Councilmember Frederick Holithair.

Present.

Councilmember Coleman Young the second.

Member Vice Chair Young did indicate that he would be absent from today's session.

So his absence is excused.

The clerk was on note.

Councilmember Gabrielle Santiago Romero.

Present.

Mr.

Chair D.Corm.

Thank you, Mr.

Clerk, and good afternoon to you and good afternoon to you all.

Next we will move to approval of the minutes.

Members have been provided the minutes from last meeting.

Is there a motion to do so?

Motion.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

We'll go directly into public comment.

Seeing no members of the public here in the committee of the whole, we'll go directly to virtual public comment.

Each member of the public will have two minutes for public comment.

If you're joining us via the Zoom feature, please indicate so now by raising your hand via that Zoom feature if you wish to participate in public comment.

We're getting ready to close public comment.

Public comment going once.

Public comment going twice.

Public comment going three times.

Public comment is now closed.

Good afternoon, Mr.

Payne.

How many callers do we have today?

Good afternoon, Mr.

Chair, honorable committee members.

We have eight callers today.

Eight hands raised.

Each uh member of the public again will have two minutes for public comment, and we ask you to state your name for the record, then proceed.

Uh, who is our first public commenter?

Mr.

Chair, our first public commenter is fair elections.

Fair elections.

You have two minutes for public comment.

Please state your name for the record and proceed.

Uh good afternoon.

This is you matter, but fair elections matter.

Please get the name right.

Um so I'll say this again.

Well, first of all, I'd like to object to this contract to Acom.

There's a bunch of imported people.

Why aren't we hiring of uh Detroit people?

And then I haven't had a chance to look at your budget stuff.

But um I would like to just let everybody know, everybody within the sound of my voice.

I listened to a real softball interview with that Mitch Album did with uh Mayor Mike Duggan yesterday.

And Mayor Mike Duggan was talking about as if Mary Sheffield is gonna be his successor.

Well, like I said earlier today, news flash there's a general election and in November 2025.

Mr.

Durh, what do you think about that?

And you really should check into the uh proof the the serious evidence of election fraud because you think Melissa Love, who comes in there every single day is lying, and she said cheated votes are real, cheated votes are real.

I am the evidence.

Nobody's suing her for the election department lied about me, but Mary Sheffield's people won't look into it.

They lied to me and said they were full, and I knew that wasn't true.

And so I called a friend of mine and I said, Hey, did you uh sign up to work for the election?

Yeah, he said no.

I said, give him a call.

Oh, he called up and they signed him up to train and work the election, but I won't say his name because he'll get retaliated against.

But I will be filing an ethics complaint against the person who told me that they weren't um they weren't full because and why they won't hire me.

Yo hablo espanolis, you parlifrance.

I speak French and Spanish, and I joke sometimes English, and I should have learned Arabic when I had an Algerian boyfriend, but I blew that opportunity.

But no, they won't hire me to work the elections, and they lie about me and they lie to me.

And Janice Winfrey won't file the record in the BCA cases like she's required to do under court rules.

And Mary Sheffield told people in my neighborhood I lied.

Where's the receipt the receipts, Mary Shaffield?

Where are the receipts?

So please take the election fraud seriously and don't give ACOM all this other money.

Why don't you hire some Detroiters to do this stuff?

You keep enabling other people with our money.

Thank you very much for listening.

Thank you, Ms.

Warwick.

Next caller, please.

Not that Karen.

Not that Karen.

You have two minutes for public comment.

Please state your name for the record and proceed.

Hello.

Yes, ma'am.

Yes.

Not that Karen Winston here.

Uh the retirees, we're we're still waiting to be made whole.

It's been 12 years now, and we haven't made much progress.

464 dollars is not progress at all when the cost of living in inflation has skyrocketed.

And so I'd like to see us um be made whole before we all pass away.

Uh my mother was a Detroit retiree.

She passed away before she could get her, you know, meet be made whole.

I hope the same doesn't happen to me, but until then, we're gonna keep talking about it.

Uh, we got to get the homeless off the streets.

Winter's coming.

Winners coming.

Women winter is imminent.

It's coming.

So we got to do better with getting these children off the street and these single mothers and their families.

We need to put them at home, get home housing for them.

Overtaxation, 600 million dollars.

We we need that back too.

So that's double dip for me.

Property taxes and pension and health care and everything.

We need to stop treating seniors like they're dirty stepchildren, you know, and look out for seniors and look out for these babies that are on the street.

Uh Detroit was very this is really important.

Sorry, they don't have the little thingy there.

I think somebody took up the city.

They were asking me isn't it?

Sorry, Miss Winston.

Um we were research or cloud back to 45 seconds.

Pardon me for that.

Okay.

Okay.

That's fine.

Uh I'm waiting for you.

One moment.

Okay.

Okay.

Yeah.

So, yeah, so we we need that over tax uh that 600 million dollars.

We need some of that property tax money to be funded too.

You can't just keep taking from us and taking from us.

We won't be able to sustain our lifestyle, even if it's poor.

We need to be able to sustain it at that level.

But you keep taking and you're raising taxes.

I did some figuring and uh bought my first home when I was 21 years old.

I've been paying property taxes for almost 50 years, and that's over 150,000 if my taxes were only $3,000 a year, but they're more than that.

So I've contributed more than that.

I think the city should be given back to the seniors, especially.

Um Ms.

Hughes is right.

You guys should change uh committees every two years.

You haven't changed in your four years.

Thanks.

Thank you, ma'am.

Next caller, please.

Mr.

Chair, our next caller is William M.

Davis.

Mr.

William M.

Davis, you have two minutes for public comment.

Please state your name for the record and proceed.

Good afternoon.

William M.

Davis can I be heard?

You may, sir.

Okay, I'd like to also echo it uh not that Karen was just saying in that the city church retirees have been abused and taken advantage of for 12 years now, uh, because we had our cost of living retroactive took them back to June of 2013.

Uh, plus we had uh a pension cut of 4.5.

That cost of living retroactive took back to 2013 was uh 2.25.

Uh so we lost our cost of living, we lost uh a pension cut.

We lost uh those of us are taking a new recall back, 15.5% plus our medical.

Because you know, you could be a city of Detroit retirement and did 30 years and still not be 65.

So you don't have no medical because the city of Detroit used to be responsible with the principal amount of that.

In fact, that was the biggest amount that they the city of Detroit saved during the bankruptcy.

That was $4 billion right there.

80% of the bankruptcy costs was on the backs and continue to be on the backs of the city of Detroit retiree.

You know, the city of Detroit retirees need to be made whole.

Um the overtaxation in the city of Detroit was more than 600 million.

It's closer to a billion dollars.

Uh the city of Detroit retirees should at least be able to benefit from not having to pay property tax for those of us that's at least 60.

Uh we need to do more to help City Detroit retirement.

We need to be doing more to help City Detroit seniors.

But yet the mayor got a 40% pay raise.

You know, he makes over 10 times what the average city deterrent retiree makes.

The average city deterrent retirement gets 20,000 a year, and the mayor or 225,000.

This is just not right.

Have a good day.

Thank you, sir.

Next caller, please.

Mr.

Chair, next caller is owner Papa.

Owner Papa, you have two minutes for public comment.

Please state your name for the record and proceed.

Good afternoon, Carolyn Hughes.

Through the chair, may I be heard?

Um, I've heard Miss Winston say she was leaving the city.

I'm so I'm sorry that it has come to this, uh, Miss Winston.

It it appears that we have a a council and a mayor who is uh oblivious to the problems that are going on in the city.

Uh we have a budget committee that budgets everything except for what the people need.

I would like for this committee who never responds to what I'm asking you.

I'd like to find out how much has it cost us for these speed humps and who gets the contracts, who has the contracts for installing them and removing them.

Um I see lots of white men who put them down and lots of white men who remove them or fix them.

Um it seems to be a uh readily available for certain things.

Um Ms.

Winston is absolutely correct.

We have people who are on the street.

We have a tax problem, and we can't charge a fee for the people who come in and come to the stadiums that we paid for and got a bait that people got abatements for, but we can of we we have to ask them to to uh to have a a fee to charge people on a ticket for the so the city gets something out of this.

Um you don't necessarily have to call it a tax.

I have something on my um tax bill that says a fee, and nobody's able to explain it.

Um some people say it's 260.

Mine was 360.

I want to know is it arbitrary, or do you just allow these people to come into the city and do what they want to do?

We definitely have a problem with internal operations and how this city is operating.

It's operating and it's wroth with corruption.

We have special funding for police.

We have special funding uh sources for B say it, and then they have all of these um issues that people have brought up about them.

And yes, I do believe that we are faced with election fraud because no one would vote you people in legally.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next caller, please.

Mr.

Chair, our next caller is Cunningham.

Brother Cunningham, we have two minutes for public comment.

Please state your name for the record and proceed.

Brother Cunningham, uh just leaving Dearborn here.

Brother Cunningham, you're breaking up.

Brother Cunningham, are you there?

Brother Cunningham, are you there?

Mr.

Payne, why don't we stick him to the end of the queue uh and come back to him?

He's having some technical difficulties.

Next caller, please.

I'm sorry, our next caller is Joyce E.

Jennings.

Joyce E.

Jennings, you have two minutes for public comment.

Please state your name for the record and proceed.

Ms.

Jennings, are you there?

Ms.

Jennings, are you there?

Okay, why don't we put her to the end of the queue as well, Mr.

Payne?

Next caller.

Mr.

Chair, next caller is Mr.

Rue.

Mr.

Rue, you have two minutes for public comment.

Please state your name for the record and proceed.

Mr.

Rue, are you there?

Mr.

Rue, are you there?

I've asked Mr.

Ruder unmute.

Please unmute your mic, Mr.

Rue.

Are you there?

Mr.

Rue.

Sounding like we're having some technical difficulties with the Zoom.

We will take a momentary recess uh at the call of the chair.

Mr.

Chair, Mr.

Rue has speaking capabilities.

We will call back to order the budget finance and audit standing committee for Wednesday, September 10th, uh 2025 with the clerk.

Please call the roll again.

Councilmember Frederick Hall III.

Present.

Councilmember Colman Young, the second.

Uh member Young didn't indicate he will be absent from today's session.

Clerk will still note.

Councilmember Gabrielle Santiago Romero.

Mr.

Chair, there's a quorum.

Thank you, Mr.

Clerk.

Uh, we are back at public comment.

Hopefully, everything is sorted out.

Um, we're at Mr.

Rue.

Two minutes for public comment.

Please state your name for the record and proceed, sir.

Is he unmuted, Mr.

Payne?

Yes, sir.

Mr.

Rue is on Mr.

Rue is unmuted.

Mr.

Rue.

Are you there?

You're breaking up if you're speaking, Mr.

Rue.

Okay.

Uh, how about we stick him to the end?

Is there another caller?

Let's just try it out.

Sounds like there's a connection issue with the Zoom.

Did you want me to call go back to Mr.

Cunningham?

Yes, let's try Mr.

Cunningham.

Yeah, if that if that doesn't work, we need to probably restart the Zoom due to a connection issue.

Can you all hear me?

We can hear you now, Brother Cunningham.

You have two minutes for public comment.

Please state your name for the record and proceed.

313-444-9114.

313-444-9114.

313-444 9114.

That number was made so you can remember it.

I hope you all can still hear me on Facebook, not enemy.

Again on Facebook, not enemy.

Inviting me to your church, allow me to speak.

Your donations.

Go buy some bus tickets.

Go buy coffee vouchers.

Just be creative and just show your support for them and stay on our elected officials as it regards to public transportation.

And I'm able to bring folks to the meetings that normally would not attend.

It takes gasoline.

It takes your support.

The Honorable Gabriela Santiago Romero and Honorable Durhall and your wife and your family for supporting me and assisting me.

Thank you, Brother Cunningham.

We appreciate you as always as well.

Back to our next caller, Mr.

Payne.

And our last caller coming back to Joyce E.

Jennings.

Joyce E Jennings, you have two minutes for public comment.

Please state your name for the record and proceed.

Good afternoon.

Can you hear me?

Yes, ma'am.

Good afternoon.

Um honorable council men and uh team and community.

Again, my name is Joyce Jennings.

I would like to advocate for our city partnering with Detroit public schools so that we can look at coming up with solutions for providing reliable public transportation in communities where schools are being closed and torn down.

We live in district three along Van Dyke, and our vehicle has been down for the last month, and my daughter has been choosing to spend her money that she earned from her summer job to catch an Uber rather than to wait on the bus.

There are a lot of um persons who are struggling with drug addiction, who are in our area as well as sex offenders.

So Ubers are not affordable, and if we could look at ways in which our tax dollars could be used to make buses in communities where schools have been closed, uh more frequent solution to areas like mine, it would be greatly appreciated.

I also would like to um advocate for our city retirees.

Um Lieutenant Terrell just left my home from installing smoke detectors, and as I talk to more and more retirees, especially those who work in positions where their jobs expose them to um fire danger.

I think we need to look at how we can make insurance available for people who work in jobs while they're employed with the city, in which they are in high risk positions because to take their insurance away in their most vulnerable years, that is unfair.

Righteous leaders wouldn't do that.

So we need to help retirees.

Okay, thank you.

Uh we did have Mr.

Rue there.

Let's try to go back to him.

Give it one more shot.

Mr.

Rue, are you there?

You have two minutes for public comment.

Please state your name for the record and proceed.

Mr.

Rue going once.

Mr.

Rue going twice.

Mr.

Rue going three times.

Okay, Mr.

Rude, we need you to submit your comments uh via email and to the clerk's office.

You we you still difficult to hear you, Mr.

Rue.

I think it's your connection, sir.

Mr.

Chair, that concludes our public comment.

Thank you.

Public comment is now concluded.

Next, we'll move to unfinished business.

Line item 5.1 status of the office of the chief financial officer submitting the financial report for the 12 months ended June 30th, 2025.

Is there a motion to discuss line item 5.1?

Motion.

Thank you, Member Santiago Romero had the opportunity to speak to the administration, and they are requesting a one-week bring back for this item.

Is there a motion to bring back line item 5.1 in one week?

So moved.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Uh member Santiago Romero, we can take up line items 5.2 to 5.7.

Is there a motion to do so?

Motion.

And this is from the legislative policy division.

Good afternoon, Mr.

Corley.

How are you, sir?

Good afternoon.

Um, I know you have rough rough.

So it's okay, Mr.

Corley.

We've been working, so I apologize.

Thank you, Member Dunhal, Member Santa Romero and City Council.

Good afternoon.

Um, if it's okay, if you can take up line item six point one, because that's the status of opera funds as of December 31st, 2024.

That would be great.

Line items six point six point one.

Under new business.

Uh uh.

Under new business, Mr.

Corley.

I believe.

Uh yes.

Okay.

I don't know if my agenda may be.

Oh, excuse me.

If we can take a line item 6.1 as well, yes.

Yes, so moved.

Thank you, Member Santiago Romero.

Okay, Mr.

Corley.

Sorry about that.

Thank you so much.

Um, so as you indicated, Mr.

Chair, line items 5.2 through 5.7 represent the January through June 2025 opera reports.

Um line item 6.1 is the December 2024 opera report.

The main reason for the delay in the opera reports from ELPD is because we had to change the format of the report.

The main change in the report is that we no longer show in commerce's information since it is important to note that the City of Detroit has obligated all of the 826.7 million dollars in opera funds as of December 31st, 2024, in accordance with the requirements of the American Rescue Act Plan.

Um Act of 2021.

And also as a reminder, on the city is required to spend all of the opera dollars by December 31st, 2026.

My understanding is that the majority of the dollars will be spent by June of 2026, according to the administration.

All of these opera reports can be found on the City of Detroit's website under, let's say the policy division's reports link.

And based on the request from Council Member Callaway yesterday during former session, the numbers in the reports on our website have a larger font size for easier reading.

So we appreciate her pointing that out.

Since the monthly opera reports built off each other, I can go right to the most recent um opera report, which would be the June 2025 opera report.

And that's again line item 5.7.

So Mr.

Payne can put up the PowerPoint for June 2025.

That'd be great.

Please give me one second, Mr.

Chair.

Okay.

First slide.

You want me to go first slide?

Yeah.

First slide.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay, first slide.

That looks like it's uh one.

Landscape.

Oh, there we go.

All right, and if we maximize that so the public can see the question, I'm going to go to the first time.

All right, let me see.

Okay.

Does it get any bigger than that, Mr.

Payne?

Mr.

Chair, I'm trying to give me one second while I maximize it for the viewer and audience.

Oh no, that makes my thing.

You wanted to start there.

I can okay.

Okay, Mr.

Chair.

Yeah.

Okay, Mr.

Corley, you can start if while while we do that just in the interest of the yeah, yeah, thank you.

I I can use this page.

This is page two, but that's fine.

So this report is attended to give your honorable body in the public an appropriation level status as of June 30, 2025 of the American Rescue Plan A funds.

Again, the City Detroit was awarded 826.7 million dollars in opera funds.

And on this slide, um can see that as of June 30, 2025, the city has spent 5.75 million in um opera funds.

And we go to the next slide, we break that down.

Um 84.4 million was spent on payroll and another 491 million was spent on contractual services.

The next slide.7 million dollars in opera funds, while about 30 percent of these funds are still available for use.

Um as a reminder, a status of the ARPA dollars is posted weekly on the OCFO's website under the ARPA tab, which shows a link to an ARPA spending dashboard.

So for council's information, as of the week of September the 8th, the city spent 613 million dollars on opera funds, um, which represents about 74 percent of the total opera dollars um that was spent as of September the 8th.

Lastly, council will recall a new um council opera appropriation that's proportion 22020 was set up to evenly divide about 9.5 million dollars amongst the council members for opera related projects that were supported by the council members.

I asked the OCFO to provide a status of these funds, and they shared the following.

Uh several contracts and purchase orders uh as requested by council members are now obligated in appropriation 2002.

Some of that work is now underway, and the vendors have not started to invoice.

So OCFO have yet to see actuals come through.

They should start seeing actuals by the end of September this month.

Um these funds were balanced forward from fiscal 2025 to the current fiscal year 2026, and lastly, the OCFO plans on coming back to council with another round of reassigned um opera dollars.

Uh they are in the process of identifying these dollars and hope to have a number for city council by early October.

So right now it's it's too early to give an indication of how much they the second round would include, and those funds will also be appropriated in the council appropriation, council opera appropriation 22020.

So thank you.

And um any questions, I'm glad to take them.

Thank you.

Uh any questions.

We have already had the opportunity to speak to Mr.

Corley uh about the ARPA and going forward, it seems as if we're on a good pace uh to get it spent on, particularly if we're looking at June of 2026, uh, which is a great thing.

Yes.

Um noting that we will be compliant uh and don't plan to send any dollars back.

So um I appreciate that, Mr.

Corley.

I have no further questions uh on these reports, but can you let the public know where these reports will be available?

Yes, so um the public can go to city council's website, um, go to sections, and that would take you down to the let's say the policy divisions link, and then when you go into that link, look up let's say the policy division reports link, and then you'll find all of our reports.

Thank you.

Okay, seeing nothing further.

Is there a motion to receive and file line items five point through 5.2 through 5.7 as well as line item 6.1.

Tell me no objections, those items will be be received and placed on file.

Thank you, Mr.

Corley.

Next we've got line item 5.8 status of the legislative uh legislative policy division submitting flyer property tax rates adjust when a property is transferred.

Uh this was from Councilmember Mary Waters requesting LPD to create an informational flyer that all licenses real estate agents can distribute to clients, which provides information on how property tax rates will adjust when a property is transferred as well as provide a digital resource for people to calculate what their new rate will be.

Motion to discuss line item 5.8.

Motion.

Thank you, Member Santiago Romero.

Mr.

Corley.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

So we'll recall back in July.

And we in the LPD provided them some suggested changes in language, kind of minor.

And so I have not heard back from um Mr.

Horn yet on their changes to their form welcome letter.

And so if you can bring this back in a couple weeks, that gave me a chance to reach out to him and hopefully he can have a final one by in two weeks from now.

Okay.

Thank you, Mr.

Corley.

And line item 5.9, just to notice also the memorandum for the request.

Is there a motion to bring back line items 5.8 and 5.9 in one week?

Motion.

Two weeks.

Oh, sorry, pardon me.

Is there a motion to bring back line items 5.8 and 5.9 in two weeks?

Motion.

Here are no objections.

That action shall be taken.

Thank you, Mr.

Corley.

Next, uh, we've already taken care of line item 6.1, but also under new business under the legislative policy division is line item 6.2 submitting a report relative to citizens research council of Michigan's report on evaluating local option admissions tax on sport and sports and entertainment venues in Michigan.

Motion to discuss line item 6.2.

Motion.

Hear no objections, that action shall be taken.

Um Mr.

Corley, to you.

Uh I don't know if you're ready to go over this today, uh, but would like the opportunity to also have the CRC queued up so they can weigh in on this as well as the office of the chief financial officer uh who is not available today.

Um so I'd like to make a motion to bring this back in two weeks as well.

Uh that way uh it will give us the opportunity to have a uh robust discussion on it uh and have all parties uh involved there so they can go through a presentation of the information that they have.

Uh is there is there a motion to bring back line item six point two in two weeks?

Motion hearing no objections that action shall be taken.

And that brings us to the end of our agenda today.

Member reports.

Chair recognizes Member Santiago Romero.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Negative report.

Thank you, Member Santiago Romero.

Negative report from me, and seeing no other business to come before us, the budget finance and audit standing committee will stand adjourned at the call of the chair without objection.