OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Detroit City Council Budget Committee Meeting - April 15, 2026

City Council — Wednesday, April 15, 2026
BodyDetroit, Michigan
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, April 15, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 32:10

Transcript — Verbatim
0:09

Present.

0:10

Councilmember Letitia Johnson.

0:12

Councilmember Mary Waters.

0:14

Mr.

0:15

Chair, you have a quorum present.

0:16

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

0:18

And that'll move us on to approval of the minutes.

0:21

Members of the committee should have received the minutes.

0:23

With that, is there a motion to approve?

0:26

Motion.

0:26

There's been a motion to approve.

0:28

Seeing no objections, the minister stand approved.

0:32

That will move us to chair remarks.

0:39

So if you have not uh filed your taxes, um, please do so.

0:46

Uh and also if you need to follow the extension, that is also uh tool available.

0:51

So um, but please do get those taxes in.

0:55

And with that, uh we'll move on to public comment.

0:59

Well, open public comment requests for public comment will close at 10.

1:05

Um, please limit your remarks to two minutes, and we'll start with those in the room.

1:10

Seeing no one in the room for public comment at the moment, we'll move on to Zoom.

1:16

Um, if you are joining us virtually, please use the raise hand function, and you will be called in order.

1:23

And with that, who do we have with us joining us virtually?

1:28

Yep, good afternoon, Mr.

1:29

Chair.

1:29

We have as of right now, four hands raised.

1:32

Our first caller is William M.

1:34

Davis.

1:35

Commissioner Davis, good afternoon.

1:36

You have two minutes.

1:39

Uh good afternoon.

1:40

Could have been heard.

1:41

Yes, you may.

1:42

Well, this probably doesn't really have a whole lot to do with your committee, but I'm over here in District 7.

1:48

I just uh came back in so for your meeting, and there are a lot of streets over here flooded.

1:54

Um the streets didn't used to flood as much before the bankruptcy.

2:00

Yeah, I think y'all uh should have a closer look at what's going on and how they are operating the system because if the system was running efficiently, we wouldn't have so many streets flooding.

2:14

But of course, also that depends on the catch basins, uh also depends on whether or not people are cleaning up in front of their uh house.

2:26

You know, like I say the street, I sweep the area in front of my house.

2:29

Uh we need to encourage more people to do that.

2:32

Uh we should not be having so many streets flooding every time it rains, even though we did get a lot of rain.

2:38

And I know I got woke up early this morning with that tornado alert, which was ooh, a little scary.

2:47

But hopefully, I have a nice day, and hopefully y'all could have to generate more money and help to improve what's going on in the city and help to keep more of our dollars, more of our dollars in our city, because far too many of our dollars leave our city, and our surrounding communities don't have their dollars coming to us, so we should reduce the amount of dollars that's going on.

3:10

I know sometimes you can't help it, but I think more could be done, and I think more jobs could be permanent jobs in the city instead of her and contractors so much.

3:21

Thank you thank you, Commissioner Davis.

3:24

And um, I'll I'll touch on the flooding in just a bit.

3:27

So hang on the live for us for the end of public comment.

3:30

Thank you.

3:31

Um next speaker, Mr.

3:33

Chair, next speaker is Renard Monchunski.

3:36

Uh Renard, good afternoon.

3:37

You have two minutes.

3:43

Renard, are you there?

3:49

Bernard, are you with us?

3:54

Okay, let's put Renard in the back of the queue and go to the next speaker.

3:58

Our next caller is Owner Papa.

4:01

Ms.

4:02

Hughes, good afternoon.

4:03

You have two minutes.

4:05

Good afternoon, and through the chair, may I be heard.

4:07

Yes, you may.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural█████████████████████████████████████████████55%
Public Comment██████████████████22%
Fiscal Sustainability██████7%
Community Engagement████5%
Water And Wastewater Management███4%
Economic Development██3%
Contract Management██2%
Transparency██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Detroit City Council Budget Committee Meeting - April 15, 2026

The committee met on April 15, 2026, to address routine approvals, public comments, and a lengthy set of unfinished budget memos. Members moved most items to future meetings after discussing the process for posting responses and receiving administrative updates.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the previous meeting were approved by unanimous voice vote with no objections.

Chair Remarks

  • Tax Filing Reminder: The Chair urged residents to file taxes or request extensions if needed.
  • Response to Public Comment on Flooding: The Chair acknowledged concerns about street flooding raised by Commissioner Davis, noting that a long-term solution is needed and that the committee would continue pressing DWSD on the issue.
  • Response to Public Comment on Abatements & Contracting: The Chair agreed with concerns about tax abatements and the need to reduce them, and reiterated support for bringing contracted services in-house.
  • Response to Participatory Budgeting: The Chair noted that the administration expects to issue a request for information on participatory budgeting this summer, with full implementation for the next fiscal year.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • William M. Davis (Commissioner, District 7): Expressed concern about frequent street flooding, stating that the system has operated less efficiently since the bankruptcy. Called for a system-wide approach, including keeping catch basins clean and reducing reliance on outside contractors to keep more city dollars local.
  • Owner Papa (Ms. Hughes): Criticized the city's revenue estimating, tax abatements, and contracting out of work. Argued that the general fund is losing money while the city gives tax breaks to specific areas and employs too many laborers without enough jobs. Asserted that the committee has reports but ignores findings.
  • Phone number ending in 039 (Mr. McCamber/Black Bag): Made incoherent statements regarding a "suicide tag" on his mother over the Detroit Police Department, mentioning Angela Whitville Callaway and Dennis Wesley. Did not address committee business.
  • Renard Monchanski (Resident, District 6): Inquired whether the city could sell micro-bonds to wealthier residents to raise funds at favorable rates. Also advocated for district-by-district participatory budgeting with plain language documents, noting that the current budget documents are anachronistic and hard to read.

Discussion Items

  • Unfinished Business – Budget Memos (Line Items 5.1–5.32): The committee reviewed a large number of budget hearing memoranda from council offices and the administration. Key points:
    • 5.1 (Office of Ombudsman): Not yet received; moved to bring back in two weeks.
    • 5.2 (DPD budget memo from Chair): Received but not posted on eScribe or the budget smart sheet. After discussion, staff agreed to upload responses to eScribe for those originally submitted via eScribe. The item was moved to bring back in two weeks.
    • 5.3–5.11, 5.13, 5.15, 5.18, 5.30: Not yet received; all moved to bring back in two weeks.
    • 5.12, 5.19–5.25, 5.27, 5.28, 5.29: Received but not on eScribe; moved to bring back in two weeks.
    • 5.5, 5.14, 5.31: Received but not on eScribe or smart sheet; moved to bring back in two weeks.
    • 5.16 (February 2026 Revenue Estimate Conference Report) & 5.17 (FY 2026–2035 Long-Term Forecast): Administration requested to present these alongside the upcoming audit presentation on April 29; moved to bring back in three weeks.
    • 5.26 (from Member Miller): Corrected to reflect the Museum of African American History budget hearing. Original title was wrong and memo was updated by motion, then moved to bring back in two weeks.
    • 5.32 (from Chair – Senate Bills 559, 560, 561): Moved to bring back in four weeks.
  • New Business – 6.1 (from Member Callaway): Memorandum requesting a report on principal residence exemptions for LLC entities. Discussed and deferred to LPD; moved to bring back in two weeks.
  • Member Reports:
    • Member Waters announced a Skill Trades Task Force meeting on April 15, 4–6 p.m. at Laborers Local 1191.
    • Vice Chair Johnson thanked colleagues for attending the District 4 evening meeting, noted upcoming Mayor Sheffield charter meeting in District 4 (evening of April 15), and announced District 7 charter meeting on April 23 and monthly meeting on April 30.
    • The Chair noted a planning meeting for master plan amendments on Saturday, April 18.

Key Outcomes

  • All line items (5.1, 5.2, 5.3–5.11, 5.13, 5.15, 5.18, 5.30; 5.12, 5.19–5.25, 5.27, 5.28, 5.29; 5.5, 5.14, 5.31; 5.26; 6.1) were moved to future meetings by unanimous voice votes with no objections. Most return in two weeks (April 29), except 5.16 and 5.17 (three weeks, May 6) and 5.32 (four weeks, May 13).
  • 5.26 (Museum of African American History memo): Amended by unanimous voice vote to correct the title and content.
  • Administration agreed to explore uploading budget memo responses to eScribe for those originally submitted via eScribe, and to improve the process for next budget cycle.
  • Meeting adjourned after member reports with no further business.

Meeting Transcript

Present. Councilmember Letitia Johnson. Councilmember Mary Waters. Mr. Chair, you have a quorum present. Thank you, Madam Clerk. And that'll move us on to approval of the minutes. Members of the committee should have received the minutes. With that, is there a motion to approve? Motion. There's been a motion to approve. Seeing no objections, the minister stand approved. That will move us to chair remarks. So if you have not uh filed your taxes, um, please do so. Uh and also if you need to follow the extension, that is also uh tool available. So um, but please do get those taxes in. And with that, uh we'll move on to public comment. Well, open public comment requests for public comment will close at 10. Um, please limit your remarks to two minutes, and we'll start with those in the room. Seeing no one in the room for public comment at the moment, we'll move on to Zoom. Um, if you are joining us virtually, please use the raise hand function, and you will be called in order. And with that, who do we have with us joining us virtually? Yep, good afternoon, Mr. Chair. We have as of right now, four hands raised. Our first caller is William M. Davis. Commissioner Davis, good afternoon. You have two minutes. Uh good afternoon. Could have been heard. Yes, you may. Well, this probably doesn't really have a whole lot to do with your committee, but I'm over here in District 7. I just uh came back in so for your meeting, and there are a lot of streets over here flooded. Um the streets didn't used to flood as much before the bankruptcy. Yeah, I think y'all uh should have a closer look at what's going on and how they are operating the system because if the system was running efficiently, we wouldn't have so many streets flooding. But of course, also that depends on the catch basins, uh also depends on whether or not people are cleaning up in front of their uh house. You know, like I say the street, I sweep the area in front of my house. Uh we need to encourage more people to do that. Uh we should not be having so many streets flooding every time it rains, even though we did get a lot of rain. And I know I got woke up early this morning with that tornado alert, which was ooh, a little scary. But hopefully, I have a nice day, and hopefully y'all could have to generate more money and help to improve what's going on in the city and help to keep more of our dollars, more of our dollars in our city, because far too many of our dollars leave our city, and our surrounding communities don't have their dollars coming to us, so we should reduce the amount of dollars that's going on. I know sometimes you can't help it, but I think more could be done, and I think more jobs could be permanent jobs in the city instead of her and contractors so much. Thank you thank you, Commissioner Davis. And um, I'll I'll touch on the flooding in just a bit. So hang on the live for us for the end of public comment. Thank you. Um next speaker, Mr. Chair, next speaker is Renard Monchunski. Uh Renard, good afternoon.

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