Detroit City Council Interviews for Ombudsman - September 18, 2025
Detroit City Council Committee of the Whole Interviews for Ombudsman - September 18, 2025
The Detroit City Council convened on September 18, 2025, as a Committee of the Whole to interview candidates for the position of city ombudsman. The meeting included public comment, interviews with ten candidates, and discussion on the selection process. The council will vote on September 30, 2025.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Several residents and community leaders spoke in support of Deputy Ombudsman Gail Bernard, citing her dedication, consistency, and community engagement. Supporters included representatives from the Field House Block Club and Latin Americans for Social and Economic Development.
- Kimberly Marble and Paul Chenault spoke in support of Dennis Perkins and Kim Tandy, respectively, highlighting their responsiveness and work in the community.
- Pamela Brown, Helen Moore, and other speakers also endorsed Gail Bernard, emphasizing her long-term service and effectiveness.
Discussion Items
Interviews with Candidates (in order):
- Gail Bernard (current Deputy Ombudsman): Emphasized her 20 years of experience, proposed assigning assistant ombudsmen to each council district, and highlighted her work on office software upgrades. She expressed passion for the role and commitment to transparency.
- Reggie Davis: Stressed his experience in both legislative and administrative branches, proposed replacing the current case management system (Wing Swept) with a 311 CRM that integrates GIS. He emphasized innovation and technology improvements.
- Jessica Gates: Background in social work and community organizing. Acknowledged limited knowledge of city government but highlighted impartiality and strong listening skills. Currently serves on a charter school board.
- Sherry Gay-Dagnogo (current Detroit Public Schools Community District board member): Proposed a 90-day plan focusing on listening and collaboration. Discussed using her experience as a former state legislator and city council staffer to build relationships and improve services. Addressed potential conflicts of interest if serving both roles.
- Darius Huff: Background in oversight and compliance, currently managing IT contracts for the Department of Labor. Emphasized data-driven decision-making and equitable access to economic opportunities. Expressed a desire to leverage technology and community engagement.
- Dennis Perkins (former deputy district manager and retired police officer): Highlighted 30 years of city service, impartiality, and investigative skills. Emphasized empathy and follow-through on constituent complaints.
- Anthony Reddit: Attorney with 15 years of experience, including litigation and work with Social Security Administration. Discussed using subpoena power as a last resort and emphasized listening and accessibility.
- Kim Hunter Varner Tandy (district manager for District 2): Architect by training, stressed community engagement and trust-building. Proposed a podcast ("Umbudscast") and satellite office hours to increase accessibility. Referred to her work on street revitalization projects.
- Tiffany Tilley (State Board of Education member): Presented a detailed packet with strategic plans, including an Ombudsperson tour, technology upgrades, and monthly council reports. Background includes work as a CED director and community liaison. Addressed potential conflict of interest if staying on school board.
- Anthony Zander (Director of Civil Rights, Inclusion, and Opportunity, CREO): Background in process improvement and investigations. Emphasized using data and Lean Six Sigma to improve office efficiency. Noted that CREO and the Ombudsman’s office have similar investigative functions.
Key Outcomes
- The council directed the law department to investigate whether candidates Sherry Gay-Dagnogo and Tiffany Tilley can simultaneously serve on the school board and as ombudsman.
- Council directed staff to conduct background checks on all ten candidates before the vote.
- The selection process will use a ranked-choice ballot where each council member votes for three candidates in the first round; the resolution was amended to reflect this intent (originally stated two).
- The final vote will be held on September 30, 2025, rather than the originally planned September 23. The current ombudsman’s term ends October 4, 2025, allowing time for transition.
Meeting Transcript
Are you ready? All right. All right, good afternoon, everyone. We will now call to order the committee of the whole. And Madam Clerk or Mr. Clerk, good afternoon. Please call the roll. Good afternoon, Councilmember Scott Benson. Councilmember Fred Joe Hall the third. Present. Councilmember Letitia Johnson. Councilmember Gabriel Santiago Romero. Present. Councilmember Mary Waters. Present. Councilmember Angela Whitfield Callaway. Councilmember Coleman Young the second. Council President Pro Tem James Tate. Not here. Sorry. Council President Mary Sheffield. Present. Madam President, there's a quorum. All right. We are now in session, and we are here for the purposes of interviews for the Ombudsman position here for the City of Detroit. We will start off with public comment for those who are here who have joined us in person for public comment. We will have two minutes. Do we have cards or okay? Perfect. All right. We will start with uh Miss Burton. Okay, and um, because we don't have Zoom uh working today, Ari is going to be keeping the time the old school way with his cell phone and with a piece of paper. So just look to your right and you will see your time indicated there. All right, Miss Burton, you are first. Good afternoon, council. Thank you for allowing me to speak. I come in support of Deputy Ombudsman Gail Bernard for the position of Ombudsman. And I thank you, and I concede my time. Okay, thank you. Thank you for being here. Dr. Bonnie Pharrell. Hi. Your microphone, Dr. Bonnie. Just press the bottom of your microphone. It should turn green. There you go. Good afternoon, everyone. Madam President, thank you for allowing me to speak.
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