Council President, District 1· 2026-01-01 to 2030-01 (month-level start: January 2026, term begins Jan 1 per Wikipedia Detroit City Council; month-level end: January 2030, four-year term)
James Tate
Detroit
No biography on file yet.
Voice
- Meetings spoken in
- 54
- Total speaking time
- 23:52:23
- Avg per meeting
- 26:32
- Segments
- 32037
Want every word Tate has said?
The OpenCity MCP for Claude.ai answers questions like “what has Tate said about housing this year” with one prompt — full speaking history, with YouTube timestamps.
Top issues during term (20)
Contaminated Dirt
City is covering testing and cleanup at no cost to residents; cost-per-hole figures not yet reported.
Voter turnout and election access
Approximately $45,000 for two drop boxes, funded via grants.
Proposed Interim Zoning Moratorium on AI Data Centers
DEGC notes data centers pay personal property tax that manufacturers don't — potentially significant revenue.
Detroit Water and Sewerage Infrastructure and Affordability
DWSD Director Gary Brown has said water rates will rise at least 4% every year.
Stockbridge Renaissance Center 600 Tower redevelopment incentives
$7.8 million value in OPRA abatement over 12 years plus a $16.7 million TIF capture, against an estimated $4.3 million net city benefit.
PILOT reconsiderations for Hyde Park and Prentis housing
The PILOTs replace traditional property taxes with a percentage-of-rent service charge for 15 years, reducing general fund revenue on those properties.
Zoning Reform for Strategic Density and Affordable Housing
Could lower housing costs long-term by enabling more housing construction, though no cost estimate was given.
Dangerous buildings and demolition costs
Millions in bond and blight funding — Young asked whether rising interest rates on general obligation bonds could cost taxpayers more.
RenCen Community Benefits and Revenue-Sharing Questions
Abatements worth about $5.2 million in tax savings, with a projected $4.27 million net benefit to the city over the incentive period.
Apartment complex tenant complaints
No dollar figure committed yet; historic tax credits and the PILOT program are potential funding tools.
Homeowners Property Exemption (HOPE) updates
Eligible homeowners can now claim HOPE relief for two years instead of one, potentially thousands in property tax savings.
Emergency demolitions of dangerous residential properties
Combined contract amounts run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, largely from bond funds, including $54,566.35 at 8014 Foster.
Transit service and non-drivers
Advocates say significantly more funding is needed to expand DDOT bus service to the level residents deserve.
Objection to officer indemnifications
Settlements approved today total roughly $598,538; referrals include settlements totaling about $358,895 more.
City-Owned Property Sales
The city will collect a combined $9,880 from the two sales.
Property Tax Reform and Assessment Concerns
Rising property values support revenue but raise overassessment concerns; a 1-mill reduction equals about $7 million in revenue.
Supplemental checks for city retirees
$12 million total — $10 million budgeted plus $2 million from projected surplus.
Citywide PILOT program oversight
Callers argue forgone property taxes shrink the general fund that pays for city services.
Police Oversight and Appointment Controversy
None.
Data center tax revenue impact
Unknown — the analysis itself examines potential data center tax revenue for the city.
Decisions during term (2298)
Recorded while Tate was in office — not necessarily decisions they moved, spoke to, or voted on.
Receive and File: Butzel Family Recreation Center Parking Lot Transfer Memo
Approval of Minutes
Approval of Minutes
Status of Law Department — Chapter 17 claims ordinance amendment
Status of Legislative Policy Division — FY2025/FY2026 appropriations report
Status of Council Member Latisha Johnson — Monteith Library capital improvements
Status of Council Member Mary Waters — utility audit resolution
Status of Council Member McCampbell — FY27 Mayor's Office budget questions
Status of Council Member McCampbell — Auditor General claims award ordinance questions
Status of Council Member McCampbell — October 8 FY27 discussion follow-up
Status of Council Member McCampbell — 2023 property tax reform RFI addendum
Approval of Minutes (October 28, 2026)
Sharon Parker — Board of Zoning Appeals reappointment
Josephina Ramon — Tenants' Rights Commission reappointment
Maria Muhammad — Property Tax Board of Review reappointment
Jacqueline Robinson — Property Tax Board of Review reappointment
Walk-on interviews: Tiffany Franklin and John George
9.1 — Tenants' Rights Commission stipends ordinance
9.2 — Angela T. Jones labor petition
9.3 — Detroit First Jobs and Opportunities Ordinance
Voting record (189)
Oldest to newest — hover a bar for the item.
16.1 — Hyde Park PILOT (2028 Hyde Park Dr.)
16.2 — 632 and 634 Prentis PILOT
17.1 — $60,000 Settlement, Ware v. Engelman and City of Detroit
17.3–17.9 — Legal Representation and Indemnification for seven employees
18.1 — 30-Year Hangar Ground Lease, Coleman A. Young International Airport
19.10 — Resolution Supporting E-Bike Regulation Legislation
19.1 Ordinance rezoning 5130 14th St & 2150 Putnam to PD district
19.2 Ordinance rezoning 15321 Wyoming to B4 General Business
21.30 Closed session (deny indemnification – Fleming) approved 7-2
21.31 Closed session (indemnification – Rice) approved 7-2
Postponement of Commercial Facilities Exemption Certificate for 525 W. Lafayette
Zoning Reclassification for 14632 Mack Avenue
$2.2M federal justice grant application rejected
Groundhog-infestation speaker request denied 3-4
Advertising and Signs Ordinance Amendment
Contract No. 6004334 - A1 100% City Funding – AMEND 1 – To Provide an Extension of Time and an Increase of Funds for the Subscription Based Gunshot Detection, Location, and Forensic Analysis Service.
ShotSpotter Contract Extension
Voted against the contract extension during the roll call.
ARPA Budget Transfer for Lee Plaza
Voted against the Lee Plaza ARPA transfer.