Date: March 25, 2024
Proposed budget: $32,604,622
Number of employees: 325

What’s new this year: 

• Four restorative justice clinics are scheduled this year to allow Detroiters to receive direct, immediate assistance resolving court-related matters. The dates are April 23, April 25, June 18, and August 28. 
• Traffic court revenue decreases by $4.7 million in the mayor’s proposed budget. This was attributed to a reduction in the number of traffic tickets being issued. 
• After delays, the courthouse will be renamed to honor the late Judge Adam Shakoor in June.

Things to watch: 

• Felony domestic violence cases are on the rise. In addition to increasingly younger victims and defendants, the court is especially concerned about the aggravated nature of cases. 
• The lack of mental health facilities in and around Detroit has a distinct impact on the court. For example, when a competency exam is requested in felony cases, the defendant will sometimes sit in jail for 6-7 months, waiting to see a doctor to find out whether they are competent to stand trial. 
• Critical repairs and maintenance are significantly impacting court operations and the estimated cost to address immediate needs is around $3 million. 

Other things to note: 

• Chief Judge William McConico said about 80% of the administrative tasks he handles are related to landlord-tenant cases. 
• The court isn’t seeing an increase in landlords with a certificate of compliance as it anticipated. 
• 388,653 cases were filed in 2022 and 454,978 were disposed. 

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Kayleigh Lickliter, BridgeDetroit

Date: March 21, 2024
Proposed budget: $557,960
Number of employees: Four full-time employees, seven board members 

What’s new this year:

• Transparency update – Disclosure procedures are being reviewed after the Detroit Free Press reports found conflict of interest disclosure requirements were inconsistently followed. 

Things to watch:

• Empty seats – The Board of Ethics has two vacancies, with one seat selected by the mayor and another selected by the City Council. Filling seats is crucial to the board’s ability to hold a quorum. Council members said low pay and long hours make it tough to find an appointee who will do the job.
• Ethics training – The council will request $125,000 in additional funding for ethics training software. Ethics staff trained 1,041 government employees last year and could do more with online training tools. 

Other things to note: 

• A process to return gifts given to city employees was created last year. City employees are prohibited from receiving gifts of any kind. 

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Malachi Barrett, BridgeDetroit

Date: March 25, 2024
Proposed budget: $4,558,541
Number of employees: 35

What’s new this year:

• The BOPC is spending $820,066 on eight temporary investigators and $63,082 on a temporary administrator to address a backlog of roughly 1,400 citizen complaints about police misconduct. That would raise the number of investigators from 15 to 23. 
• BOPC expects to have 70% of its backlog cleared by the end of this fiscal year. 
• An Office of Inspector General report found 700 citizen complaints were improperly closed without proper investigation. BOPC was required to investigate them, adding to the backlog. 

Things to watch:

• The board is hiring a new secretary after the departure of Victoria Shah last December. Seven candidates will be narrowed to three finalists, the board expects to make its selection by the end of April.
• Officials said the complaint backlog harms the BOPC’s credibility in assuring citizens their concerns are being addressed. 

Other things to note: 

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Malachi Barrett, BridgeDetroit

Date: March 13, 2024

Proposed budget: $531,340

Number of employees: 4

What is new this year:

• James Ribbron, director of the Board of Zoning Appeals, recommended the city fund its community appeals process by taking $5,000 out of Michigan Marijuana Tax Revenues. Ribbron said the money would cover the costs of printing and mailing materials.
• The BZA is short two board members but hasn’t had issues meeting its quorum since it obtained 9 board members. Ribbron said the BZA trains the board three times a year to update members on the latest ordinances.

Things to watch:

• Pay — Ribbron asked to increase the payment that BZA board members get at each meeting. They currently get a $300 stipend per meeting. They meet every Monday except the first Monday of the month and holidays. A new amount was not suggested.
• Workload — Ribbron said, due to increased development, the BZA has been seeing an increased number of cases. This year, it’s in line to see 120 cases by the end of the fiscal year.
• Translation services — Applications on the BZA website are currently only in English, but in response to a request by Councilmember Gabriela Santiago-Romero, Ribbron said he would work to add applications in Spanish and Arabic.
• Ribbron said he will likely be asking for funds next year to digitize paper files for the FY26 budget.

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Laura Herberg, Outlier Media

Date: March 20, 2024

Proposed budget: $37 million

Number of employees: Current – 323; Proposed – 356

What’s new this year:

• Seven major developments in the pipeline carrying over to 2025, totaling $155.6 million across seven districts
• Department requesting $583,000 increase in business licensing processing funding
• BSEED Director David Bell committed to increasing the number of compliance resource fairs from one to two annually

Things to watch:

• Plan to increase the number of commercial certificates of compliance
• Plan to increase the number of brick-and-mortar business licenses
• Plan to implement an air quality monitoring network

Other things to note:

• 35 illegal marijuana facilities were closed in 2023
• City Council President Mary Sheffield wants better monitoring of non-compliant senior housing

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Tyrone Anderson, Detroit Documenters

Date: March 21, 2024
Proposed budget: $2,600,000 General Fund subsidy
Number of employees: 158 full-time employees, including 128 funded by the city

What’s new this year:

• Operating support – Funds from the city pay for operations at the museum, and remain unchanged. It’s total budget operating budget is $13.8 million 
• Opening night – The General Motors Theatre will reopen in June after being closed for repairs. The Wright’s Orientation Theater and education classrooms remain closed due to groundwater seeping into the building.

Things to watch:

• Critical repair needs – The Wright Museum requested $6.6 million in additional funds for capital repairs. Museum officials said they are in a critical stage of repairs to a temperature control system needed to keep artifacts and exhibits in pristine condition.
• Work in progress – The museum has roughly $15 million in other deferred maintenance needs. The museum took out a $2.3 million line of credit to fund immediate repairs to remain open. Work on passenger elevators will begin later this year. 
• Call a vote – Legislation is pending to create a millage funding the Wright Museum and Detroit Historical Society. If approved by Michigan lawmakers, voters of Wayne and Oakland counties would likely decide in 2026 elections. 

Other things to note: 

• Closed checkbooks – Museum officials said it’s been difficult to find donations from foundations and corporate community entities to repair its facilities because the building is owned by the city. 
• Blockbuster event – The museum boasted record attendance from an exhibit featuring costumes from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” Roughly $750,000 in revenue from admissions is expected for FY2024.

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Malachi Barrett, BridgeDetroit

Date: April 1, 2024

Proposed budget: $15,536,985 

Number of employees: 133 full-time employees 

What’s new this year:

• The council is requesting $150,000 to cover the cost of its annual retreat. The funding was not included in the mayor’s budget proposal.

Things to watch:

• Each council member has a $948,916 budget, except for Council President Mary Sheffield and at-large Council Members Coleman Young II and Mary Waters. They each receive $1,049,62. 
• Council Member Fred Durhal said their staff members are due for a salary increase. He will seek $1.5 million to hire additional staff and pay better benefits.

Other things to note: 

• Funding for the City Council also includes the Planning Commission, Board of Review, Legislative Policy Division and Historic Designation Advisory Board. 

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Malachi Barrett, BridgeDetroit

Date: March 20, 2024
Proposed budget: $7,135,318
Number of employees:  38 full-time employees

What’s new this year:

• Hire Detroiters – An executive order setting requirements for construction contractors to hire Detroiters is being updated. Changes will ensure fees are collected from contracts that fail to meet the hiring standards. 
• Accessible housing – The Office of Disability Affairs launched an accessible housing campaign to inform landlords, property owners and inspectors on Americans with Disabilities Act standards. 
• Think of the children – The Office of Early Learning is working to add 2,000 seats in childcare programs in next two years 

Things to watch: 

• Language access – Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero advocated for more translation services for migrants. She said city meetings and dangerous building hearings lack in-person translation for Spanish and Arabic speakers. CRIO said it has enough resources in the budget to provide language access services. 
• Made in Detroit – Only 22% of jobs created by publicly-subsidized construction projects went to Detroiters in 2022. Council Member Latisha Johnson said fines have not created more job opportunities for Detroiters as intended. A figure was not provided for 2023. 

Other things to note: 

• A $350,000 allocation provided last year to create a disparity study looking at city-funded contracts was not sufficient to complete the effort. Council members said they may request more funding to complete the study. 
• Share the green – Detroit receives a share of state tax revenue from marijuana licenses, which largely goes into the General Fund and also pays for drug addiction programs. Council President Pro Tem James Tate said he’d like to see some of the funds invested into the city’s Office of Marijuana Ventures and Entrepreneurship. 

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Malachi Barrett, BridgeDetroit

Meeting date: March 11, 2024 

Proposed budget: $2.8 million 

Number of employees: 27 full-time positions. The department has six vacancies as of February. 

What is new this year: 

• The proposed budget is $164,855 less than the previous year due to a drop in salary and supply costs. Two fewer employees are budgeted for the 2024-25 fiscal year.  

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Malachi Barrett, BridgeDetroit

Date: March 20, 2024

Proposed budget: $29.89 million

Number of employees: Planning and Strategy (4), Environmental Due Diligence (13), Field Operations (15), Compliance (10), Vacant Property Stabilization (42), Capital Management (9), Facilities Management (40). Total full-time employees: 133

What’s new this year:

• Demolished 2,292 residential properties in FY2023, and 1,774 so far in FY2024
• Commercial demolitions have seen a big uptick this fiscal year going from 38 (FY2023) to 87 (FY2024)
• The department also oversees maintenance of 142 city facilities, which costs more than $35,000 a year per facility

Things to watch:

• Previous year’s budget was not enough to cover facility maintenance due to the number of emergency repairs required.
  “We were just barely keeping things going,” said CDD Director LaJuan Counts. She wants more maintenance funding, which she says will reduce the number of work orders in the future.
• Counts said CDD is still committed to deconstruction (instead of demolition) efforts and even tried a pilot program but since materials required so much remediation, the department couldn’t salvage much.
• CDD has collected about $900,000 of $3 million in demolition recovery costs from commercial property owners (forcing owners to pay for demos). The goal is 100% collection.

Other things to note: 

• If property owners want their building taken off the demo list, they have to get a referral from the Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department before CDD will halt all demo activity. Counts said owners often come forward at the 11th hour after BSEED has already done surveys, inspections, set a demo date and spent lots of money and resources. 
• Counts said it takes about six weeks from demo date set to actual demolition.
• Counts said the city has exceeded its requirement to stabilize and sell 6,000 vacant homes under Proposal N.

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Aaron Mondry, Outlier Media

Date: March 20, 2024

Proposed budget: $1.77 million

Number of employees: 19 full-time employees (2 vacancies)

What’s new this year:

• There were more than 93,000 blight tickets issued in FY2023. It’s 800 more than in FY2022, but the number of tickets adjudicated dropped by around 200. Ones not adjudicated means it was resolved either by admission of responsibility or dismissal by the city.
• In 2023, almost $30 million in blight tickets were assessed, with $5 million collected for a collection rate of 16%.
• Appeals went up by large amounts in several categories, including business license appeals (largely marijuana-related) and dangerous buildings hearings.

Things to watch:

• Completed and implemented FOIA improvements, strategic planning efforts and updates to the payment and ticket processing protocols.
• Director Julia Pastula wants to reinstate community blight court.

Other things to note: 

• The department launched in 2005 and has adjudicated more than 500,000 blight tickets.
• The department anticipates exceeding anticipated revenue by $240,000 this fiscal year.
• The department has started live-streaming DAH’s hearings.

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Aaron Mondry, Outlier Media

Date: March 28, 2024
Proposed budget: $160,192,864
Number of employees: 496 current budgeted positions, 500 proposed for the 2025 fiscal year.

What’s new this year:

• Increasing the amount of curbside recycling by deferring a one-time $25 fee to receive a recycling cart. The collection has gone from biweekly to weekly and the city expects the amount of participation to climb. 
• $1.8 million in federal transportation funding to link about 800 traffic signals with a backup generator in case of a power outage. 

Things to watch:

• Resurfacing 25 miles of residential streets, paving 17 miles of major roads – 6 with street funds and 11 with federal transportation funds. 
• Funding to install approximately 500 more speed humps throughout the city.
• The department will replace 40,000 pieces of damaged sidewalks throughout neighborhoods with a combination of funding.

Other things to note:

• 92,000 Detroit households have opted into the city’s curbside recycling program. Even so, the city hasn’t seen a reduction in the amount of solid waste being diverted to landfills. Recycling education remains key.

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here. 

-Autumn Jackson-Hines, Detroit Documenters

Date: March 18, 2024 

Proposed budget: $4,451,608

Number of employees: 12 full-time positions

What is new this year:

• Lease negotiations are ongoing to bring Davis Aerospace Technical High School back to the airport site in 2025. Detroit Public Schools Community District is raising $10 million in funding to convert a terminal into a school building. Classes could start in 2026. 
• A 30-year lease with AV Flight is being pursued to keep the private aviation company at Coleman A. Young Municipal Airport. Airport Director Jason Watt said the city is shifting strategy to pursue long-term leases for hangars. 

What to watch: 

• Land take continues – Homes near the airport have been systematically purchased to make room for runway improvements. A total of 17 occupied homes and 53 vacant properties are on the list, 26 have been closed. The city plans to condemn 36 parcels, mostly vacant lots. Title issues have caused some problems after property owners died during the negotiation process. 
• Don’t break up with DTW – Watt said the airport won’t accommodate commercial flights, they want to become the “premier business airport” for Southeast Michigan. The airport’s proximity to downtown should be a major draw for Detroit business owners.  
• Future of flight – The city is in conversations with Ford’s Michigan Central mobility hub to partner on aviation research. This includes drones, electric aircraft, air traffic management systems, air taxis and other technologies. 

Other things to note: 

• First class – Up to 120 private airplanes are expected to land at City Airport for the NFL Draft in April. 

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Malachi Barrett, BridgeDetroit

Date: March 14, 2024

Proposed budget: $1,284,075 (a 6.4% increase from FY24)

Number of employees: 8 full-time employees

What is new this year:

• DBA’s function is to acquire, furnish, equip, own, improve, operate and maintain city facilities including parking lots and structures. Also provides commercial real estate services to the city. 
• Working on $100 million State Fairgrounds Transit Center project.
• Owns 4,900 parcels, mostly vacant land or commercial property, many of which are for sale.

Things to watch:

• $2.5 million to repair seawalls in lower eastside.
• DBA’s revenue is $0. The city funds staff salaries in DBA. DBA is no longer required to meet revenue benchmarks.

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Aaron Mondry, Outlier Media

Date: March 22, 2024

Proposed budget: $188,867,155

Number of employees: 1,083 full-time positions, up from 977 in 2024.

What’s new this year:

• Spending changes – DDOT expects to receive $11 million in additional revenue from sales and service charges. It also expects to spend $11 million more on salaries and wages, including $5.4 million for a bus driver wage increase, and an additional $5 million  for preventative maintenance. 
• Give me shelter – Sixty new bus shelters are being planned for this year. There are plans to create 100 more shelters in the next two years, with locations chosen through a public engagement process including businesses and advocacy groups. 
• Increased frequency – DDOT plans to gradually increase the number of drivers and buses on the road to 500-600 operators and 214-256 vehicles per day. There were 140 new bus operators hired in 2023. 

Things to watch:

• Go green – DDOT is adding 33 hybrid vehicles to its fleet by the end of 2025 using roughly $30.7 million in federal funding. 
• Safety, reliability – DDOT set a goal for having 85% of buses  arrive on time and is working to reduce preventable crashes, which are three times above the national standard of 0.98 preventable crashes per 100,000 miles driven.
• New transit center – The Jason Hargrove Transit Center, named after a bus driver who died from COVID-19 in 2020, will open in May at the former State Fairground site. It’s expected to serve 24,000 passenger trips per week. 

Other things to note: 

• Paratransit improvements – More people used shuttle services for disabled residents in 2023 after the city took over administration of the paratransit program. Ridership increased from 244,941 in 2022 to 265,282 in 2023. 
• Low income fare – DDOT is exploring discounted fares for low-income residents. It would cost $4 million to offer a discount or $9 million to offer free rides. 
• Raises needed – Council members and DDOT officials agreed drivers are not being paid enough, but said a $3 per hour wage increase approved this year is a good start. 

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Malachi Barrett, BridgeDetroit

Date: March 11, 2024

Proposed budget: $1.9 million in city funding from Housing and Revitalization Department. DEGC has not developed its overall operating budget for 2024-25, which is approved by its board of directors. 

Number of employees: 75 budgeted positions, with 69 filled as of March 

What is new this year: 

• DEGC President Kevin Johnson said $1.6 billion in economic impact will be created using tax incentives authorized in 2023. Thirty-nine upcoming projects will create 1,234 housing units, including 343 discounted “affordable” units. 
• The Green Grocer Project is relaunching. It offers $25,000 grants to help eight small grocery stores open in the next two years. Applications are open online. 
• Grant-funded construction on 18 storefronts in the Gratiot/7 Mile Strategic Neighborhood Fund area will start this spring. The facade improvement program will update windows, doors, signage and security features. Each business received a $35,000 grant. 
• DEGC was awarded $3 million in federal funding to improve infrastructure around Eastern Market. Design work is underway to repave streets.

Things to watch: 

• Motor City Match — Federal pandemic relief provided $15 million for Motor City Match small business grants, which will be fully spent by June 2025. The DEGC hasn’t identified a permanent funding source. The program helped open 167 businesses and support 145 existing businesses, 68% of which are owned by Detroiters. 
• Gentrification concerns — Councilmember Gabriela Santiago-Romero wants the DEGC to promote businesses along the Joe Louis Greenway. DEGC officials said the city must be careful not to create gentrification, citing an example in Atlanta where housing costs increased along a similar multi-use trail.
• Legacy business fund — Council President Mary Sheffield wants to create a fund to support legacy businesses that have been around for 25 years or more. DEGC officials said they’re open to the idea, and nonprofit foundations could provide funding. 
• Uniroyal site — Land transfers on the former Uniroyal site along the Detroit River are anticipated for future development. 
• Flooding — DEGC is working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to mitigate canal flooding in Jefferson Village and is building a levee system meant to remove the area from a federal floodplain. 

To watch the video of this meeting, go here.

-Malachi Barrett, BridgeDetroit

Date: March 22, 2024
Proposed budget: $75.7 million. 7% of the overall budget comes from the city’s General Fund and the rest comes from federal and state workforce development grants, and philanthropic funding 
Number of employees: N/A

What’s new this year: 

• DESC will begin phasing out ARPA-funded programs such as Skills for Life and JumpStart. The workforce agency doesn’t anticipate JumpStart will be in existence after all of the ARPA funding has been spent. However, they are working with philanthropic funders to continue Skills for Life. 
• Funding from the city’s Workforce Training Fund, which was created through Executive Order 2016-1, will be used to support the Jobs for America 10-week skills trade program with local unions. The program is operated in partnership with DPSCD at three high schools this year. 
• The Community Health Corps will be moved to the Housing & Revitalization Department. 

Things to watch: 

• The mobile workforce bus, otherwise known as “Workforce One,” is out of commission. Both DESC and city council members were interested in transitioning from one large bus to multiple smaller vans that could be deployed across the city to connect residents to workforce development programs. 
• Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has a draft workforce plan for the first time ever and it specifically focuses on increasing education levels. DESC anticipates more funding associated with this plan. 

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here. 

-Kayleigh Lickliter, BridgeDetroit

Date: March 18, 2024

Proposed budget: $166,772,422 

Number of employees: 1,298 full-time employees

What is new this year:

• DFD is boasting a historic high in ambulances on the streets, increasing from 40 to 43 ambulances in FY2025. There were 29 in FY2023. 
• DFD plans 1,000 additional fire inspections next year, totaling 6,002. This includes 193 schools, 218 high-rise apartments, 390 gas stations, and 108 hazardous material sites.
• DFD is working with the Law Department to launch an income-based discount program to help residents avoid the cost of ambulance fees. 

What to watch: 

• Fast on the scene – The average response time for a structure fire decreased to 5 minutes and 38 seconds. It takes 7 minutes and 28 seconds on average to respond to a medical emergency. DFD aims to respond to a fire within 6 minutes and a medical emergency within 8 minutes. 
• New rules for events – DFD will ask the council to pass an ordinance requiring private entities to create a medical coverage plan for events. 
• Work in progress – DFD is working on a five-year capital plan that will suggest the creation of new fire stations and outline repair needs.

Other things to note: 

• Most hydrants in service – Only 144 out of the city’s 29,500 hydrants are inoperable. Council Member Angela Whitfield-Calloway said it’s important to find and fix them. Three houses burned in her district in 2021, she said, because there wasn’t a functioning hydrant nearby. 
• Drone response – Council previously approved the purchase of 14 reconnaissance drones. The department wants to obtain six more through a partnership with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. 
• Is there a nurse in the house? – The department is looking into dispatching low-priority medical calls to a dedicated nurse who would connect residents to telehealth resources.  
• Boy’s club – Only 8% of DFD employees are women, but there are opportunities to grow. Officials said they could recruit more women as the department handles more medical runs since fire response has typically been a male-dominated field. 

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Malachi Barrett, BridgeDetroit

Meeting date: March 13, 2024

Proposed budget: $1 million

Number of employees: 37 full-time and 23 part-time staff as of 2023

What is new this year:

• DHS said it knows it’s in line to receive $1.2 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding from the city. It plans to use that money to replace 1,951 windows and to buy a generator for the Dossin Great Lakes Museum.
• DHS asks the council to consider an additional $1 million in capital funding on permanent exhibit upgrades at both museums and for building enhancements. DHS was given $1 million from the city “this year” but was only able to spend about $770,000.
• DHS is also looking to build up its staff.

Things to watch:

• Millage hopes — DHS President and CEO Elana Rugh said DHS wants the Michigan Legislature to call a vote on enabling legislation for a millage this spring, but DHS doesn’t expect it to be on the ballot until 2026, which would mean if it passes, funding wouldn’t be available until 2027.
• Rugh said right now for the millage they’re looking at .2 mils, which would raise $10 million a year with a 60/40 split between DHS and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.
• Adding jobs — DHS wants to hire a project manager for an exhibition with Wayne County about the history of its 43 municipalities, and a maritime curator at the Dossin Museums. It also wants to add interns.
• New fee — DHS recently instituted a $5 admission fee at the Dossin Museum but said city residents still get free admission. The museum website does not currently reflect that free admission.

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Laura Herberg, Outlier Media

Date: March 25, 2024
Proposed budget: No city support. The DIA’s $41.8 million operating budget is covered through fundraising and a property tax millage that creates $28.6 million. 
Number of employees: Did not share

What’s new this year:

• The DIA is working with Anishinaabe tribes to review collections and determine what cultural items should be returned to indigenous tribes under the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act. Positive meetings with tribes have resulted in some items being repatriated.

Things to watch:

• The DIA is building its operating endowment, currently valued at $385 million, with the goal of reaching $500 million by 2027 and $800 million by the time the millage ends in 2032.
• Fundraising continues to create a walkable culture campus connecting institutions like the DIA, Wright Museum, Center for Creative Studies, Detroit Public Library, Michigan Science Center and more. DIA officials said they need $30 million, and the project is at least a decade from being completed. 

Other things to note: 

•  In 2023, the DIA welcomed 600,000 visitors.

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Malachi Barrett, BridgeDetroit

Date: March 14, 2024

Proposed budget: $25 million

Number of employees: 146 full-time

What is new this year:

• DLBA has more than 61,000 vacant parcels in inventory, and has sold around 26,000 to date.
• Total number of structures has decreased from a high of around 32,000 in 2017 to 7,400 today. It’s sold more than 20,000 to date.
• Director Tammy Daniels highlighted the Nuisance Abatement Program. DLBA took more legal action in 2023 than any year since 2015.
• Spends an average of $5 million a year on emergency property maintenance.
• Operational costs exceed $17 million.

Things to watch:

• Councilmember Latisha Johnson wants DLBA to support a community land trust and Daniels seemed interested in that, but it would come from a city initiative.
• Working on a five-year plan.
• Councilmember Gabriela Santiago-Romero asked about the high nuisance abatement numbers. Daniels said it’s never their goal to take the property, and they’re in constant contact with owners about abating blight.
• Discussion about people who were scammed into “buying” a home actually owned by the DLBA. The authority created an equitable transfer policy to help get those people the homes. No numbers were cited. 

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Aaron Mondry, Outlier Media, with contributions from Detroit Documenters Alex Klaus and Sonja Stuckey

Date: March 25, 2024
Proposed budget: $441,675,719
Number of employees: 3,528

What’s new this year:

• $4.8 million is budgeted for transit police operations. There are 45 officers in the transit police unit.
• The budget includes $29.6 million for police precincts, an 18% increase. Larger increases are specifically going to Precinct 9 (33%) and Precinct 8 (30%) 
• An extra $9 million has been budgeted for criminal enforcement, including $4 million for narcotics and $2 million for homicide

Things to watch:

• The Detroit Police Department expects to hire 88 officers this year after 336 last year. That includes 25 new neighborhood patrol officers.
• DEI efforts: Police Chief James White said the department could grow in diversity equity and inclusion.
• Citizens Radio Patrol Program: DPD is trying to recruit younger people for the radio patrol program, which acts like a neighborhood watch program. Currently the majority of members are senior citizens. There is a $125,000 budget for the patrol. 

Other things to note: 

• The homeland security budget, which was previously under the mayor’s budget, is now being transferred to the police budget. 
• DPD received one million 911 calls in 2023 and averaged 55 arrests per day. The department has a 44% homicide clearance rate. The national average in 2022 was 50%.
• DPD is asking for a replacement helicopter and license plate readers to help with police chases. “We can’t chase these cars through the city. We could lose control,” White said. “But you can’t outrun a helicopter.” The chief said using helicopters in the past has helped deal with drag racing and drifting. 

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Malachi Barrett, BridgeDetroit

Date: March 28, 2024
Proposed budget: $9,695,000 (2% more than the mayor’s proposed budget)
Number of employees: 72

What’s new this year: 

• This year, an estimated 12,000 people were saved from tax foreclosure through the Pay As You Stay (PAYS). The department is working to save hundreds more.
• Of the 15,000 applications to the Homeowners Property Exemption (HOPE), over 4,000 were carry-forward applications from the last fiscal year. This has been the first year that carry-forward applications were allowed.
• There were 21 workshops and resource events this fiscal year, touching more than 4,000 households, with additional outreach mandated due to a 2018 settlement with the American Civil Liberties Union.

Things to watch: 

• The department is working with banking institutions on a plan to organize an event to aid unbanked individuals in opening accounts without a requirement to deposit any money up front. 
• The HOPE program will sunset next year absent additional action from the state.
• A change in software vendors will work toward the department’s idea of having a universal platform for filing appeals. Rocket will provide part of the funds for the new software, with additional $200,000 to $300,000 from the city of Detroit.

Other things to note: 

• The Board of Review wants to assist individuals with medical debt but cannot due to current statutes. 
• Based on resident contact with the board, they can become qualifying candidates for other programs like Pay As You Stay, parking permit reductions, and the Detroit Tax Relief Fund.

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here. 

-Eric McCormick, Detroit Documenters

Date: March 15, 2024

Proposed budget: $38,743,587 

Number of employees: 319 (6 fewer than last year)

What is new this year: 

• The department recommends operating the main library, 20 branch locations, the mobile library and the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.
• A fund balance of about $33,172,388 would allow for the “modest” renovation of several library branches over the next four years.

Things to watch: 

• Four library branches are currently closed: Chase, Monty, Skillman and Conley. The Chase branch will be reopening soon after HV/AC upgrades. And Conley branch recently had renovations of the floors and walls. Both of the locations have been closed since 2020 but could reopen in 2024.

Fun fact: It costs $6,420,455 per year to operate the main library and $782,412 to operate a branch. 

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Kayleigh Lickliter, BridgeDetroit

Date: March 21, 2024
Proposed budget: $6,500,000 General Fund subsidy
Number of employees: 75 employees and 32 vehicle operators

What’s new this year:

• Free ride – People Mover rides are free through 2024 through a sponsorship with Priority Waste. DTC General Manager Robert Cramer said he’d like to find a way to keep fares free for residents. 
• Station upgrades – People Mover stations are being upgraded with digital kiosks that provide an interactive map showing when the next rail car arrives and information on small business and other destinations. A $500,000 donation from Hotel Water Square developers will upgrade the West Riverfront Station. 
• Transit safety – The DTC Transit Police will shift responsibility of city buses back to the Detroit Police Department. DTC struggled to fill positions during the pandemic, causing a midnight shift to be canceled. Transit Police officers will provide security solely on the People Mover starting later this year. 

Things to watch:

• People Mover expansion – DTC will use $800,000 in state planning funds to hire a national expert for a “scenario planning” study that could look at expansion of People Mover. 
• Ridership increases – The People Mover had 655,000 riders in 2023. Ridership doubled in the first two months of this year, in part thanks to free fares.
• Rail swap – Toronto sold driverless rail cars to DTC after decommissioning its system. DTC spent $1 million to acquire parts and equipment valued at nearly $90 million, and will replace its entire fleet with Toronto’s vehicles.

Other things to note: 

• Got change? – The People Mover won’t start collecting fares again without replacing its fare system to integrate with DDOT and other transit systems. Current equipment can only accept coin tokens or pre-loaded cards. 
• Play a tune – The DTC is considering live music programming to coincide with Movement and other music festivals this summer. 
• Ditch the car – Cramer said people are encouraged not to drive their car into the heart of downtown for the NFL Draft in April. “We’d rather them take transit,” he said. 

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Malachi Barrett, BridgeDetroit

Date: March 22, 2024
Proposed budget: $244,744,200 for Water; $387,942,900 for Sewerage
Number of employees: Proposed for water: 650 (actual is 590). Proposed for sewerage: 28 (actual is 26)

What’s new this year: 

• Proposing a 3.2% increase in rates across the system which means for water service, sewage, and drainage. Trying to keep costs from increasing more than the national inflation rate. 
• Cleaning 500 miles of sewers, inspecting 6000 catch basins annually, replacing 8,000 lead service lines with all removed within 10 years, painting 5,000 fire hydrants 
• Completing Far West project stormwater management initiative as well as an eastside residency study and 2 westside green infrastructure projects

Things to watch: 

• There is a plan that has not been reviewed by the DWSD board yet, but would offer credits for churches and residential customers negatively impacted by severe drainage charges. Director Gary Brown said his goal is to have it start on May 1. 
• Services offered by the Basement Backup Protection Program to residents in 11 neighborhoods are now available to low-income residents in 22 neighborhoods through a new program called the Private Sewer Repair Program. Services include city-provided repair of sewer laterals and installation of backflow water valves and sump pumps where feasible.
• DWSD is in the process of buying 13 occupied homes in the Brightmoor neighborhood for at least 2.5 times the market rate to construct a pond that will slow the flow of water into the stormwater systems by routing water from the area straight to the Rouge River. 

Other things to note: 

• Hundreds of churches are behind on their water bills due to drainage charges, some as high as $10,000 per month.
• Brown said service interruptions would be the consequence for people who can afford their DWSD bills but aren’t paying. With both the Lifeline Plan and the 10/30/50 payment plan available to those who need help, Brown’s stance is that the remaining customers who aren’t paying should be able to afford it.
• The city is clearly growing: 20 water meters are being installed weekly and sales volume has increased which has helped offset some of the increase in expenses as a result of inflation.

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

—Shiva Shamir, Detroit Documenters

Date: March 25, 2024
Proposed budget: $400,000 General Fund contribution which is 22% of the authority’s overall $1.8 million budget.
Number of employees: Not provided.

What’s new this year: 

• DWCPA will present its decarbonization and air quality improvement plan on April 8 at 5:00 p.m. at Kenney Recreation Center. The presentation will include information about the current carbon footprint of all 18 terminals in the port of Detroit and the 15-20 year plan to reduce carbon emissions to net zero. 
• Tall ships are returning to the Detroit River in the summer of 2025. 

Things to watch: 

• A ferry feasibility study is expected to wrap up in the next couple weeks. The study looked at the possibility of operating a ferry service that connects Belle Isle and downriver communities. 
• Legislation is being drafted that would provide DWCPA the authority it needs to support economic development projects by allowing them to issue pass-through bonds for projects it doesn’t own, such as entertainment facilities. 

Other things to note:  

• There were three groundings in the Detroit River in 2023. 
• 62 cruise ships passed through the Detroit River last year, setting a new record for the second year in a row. The number is expected to decrease to 44 in 2024 due to a smaller shipping company closing its doors. 
• 41 ports in 26 states were awarded $653 million under the Port Infrastructure Development Program in fiscal year 2023 but DWCPA wasn’t one of them.

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Kayleigh Lickliter, BridgeDetroit

Meeting date: March 13, 2024

Proposed budget: $3.2 million in operating and capital requests

Number of employees: 261 full-time and 30 part-time employees.

What is new this year:

• The zoo is requesting that the city increase its annual reimbursement to secure and insure the zoo’s land and buildings to $1.2 million. This amount was previously $570,000.
• The zoo is requesting $2 million in capital funding to put toward its estimated $18 million in needed repairs. The zoo said the total costs in 2024 to secure and insure city-owned assets are $2.46 million which exceeds the requested amount of $1.2 million.
• The zoo has a lot of sewer lines that are more than 100 years old or beyond life expectancy. The zoo also had a sinkhole open up on campus during the middle of last year.

Things to watch:

Councilmember Scott Benson suggested that the zoo ask for a higher millage rate in order to bring down the cost of admission to the zoo.

Fun fact: Wayne County makes up 27% of the zoo’s active member households.

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Laura Herberg, Outlier Media

Date: April 1, 2024
Proposed budget: $300,000 subsidy from the city’s General Fund
Number of employees: n/a

What’s new this year:

• Eastern Market Partnership CEO Dan Carmody plans to step down at the end of the year. President Katy Trudeau will take on his leadership duties, Carmody said. 
• Construction will start this year on a new distribution center dedicated to regional farmers. Shed 7 will be expanded and modernized through a $14 million state grant. 
• Two new tenants will move into the Metro Food Accelerator facility to receive business support. One grower will receive help to launch an organic flour product line; another is meat business. 
• Eastern Market is working with American Community Development to put a 120-unity “affordable housing” and commercial project on city-owned land along the Dequindre Cut.

Things to watch:

• Eastern Market is planning to overhaul Shed 4, which hasn’t had a major investment since 2006. Shed 4 would be replaced with a building allowing vendors to sell their goods indoors. It could cost $12 million to $15 million. 
• The city did not grant Eastern Market’s request for an additional $250,000 for capital expenses and $1.5 million to help redevelop Shed 4. Construction is expected to start in spring 2025 but could be delayed for a year if the $1.5 million isn’t approved. The council will discuss whether to support the request for more funding. 
• Eastern Market is opposed to the state’s I-375 redesign and are suggesting changes in partnership with the Michigan Department of Transpotation. Eastern Market officials are concerned about the impact on the neighborhood and surrounding businesses like Wolverine Packing Co.

Other things to note: 

• There are eight Detroit farms selling at the market, with plans to support more through partnerships with the Black Farmer Land Fund. Eastern Market used a $2 million federal grant last year to pack food boxes – 60% was spent on from Black-owned farms. 
• Eastern Market leaders want to protect the character of the area while it grows, citing how rising property values undermined market districts in cities like Chicago and Washington, D.C. “Eastern Market is the last one standing of local food districts in major cities,” Carmody said. 
• Two retail spaces are finished and a third is coming for non-food businesses thanks to a partnership with TechTown. 

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Malachi Barrett, BridgeDetroit

Meeting date: March 11, 2024 

Proposed budget: $20.1 million 

Number of employees: 125 full-time employees, an increase of three from the previous year. There were 34 vacancies as of February. 

What is new this year: 

• Detroit’s Department of Elections is expected to receive a 40% budget increase, including $6 million in additional funding. The budget increase will help Detroit administer five elections, including the 2024 presidential election, and offer early in-person voting as required by a change in state law. 
• The department received $2 million in grants to train poll workers and implement rigorous security procedures for the central counting board at Huntington Place. 
• Twenty-two staff members are needed to watch 34 absentee ballot drop boxes.  

Things to watch:

• Voter turnout — City Clerk Janice Winfrey said she’s “embarrassed” with voter turnout during February elections, including the use of early voting centers. Election officials said they have limited ability to increase voter turnout. Daniel Baxter, chief operating officer for absentee voting and special projects, said that’s up to political campaigns. 
• Security issues — Winfrey said a request for security funding was denied. Winfrey said her life was threatened after the 2020 election by supporters of former President Donald Trump. She has security provided two days before Election Day through the day after.
• Pre-registering voters — Winfrey said the department is visiting high schools to pre-register underage voters under a new state law that makes them eligible to vote after turning 18.
• Capital expenses — Winfrey said the Elections Department headquarters need a new roof, HVAC and elevator. 

Fun fact: Presidential elections generally average 50% turnout or higher while primaries range between 10% and 15%, Baxter said. Turnout in municipal elections typically ranges between 18% to 23% and gubernatorial elections range between 35% and 42%. 

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Malachi Barrett, BridgeDetroit

Date: March 27, 2024
Proposed budget: $113,101,247
Number of employees: 929

What’s new this year:

• The total budget is $23.8 million under what was approved last year. Roughly half of that comes from a reduction in capital costs. 
• Construction on a new animal shelter will wrap up in the next quarter. The new site will house 200 dogs and 80 cats, and include medical facilities that are much improved over the previous building.

Things to watch:

• The Animal Care and Control division was shifted from the Health Department to GSD in 2023. It has $5.5 million allocated in the 2025 budget, including 97 staff. There has been an increase in loose and stray animals since the pandemic, resulting in 87 dog bites in 2023, plus 1,959 incident responses and 212 tickets issued. 
• 400 trees on private property were removed so far through an $8.3 million program. The city received 7,000 requests from residents to take down trees, though only 2,000 will be served through the program. The phone line was shut down early due to higher-than-expected demand. 
• 2,529 alleys were cleaned and 22,165 vacant lots were cut in 2023. GSD is working to continue cleaning debris, take down defunct signage and broken fences, remove graffiti and paint murals on blighted buildings. 

Other things to note:

• GSD purchased 360 electric or hybrid vehicles and is committed to replacing its fleet with energy efficient cars. However, the department has struggled with a shortage of EVs. Ford told the city that it won’t be able to provide hybrid police patrol cars until 2025.
• GSD is meeting with the Detroit Land Bank Authority to help clean up properties near parks and schools. 

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Malachi Barrett, BridgeDetroit

Date: March 15, 2024

Proposed budget: $43,414,070

Number of employees: 247.5 full-time

What is new this year:

• Denise Fair Razo, chief public health officer for the Detroit Health Department, presented a proposed budget that included $11,814,029 for general funds, $17,554,641 in state block grants, $14,045,400 from federal grants and $3,441,000 from service fees and revenue.
• The general fund budget is broken down into personnel and non-personnel cost for administration, operations, environmental health, food safety, resident services, grant operations and violence prevention. behavioral health.
• Ceasefire program enhancement — The program has 14 members working across the city. The health department requested $211,235 in FY25 to add six additional members and $25,000 for program supplies.

Things to watch:

• Opioid settlement dollars — Detroit’s health department is expected to get about $400,000 from the National Opioids Settlement, and it plans to use that to increase Narcan access through vending machines, outreach via the 313 Hope program and through distribution of fentanyl, HIV and pregnancy testing kits. It also plans to add three new employees to the staff.
• Environmental health team — The team inspects restaurants, childcare facilities, public swimming pools, hotels, marijuana businesses and more. There are currently five vacancies on the team of 17 inspectors. Three job offers have been made.
• Drug prevention — The department gets 2% of all marijuana tax revenue, which totals to about $40,000 this year. Floyd said the department will use it for a substance abuse prevention program called “Too Good for Drugs.” It will run six weeks at city schools and include a parent education session and youth ambassadors.

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Kayleigh Lickliter, BridgeDetroit

Date: March 14, 2024

Proposed budget: $28.5 million from General Fund, $250 million in one-time grants from the federal government, $101,954 from Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS, $9.2 million from the Home Investment Partnerships Program, $2.9 million from the Emergency Solutions Grants Program and $32.3 million from Community Development Block Grant Programs for a total of about $73 million.

Number of employees: 220 (as of 2022)

What is new this year:

• Proposing $12.2 million from the budget and $85.7 million in one-time grants to start construction on 1,063 new units in 2024, all below 80% area median income.
• Proposing $8 million from the budget and $101.9 million ($26.1 million from ARPA) in one-time grants to complete more than 1,500 home repairs in 2024.
• Proposing $10.2 million from the budget and $25.8 million in one-time grants on housing stability services in 2024 (homeless services, tenant navigation, foreclosure prevention, etc.).
• Proposing $9 million ($4 million from ARPA) on neighborhood and community development.

Things to watch:

• Downpayment Assistance Program — The program is expected to be restarted in May 2024. The department is looking at ways to fund it into the future once ARPA money runs out.
• HRD is adding a staff person whose job it will be to just cultivate and curate Supportive Housing deals.
• HRD has a new funding partner for 0% interest home loan program and will be boosting marketing on it this year. Only about 50 people got loans through the program in 2023.
• The Accessibility Repair Program will spend $6.6 million to fund 150-200 homes in partnership with Community Housing Network and Detroit Disability Power. It is still in discussions but supposed to launch in April. 

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Aaron Mondry, Outlier Media

Date: March 22, 2024
Proposed budget: $14,430,245 (4.3% decrease) 
Number of employees: 105 General Fund positions 

What’s new this year: 

• After the launch of an employee discount program in February of this year, over 2,100 employees have signed up to receive exclusive discounts to Detroit-based businesses. HR hopes to increase the number of participants through employee engagement efforts. 
• The city facilitated training for around 25,000 employees in the last fiscal year and plans to train 5,000 more in the upcoming fiscal year. 

Things to watch: 

• 16 collective bargaining agreements expire at the end of June
• The city plans to expand employee resources to include child care, whether it’s through a discount program or a childcare facility. 
• The city is looking to change its policy to allow departments to provide gender-neutral options in paperwork and processes. 

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Kayleigh Lickliter, BridgeDetroit

Date: March 15, 2024

Proposed budget: $61.1 million, a 6.5% ($3.7 million) increase from the previous year.

Number of employees: 146 (2 more than last year) and 41 are paid by ARPA funds.

What is new this year: 

• The proposed budget includes $1,019,025 for cybersecurity personnel and software. 
• DoIT is taking the lead in refreshing and equipping all of the city’s departments with radios to ensure they have the latest equipment. There is $1,648,000 proposed for public safety radios. 
• The budget proposes spending $169,024 to expand public safety data storage. The increase is needed now that every officer is assigned a body camera and improvements to building security. 

Things to watch: 

• More opportunities for businesses — DoIT plans to schedule more outreach events with Detroit businesses to provide more information on what technology standards the city uses.
• Increasing cybersecurity — The department plans to increase vendor management policies, increase cybersecurity awareness among employees, increase response capabilities and hire a chief information security officer.
• Retiring legacy software — As the department continues to phase out old hardware it estimates it will save $335,000 in contractor labor costs and will reduce mail/print operations costs by $303,000. 

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Kayleigh Lickliter, BridgeDetroit

Date: March 21, 2024
Proposed budget: $18,843,410
Number of employees: 112 full-time positions

What’s new this year:

• It could cost $164 million to resolve 19 wrongful conviction cases. Legal settlements are paid from the city’s Risk Management Fund. 
• The Allen Group partnered with city attorneys to collect $15 million to $20 million in delinquent taxes from investors who evaded property taxes. 
• Eight lawyers are filing public nuisance claims against private property owners who have blighted buildings. There were 18 lawsuits filed in FY2024, recovering $978,000 in demolition costs. Nine more more lawsuits are being prepared. 

Things to watch:

• $2 million was allocated for Freedom of Information Act requests. Council Member Angela Whitfield-Calloway requested data on requests received since 2019, arguing delays in the release of public information is unacceptable. Corporation Counsel Conrad Mallett said delays are due to city departments being slow to provide information sought by FOIA, not a lack of lawyers. He said there isn’t a backlog of requests.  
• Mallett said legal firms are increasingly using FOIA to investigate cases before taking on lawsuits against the city. Fraudulent lawsuits from bus riders who inflate or manufacture injuries are a major problem, Mallett said. The average settlement is $30,000. Mallett said there’s no way to defeat the medical judgment of a physician who says someone suffered in a crash. 

Other things to note: 

• No additional money for the Office of Eviction Defense. Federal pandemic relief funding dries up after this budget year, creating a need for long-term funding. The new office provided legal aid to almost 17,000 residents. 

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Malachi Barrett, BridgeDetroit

Date: March 15, 2024 (Mayor Mike Duggan presented the budget proposal formally on March 7)

Proposed budget: $1.46 billion for General Fund activities and $2.76 billion across all city funds

Number of employees: Not listed

What is new this year:

DDOT

• $21.6 million budget increase, including 117 more bus drivers.

General Fund

Targeted investments from one-time surplus:

• $20 million for capital improvements to city facilities, parks, and neighborhood assets.
• $17.5 million or cleanup on freeways, alleys, commercial corridors, and land bank properties.
• $15.1 million for blighted properties ordered demolished.
• $14.1 million for Police overtime to support extra patrol and surge coverage. 
• $10 million for a one-time supplemental benefit for legacy retirees.
• $4.5 million for Motor City Match and Grow Detroit’s Young Talent.
• $4 million for Department of Elections for expanded presidential cycle turnout and Proposal 2 implementation.
• $3.1 million for fire/EMS overtime to support new recruit transition.
• $2.8 million for the Affordable Housing Development and Preservation Fund, on top of $350,000 in recurring budget.
• $8 million for various other one-time expenditures.
• Recurring budget increases totaling $19 million (1.4% growth).
• $10 million for more competitive active employee retirement benefits.
• $5 million for homelessness services to provide safe and stable support.
• $2 million increase, for a total of $7.5 million, for the workforce investments fund to support competitive wages in hard-to-fill city jobs.
• $1 million for Public Lighting Authority repair and response to street light outages.
• $1 million to enhance the City’s cybersecurity preparedness and response.

Things to watch: 

• Selecting final neighborhood solar areas and developers.
• Deploying citywide EV charging infrastructure.
• Implementing energy efficiency improvements for municipal buildings.
• Administering energy and water benchmarking ordinance reporting.
• Coordinating and supporting waste diversion and food recovery efforts.

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Kayleigh Lickliter, BridgeDetroit

Date: March 27
Proposed budget: $3,590,418
Number of employees:  40

What’s new this year:

• New director, Jasmine Barnes, is in the first 30 days of her new role and is in the process of assessing operations of the department. She comes from the parks and recreation division of the General Services Department. 
• Consultations with departments and city council members to determine how to best meet their needs. 
• More listening devices coming to the Committee of the Whole room, a substantial increase from the two they currently have. 

Things to watch: 

• The department expressed an interest in the educational programs on the city’s public access channels. 
• Film services budget was added to the executive division to ensure there’s sufficient funding and outreach available for the booming film industry in Detroit. 
• The department is working with the clerk’s office on storage-related issues for older city council meetings and the process to obtain the videos from the archive. Older meetings are no longer available to review on the city’s website. 

Other things to note: 

• Multiple council members expressed frustration over the availability of media services staff on the weekends and during the holidays, as well as equipment issues during community meetings that council members have hosted. 

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here. 

-Kayleigh Lickliter, BridgeDetroit

Meeting date: March 11, 2024 

Proposed budget: $10.2 million 

Number of employees: 96 full-time positions, including 58 parking enforcement officers

What is new this year: 

• The department wants to create 20 residential parking zones after approving seven in the 2024 fiscal year. 
• A $1.6 million increase in revenue from on-street parking meters is expected this year, a 30% bump. 
• Overall revenue is expected to increase $3.8 million from the previous year, driven by growth in revenue from parking garages, on-street meters and code enforcement. 

Things to watch:

• More parking — Director Keith Hutchings said the department is working to create more parking options in commercial corridors and expanding residential permits to secure on-street parking for residents who live in high-traffic neighborhoods. Hutchings said he believes there is a need for more parking availability because the city does not have an expansive public transportation system and most corridors don’t have enough foot traffic to support retail businesses. 
• EV charging stations — The department also plans to “drastically” increase the number of electric vehicle charging stations, particularly in parking garages and Eastern Market. The city is looking to add charging stations at on-street parking spaces, Hutchings said.
• Fines — Council President Mary Sheffield said she will be asking for more funding to advertise the city’s parking ticket discount that cuts fines in half for residents who register their license plate and pay within five days. She said not enough residents are aware of the program. 

To watch the video of this meeting, go here.

-Malachi Barrett, BridgeDetroit

Date: March 27, 2024
Proposed budget: $3,590,418
Number of employees: 40

What’s new this year:

• Request to move $20 million in ARPA funds from the digital divide bucket so it can be used for housing-related projects.  
• Proposed $30 million in unlimited tax obligation bonds is proposed for public lighting improvements, parks and recreation improvements, and public safety facility upgrades. If approved, this would exhaust the city’s remaining UTGO bonds. 
• $10 million toward a “13th check” that retirees would receive every year. The amount of the check would be a percentage of the average monthly check a retiree receives. The administration is also looking at other ways to enhance active employee benefits. 
• “Vehicle installment purchase agreement” worth $55 million to make various vehicle purchases. Council member Whitfield-Calloway has asked the administration to spread the funds over a 5-year window, rather than use it all at once.

Things to watch:

• Resolution to use the surplus funds from the prior year and additional revenue sources for various projects, totaling around $173,050,000. In prior years, the city council has been able to reallocate some of the surplus funding that the administration proposed using for other purposes. Debate over using these funds has typically occurred during executive sessions which will be held next week. 
• The administration has plans to lower the city’s debt millage to 7 mills this year, down 1 mill from last year, which will be the second year in a row the debt millage was reduced as a result of increasing property values. The change would apply to July property tax bills. 

Other things to note: 

• Despite the OCFO’s belief that they don’t foresee a situation where the administration would have to ask voters for more debt financing, the council’s Legislative Policy Division cautioned council members about the “tremendous” needs the city anticipates in the future. 
• Council Members Johnson and Whitfield-Calloway are considering property tax amendments related to hospitality and entertainment. 

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here. 

-Kayleigh Lickliter, BridgeDetroit

Date: March 28, 2024
Proposed budget: $1,831,000 ($131,000 beyond mayor’s proposed budget)
Number of employees: 10

What’s new this year:

• In the 2023 fiscal year, the department received and reviewed 321 complaints and closed 339. It also initiated 24 investigations, closed 16 of them as well as an audit. 
• Banned Bobby Ferguson and the companies he runs from doing business with the city until 2033
• A six-year joint investigation into David Holman between the OIG, Michigan’s Attorney General and the Treasury Department’s Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP) led to felony charges and the collection of $1.25 million out of a total of $4.72 in total restitution to the city.

Things to watch:

• Kamau Marable, the city’s deputy inspector general, is expected to succeed Ellen Ha, the current inspector general, after her term ends in August, during the next fiscal year.
• A new city ordinance that will fund the OIG through proportional funding is under development.
• A new information analyst position within the OIG to help streamline data requests the office makes to the city and outside parties.

Other things to note: 

• The OIG’s additional funding is solely dedicated to creating a new information analyst position.

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here. 

-Eric McCormick, Detroit Documenters

Meeting date: March 13, 2024

Proposed budget: $5,025,280

Number of employees: 19 full-time

What is new this year: 

• 2.7% budget increase over the FY24 adopted budget
• $103,000 increase in salaries, wages and benefits
• $43,000 increase in Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) costs
• $15,000 decrease in expenses
• The OAG is requesting $200,000 in supplemental funding from the General Fund to contract additional professional services to increase its capacity to audit.
• The mayor’s FY25 proposed budget includes 19 full-time employees but the OAG’s supplemental ask is three additional full-time employees for a total of 22. Its goal, however, is 25 full-time employees.

Things to watch:

OAG office renovations:

• OAG says it currently has 11 desks for 16 auditors (others are working remotely), and the office is not ADA-compliant.
• $500,000 in office renovations is being proposed, but this is also part of the FY25-28 four-year financial plan.
• OAG is also worried that the amount is not enough because it is lower than the $561,000 it received for its last quote.
• The OAG said the office is seeking $600,000 in office renovations.

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Laura Herberg, Outlier Media

Date: March 27, 2024
Proposed budget: $65,816,878
Number of employees:  426

What’s new this year:

• Procurement reform ordinance will be sent to city council in the next few weeks which would change the threshold requirement for city council’s approval on contracts when the amount exceeds $125,000, a substantial increase from the current threshold of $25,000. 
• $1,229,027 is proposed for the assessor’s office to consolidate property tax bills. Currently, property owners sometimes receive multiple tax bills for one property (i.e. one for their garage and another for their home)
• Several internal process-related improvements such as improving the tax clearance process for contractors, turning contracts around faster, etc.

Things to watch:

• Increasing minority, small, and microbusiness contracting through the creation of internal incentives for departments. 
• Improvements to the property tax payment system and specifically, the ways someone can pay their property tax bill. 
• The city is considering different options to provide additional benefits to retirees, some of which require a return to bankruptcy court. One of the options mentioned would give retirees an option to “buy” their way out. 

Other things to note: 

• The effort to increase income tax collection continues with a concerted effort to find residents who use an address outside of the city and non-residents who work in the city to ensure they’re paying income taxes as they should be. 
• OCFO remains laser-focused on spending federal ARPA funds within the required timeframes. Every dollar has to be obligated by the end of this year or the city will risk losing the funds. 

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here. 

-Kayleigh Lickliter, BridgeDetroit

Date: March 28, 2024
Proposed budget: $1,502,599
Number of employees: 10

What’s new this year:

• The demolition deferral process includes an additional proof of funds requirement to minimize miscommunications.
• Requirements for businesses that are open 24 hours or operating after 2 a.m. are more likely to have crimes. Recommendation for these businesses to provide lighting, cameras, and security to discourage violent crimes.
• A property tax exemption law for veterans, urged by the ombudsman’s office, was signed in October by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to allow disabled veterans to file for the exemption once and they are no longer obligated to come to City Hall annually.

Things to watch:

• The average income in Detroit is between $40,000 and $45,000 whereas the average income in Michigan is $70,000. The current salary figures make Detroit unattractive to new citizens.
• Basic inspections by governmental agencies of subsidized housing are not enough, so the office intends to work with BSEED and other governmental entities to address the issue.

Other things to note: 

• More industry with better paying jobs is important to compete with other major cities and suburbs when trying to grow Detroit.
• More outreach is needed for veterans to address mental health, unemployment, homelessness, physical injuries, and lack of education.

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here. 

-Autumn Jackson-Hines, Detroit Documenters

Proposed budget: Not said at meeting

Number of employees: Not said at meeting

What is new this year:

• Two Community Benefits Agreements negotiated in 2023 and early 2024 — Future of Health and Hotel at Water Square
• Completed two neighborhood plans in 2023: North End and Midwest/Tireman

Things to watch:

• In the process of creating a community advisory group.
• Will soon begin the process to update the department’s Master Plan, expected to finish in 2025. The last update was done in 2009.
• Working on zoning and land use study around I-375 — will result in 28-30 acres of new real estate for development. Study should be released in the next 90 days.
• A couple of councilmembers took issue with the Neighborhood Advisory Councils that negotiate community benefits on big projects — said residents are not on a level negotiating field with developers in terms of education, training and resources.
• Councilmember Latisha Johnson asked about money for community engagement. Planning Director Antoine Bryant said $500,000 will be spent to “incorporate equity, sustainability resiliency, and to enhance community engagement efforts” in Detroit’s Master Plan.

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Aaron Mondry, Outlier Media, with contributions from Detroit Documenters Alex Klaus and Sonja Stuckey

Date: March 18, 2024 

Proposed budget: $20,565,060 million for the Public Lighting Department (PLD) and $10.4 million for the Public Lighting Authority (PLA). The PLA also uses a $12.5 million utility user tax to pay off bond debt.

Number of employees: One full-time administrator for the PLD and 17 positions for the PLA. 

What is new this year:

• New generation – Streetlights installed in 2014 are up for replacement. Until 2021, PLA operated at a surplus. It plans to spend reserves on maintenance, specifically replacing lights and poles that were last replaced a decade ago. 
• Crash deterrence – The PLA expects to issue $22 million in bonds to retrofit high-traffic corridors across 118 miles. Those areas experience a higher number of vehicles crashing into light poles. 

What to watch: 

• Outages more common – Light pole outages have doubled due to the aging system. 
• Filling in gaps – Lighting on secondary roads outside the Central Business District were originally coordinated with power lines. There’s a need to equally space lights along streets in residential areas. It could cost $2,000 per block. 

Other things to note: 

• Work in progress – Last year, 86 miles of underground cable and 85 miles of overhead wire were recycled; 32 damaged manholes were also replaced. 
• Solar power – Light poles likely won’t become solar-powered in the near future, as officials said modern battery technology can’t provide sufficient reliability. 

To listen to an audio transcript of this meeting, go here.

-Malachi Barrett, BridgeDetroit