Detroit Budget Finance & Audit Committee Meeting - October 1, 2025
Detroit Budget Finance & Audit Standing Committee Meeting - October 1, 2025
The committee met on October 1, 2025, but lacked a quorum. As a result, no formal business was conducted. The meeting proceeded directly to public comment, where eight individuals spoke (including one in-person and seven virtually). After all comments, the committee recessed to await a quorum.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Jadante Smith (in-person): Criticized Councilmember Scott Benson for failing to meet with constituents and for alleged retaliation. Raised concerns about fugitive dust from the Kronos/Conquer facility at 3405 Gaylord, claiming a citation was dismissed due to a consent agreement that benefits the company. Demanded the city address the dust issue in District 3.
- Tyson Gersh: Questioned the tripling of Board of Zoning Appeals revenue from $85,000 in FY23 to $238,000 in FY24, despite no new revenue programs and a slight decrease in case load. Noted that the Law Department’s budget analysis missed this, and that the revenue exceeded the mayor’s and council’s proposals. Commended the health department for submitting a clear fee schedule.
- Betty A. Barner (iPhone guest): Advocated for her neighborhood association (Minnesota-Els World Black Association), seeking donations via Zelle for park expansion and cleanup. Also promoted the MIChoice waiver program for seniors to remain in their homes.
- Carolyn Hughes (Owner Papa): Questioned the legality of the meeting without a quorum. Criticized the PLA budget for using residents’ utility user tax, noted the small size of the Public Lighting Department (two people), and flagged the omission of state revenue sharing in the FY25 budget. Opposed using $42 million of property tax surplus for an income tax reserve fund, calling it a misuse of general fund money.
- Cindy Dara: Endorsed Carolyn Hughes for mayor and governor. Corrected a prior statement about write-in candidate filing deadlines, and promoted approval voting over ranked-choice voting, citing electionscience.org.
- Brother Cunningham: Thanked the chair for past assistance and offered a prayer for the meeting.
- William M. Davis: Urged assistance for city charter retirees, proposing a flat 2.25% interest rate on any payback amounts. Criticized the mayor for inaction and predicted electoral consequences if no help is provided.
- You matter (returned caller, likely Carolyn Warwick): Seconded Cindy Dara’s endorsement of Carolyn Hughes. Criticized Councilmember Mary Sheffield for alleged retaliation and blight ticket issues. Accused the election department of lying, and opposed ranked-choice voting and solar land taking.
Key Outcomes
- No formal votes or decisions were made due to the lack of a quorum. The committee recessed to await a quorum, with no further action taken.
Meeting Transcript
Thank you, Madam Clerk. And seeing no quorum, we will go into public comment. Each member of the public will have two minutes for public comment. We ask you to state your name for the record and proceed. We have one individual joining us here in the committee of the whole for my understanding. Okay. We'll go directly to virtual public comment. Good afternoon, Mr. Payne. How many callers do we have? Good afternoon, Mr. Chair. We have 10 public commenters today. Okay, we are getting ready to close public comment off. Public comment going once. Public comment going twice. Public comment going three times. Public comment is now closed. And uh we'll go back to Mr. Smith, who is here in public joining us here in the committee of the whole. Sorry, you have two minutes for public comment. I ask that you state your name for the record and then proceed. Good afternoon. My name is Jadante Smith. Um I'm sorry I did not get a chance to read uh the agenda before I begin to make my comment. Um I do see a couple line items in here about LPD and resolutions for not resolutions, but uh I'm sorry, for the status of different things LPD is addressing, but I want to address something that's maybe a little bit unrelated. I want to address uh district three and specifically the I'm maybe off topic for this specific subcommittee, I understand that, but district three and the amount of fugitive dust that we have um around the Cronos Conquer facility. I submitted a uh a very descriptive video to the fugitive dust email, and I got Chromos Conquer facility located 3405 Gaylord a ticket for this uh fugitive dust. There was a man standing at a bus stop on Conit and uh McNichols, which is six mile, in the middle of a dust storm, and testified was sent a sentence sworn statement, got got the statement uh notarized, and the date of the the uh the the day of the court date for the the ticket, the ticket was dismissed due to a consent agreement, which I feel like the city is helping this this company who is somewhat grandfathered in and their property who is destroying the community through dust. People are breathing in this fugitive dust. People are having to live with this dust coating your homes, coating their vehicles, coating their lungs, and they breathe it in. And I feel like uh council member Scott Benson has been of no help, he's been of no assistance. I reached out to his office, he refuses to meet with his constituent who he calls his bosses. He's personally attacked me. He is sending his staff to businesses in the area to tell them not to work with me or the coalition, which is very, very uh disheartening. That uh elected official that people put their public trust in to represent them is not fulfilling his duty as a public official and representing the best issues, the best interest of his his uh constituents. Um that means he's not on this subcommittee, he's not a part of this. I just want to make sure I got I got to be able to do that because I wasn't able to come to the committee of the whole yesterday. I was on the call, I got to the call too late and I was not able to speak, but I wanted to say that about Scott Benson. Meet with your constituents if you call him your bosses. Okay, thank you very much, Mr. Smith. Okay, Mr. Payne. Back to you. Uh 10 callers uh joining us virtually. Who was our first caller? Correction, Mr. Chairs, eight callers. Eight callers.
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