The Budget, Finance and Audit Committee of the Detroit City Council met on July 15, 2026, chaired by Councilmember Denzel Anton McCampbell. The meeting covered a range of financial and administrative items, including contract approvals, budget reprogramming, neighborhood enterprise zone (NEZ) applications, and public comments on various city issues. Several items were deferred to future meetings, including after the summer recess.
Good afternoon, everyone. I would like to call the budget finance and audit committee meeting of Wednesday, July 15th to order. Will the clerk please call the role? Councilmember Denzel Anton McCampbell. Present. Councilmember Letitia Johnson. Councilmember Mary Waters. Present. Mr. Chair, you have a quantum present. Thank you, Madam Clerk. That'll move us on to the approval of the minutes. Members of the committee should have received the minutes from the July 18th. 2026 meeting. And with that, is there a motion to approve? Motion. It's been a motion to approve the minutes from July 8th. See no objections that action shall be taken. That'll move us on to chair remarks. I know there's uh cooling centers that have been activated once again. Uh so please do check on your neighbors. Um do stay cool and also um try to limit as much exposure to the heat as possible and including pets as well. If you have any pets outside, um, it would be good to make sure that they're they are sheltered and have water and bring them inside if possible. With that, um, that'll move us on to public comment. But before we move to public comment, if Madam Clerk, if you can note that we've been joined by Vice Chair Johnson. Clerk was so notes. Thank you so much. Move us on to public comment. Um, request for public comment will close at uh 115. Um, please limit your remarks to two minutes. We'll start with folks in the room here and then move on to those who are joining us virtually. If you are joining us virtually, please do use the read the raise hand um feature, and you will be called in order. With that, seeing no folks currently in person. How many folks do we have on Zoom so far? Good afternoon, Mr. Chair. We currently have six hands raised. All right, let's go to our first speaker. All right, our first speaker is Owner Papa. Ms. Hughes, good afternoon. You have two minutes. Good afternoon, and through the chair, may I be heard. Yes, you may. Thank you. 5.5 on your agenda is for a um a fees of a feasibility, a f a fiscal statement, of something that says the that these NEZs are helping our community, and I tell you unequivocally, they are not. 6.5 and 6.6 on your agenda should be tabled. Anything calling for new NEZs should be tabled until we have the answer to if they are and how much are they robbing the general fund? Um 5.2 would would be a no. I don't think that we should move thousands of dollars from Detroit at work to move it over to help restaurant owners and rest and and train their employees.