budget

Said year-end transfers (item 7.2) need Auditor General and IG review, demanded performance evaluations for all PILOT programs, and urged residents to vote against millages.

Advised seniors to review Medicare Advantage changes and advocated for funding to revitalize the Finkel corridor and park playground equipment.

Praised city council meetings and urged stricter oversight of city vehicles and lawsuits to save taxpayer money.

Discussed revenue sharing, state commitments following the municipal bankruptcy, and retirement commitments.

Criticized past administration policies, settlement payouts, and funding distribution.

Questioned large expenditures on diesel engine repairs and the distribution of recreation center funding across districts.

Requested more information on income tax collection variances and retiree meetings.

Addressed city financial management, fiscal policies, and administrative integrity.

Requested that the committee call in the Director of the Detroit Department of Elections to explain how department funds are spent.

Advocated for property tax justice compensation and replacement of the city assessor.

Criticized city spending priorities, pointing to water funding versus education and neighborhood needs, and called for government transparency.

Wished Council Member Johnson a happy birthday, discussed senior waste disposal discount deadlines, and advocated for union support and retiree assistance.

Urged voters to participate in upcoming elections and discussed ballot proposals regarding campaign finance reform.

Criticized economic development priorities and alleged inequities in city support for long-term residents.

Addressed the committee regarding election records and municipal transparency.

Discussed property tax assessment injustices and foreclosure compensation guidelines.

Criticized property tax assessments and expressed opposition to city policies and leadership.

Expressed frustration over neighborhood conditions and city spending priorities.

Criticized city contract awards and questioned local economic benefits.

Discussed municipal budgeting decisions and urged residents to engage in local political processes.

Requested more youth services and criticized past treatment of city retirees.

Criticized past city administration financial decisions and alleged a lack of integrity among city officials.

Began commenting on the council's million-dollar office budget but was cut off after using derogatory language.

Gave a 'budgeting 101' plea to stop tax breaks and subsidies, saying core services suffer, and called to 'DOGE Detroit.'

Cited BZA transcript spending confusion and urged the city to reactivate the Open Checkbook Detroit platform so residents can see every department's spending.

Advocated for charity and government resources to promote self-sufficiency rather than dependency.

Questioned the breakout of city funding in the big equipment contracts, the 2025 LLC receiving Widman Place parcels, and noted District 7 lacks a recreation center.

Thanked Council for budget engagement and supported right-to-counsel, mental health co-response, and youth programs, and invited members to a May 16 mental health expo.

Echoed the call to add an immigrant legal defense and language access fund to the FY27 budget.

A District 2 business owner and CEO of Aviators Strategies introduced himself, expressing interest in food processing grants and investment in Detroit.

Pressed the council to finally resolve BZA transcript funding, saying residents shouldn't have to nag council at every meeting about records that should always be available.

The Financial Review Commission's executive director asked where the budget spreadsheet is posted so she could follow along.

Urged scrutiny of the budget over the next seven days, criticized corporate-level salaries paid with tax dollars, land bank employee land-hoarding, and neighborhood rezoning to satisfy political promises.

Argued the $30M DDOT increase could buy 1,500 vehicles for families and questioned repeated budget priorities.

Detroit People's Platform rep said PB puts real dollars in neighborhoods' hands and boosts voter turnout.

District 5 resident backed PB across all districts and urged water affordability, calling 30% of the water bill a 'rain tax.'

West Grand Collaborative executive director asked for participatory budgeting across all districts and backed right to counsel, ICE funding and water affordability.

80-year Detroit resident and accountant called the DDOT funding an 'accounting shuffle' and said state money should stack on top of last year's general fund.

Green Task Force committee chair asked where the Office of Sustainability budget sits and whether it's actually being doubled as the mayor promised.

Said budget review needs an overhaul — broad categories hide real spending, and Open Checkbook Detroit was abandoned; flagged BZA transcript cost hiding.

Supported participatory funding across all districts and suggested an entertainment fee rather than a tax, plus right to counsel and transit funding.

Asked why no audit has been requested of the previous administration and warned about ending up in receivership.

Block level council rep asked for home repair grants for moderate-income homeowners north of Warren and backed PB.

District 5 resident said too much of the budget goes to police; wants care, infrastructure, housing and mental health funded instead.

Asked where the Office of Sustainability budget sits and how it compares year over year, noting Mayor Sheffield pledged during her campaign to double its budget.

Urged restoring the $400,000 Office of Disability Affairs cut and investing further in language access staffing.

Supported the proposed DDOT budget as putting transit on a path to reliability and urged BRT investment on corridors like Grand River.

Asked the city to waive or help pay the $1,500 land use hearing fee for community organizations and to fund the Fenkell corridor and other neighborhood corridors.

Said the budget isn't published yet so he can't review it, urged restoring the Open Checkbook Detroit transaction-level transparency program, and questioned whether some departmental revenue generation is legal.

Asked council to prioritize poverty reduction, low-income housing, union jobs, community policing over surveillance tech, and better transit funding for seniors, youth and the disabled.

Said ignoring the charter is illegal, criticized health committee outcomes, bond fund shortfalls, and low-income housing tax credit allocations, and opposed Mallett, Julie Schneider and Alvin Horn.