his vision for the city.
Barlow also appeared on the Kid L Podcast, where he outlined a plan to create a $500 million business growth fund and discussed his business experience.
I took some time to meet with mayoral candidate Rogelio Landin, who is in support of an expansion of the city government. The community activist said he wants the city to take over the struggling public school system and annex neighboring communities including all the way up to Ann Arbor.
Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. is flexing his campaign’s organizing strength, posting results from a March 29 voter engagement event that drew around 100 supporters to Cass Technical High School before spreading out to knock on doors across Detroit.
Attorney Todd Perkins launched his mayoral campaign this week from a recreation center in the North End. Perkins described himself as neighborhood champion and self-made CEO who would create partnerships between corporations and communities.
