Detroit City Council Meeting - January 6, 2026
Detroit City Council Meeting - January 6, 2026
The Detroit City Council convened on January 6, 2026, to welcome new members, approve various board appointments, and address urgent community concerns raised during public comment. The meeting featured extensive member reports focused on housing integrity, public safety accountability, the rollout of the "RX Kids" initiative, and ongoing challenges with homelessness and policing. While the council moved through a series of unanimous appointments to various city boards, public testimony highlighted deep grievances regarding housing foreclosures, the conduct of the chief assessor, and calls for police accountability.
Consent Calendar
- No items were included on the consent calendar.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Caller 1: Expressed that housing justice was the top issue and cited the Detroit Reparations Task Force recommendations. The speaker accused the chief assessor, Alvin Horn, of being unqualified and illegal due to his failure to pass the Michigan Master Assessing Officer examination and his role in the illegal over-taxation of over six hundred million dollars and the foreclosures of one hundred thousand homes. The speaker stated that Horn's actions are the root cause of homelessness and demanded his firing. Additionally, the speaker demanded community representation on the board of directors of the Charles H. Wright Museum, noting the removal of Juanita Moore and Charles Farrell.
- Caller 2: Accused Detroit elected officials, including Dennis Webb and Daniel Baxter of the Department of Elections, of corruption and binding the city to "activity valid fraud" for over a decade. The speaker claimed Pastors Lorenzo School and Ramon Jackson were exposing this fraud in Washington, DC, and stated an intent to turn the city upside down to demand what "Mini wants."
- Caller 3 (Tara Brown): Addressed the council's lack of accountability regarding homeless shelters. The speaker noted that the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM) shelter had received 387,000 dollars while failing inspections, yet no funds were clawed back. The speaker argued that pet shelters in Detroit have more licensing than homeless shelters, which house unsafe conditions where even pets would not be safe. The speaker also raised concerns about a pedophile visiting shelters housing women and children.
- Caller 4: Called for accountability from the police department following an incident where an officer shot a woman ten times. The speaker demanded to know the status of the officer and opposed the city providing legal representation or indemnification. The speaker criticized Council Member Graham for advising the council to pass unconstitutional contracts to the majority black population and urged the rescinding of those contracts to avoid future lawsuits.
Discussion Items
Board Appointments and Waivers
- Council President Po Tim Young proposed and executed a motion to approve individual appointments to various city boards and commissions. A group waiver of the reading was requested and granted for all items.
- Mary Waters was appointed to the General Retirement System Board (term ending Dec 31, 2029).
- Coleman Alexander Young II was appointed to the Police and Fire Retirement System Board (term ending Dec 31, 2029).
- Letitia Johnson was appointed to the Continuum of Care (term ending Dec 31, 2029).
- Angela Whitfield Callaway was appointed to the Detroit Wayne County Health Authority (term ending Dec 31, 2029).
- Denzel McCampbell and Renata Miller were appointed to the Eastern Market Corporation Board (term ending Dec 31, 2029).
- Renata Miller was appointed to the Historical Museum Board (term ending Dec 31, 2029).
- Scott Benson was appointed to the Retiree Protection Investment Advisory Committee (term ending Dec 31, 2029).
- James Tate was appointed to the Front Conservancy Board (term ending Dec 31, 2029).
- Scott Benson and **Gary
Meeting Transcript
Uh new and cumbers congratulations for being blessed to serve the people of Detroit, especially the majority black people. Housing justice was the number one issue uh last year and this year, and that is being addressed in the recommendations of Detroit Reparations Task Force. Their um recommendations directly um deal with the housing issue. We were illegally over tax one hundred, I'm sorry, six hundred million dollars and one hundred thousand homes were illegally foreclosed. This crisis is the root cause cause of homelessness. Um right now you all need to deal with the crisis. Uh the root of the crisis and a homelessness crisis is partially directly associated with the unqualified chief assessor Alvin Horn. He needs to be fired due to his role in this injustice. Alvin Horn is unqualified, he has not passed the required Michigan Master Assessing Officer examination under state tax commission certification rules, community representation uh of uh this uh processor is not being held responsible for these problems. We I'm also uh concerned about the board of directors of the Charles H. Wright Museum. Um we want we need our community representation placed on that board of directors. We have demanded this for years since Juanita Moore and Charles Farrell were um were extracted from the museum. We need that community representation so that we can direct the museum. Thank you. Next caller telephone number ending in 482 caller ending in 482. The floor is yours. You have two minutes, general public comment. I hope everyone can hear me clearly. We have a technical difficulties in the city of Detroit, which is nothing new, and I just wanted to put it out there. Mini wants what she wants, asked for, requested, and deserves. The activity valid fraud that has been committed on the city of Detroit over the last decade has been exposed this morning in Washington, DC. Today in Washington, DC, both Pastor Lorenzo School and Ramon Jackson are gonna be out binding the after day and the afterty valid fraud that is plagued Detroit. All Detroit elected officials are cheated in, and Dennis Webfriend been teaming in Detroit elections for over a decade. Z Maybe Walker and Daniel Baxter over the at the Detroit Department of Elections are corrupt and they busted. And I'm Mr. Roo. Lily got to get what she wants. So that's why I'm gonna turn the whole city upside down. My word. Next caller is Marjorie Scarlet Maddox. Marguerite Maddox, Scarlett. Thank you for joining us. We can do that, but your line is breaking up right now. Okay. And if you give if we have a challenge, uh getting back in touch uh with your your your line, we will make sure we contact you and get your your public comment. We'll get it placed on the public record. Okay. All right. Thank you. We'll go to the next caller. We'll bring you back. Next caller, please. Okay, next caller is Tara Brown. Ms. Tara Brown, the floor is yours. You have two minutes, general public comment. Good morning, counsel, and congratulations to the new members of council. I'm wishing you all a successful term. Thank you to council member Angela Callaway for always willing to ask the tough questions and to stress the legality of things brought before this council.
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