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Tag: Mary Sheffield

  • Mayor Mary Sheffield reflects on leading Detroit and the road ahead – Detroit Metro Times

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    Mary Sheffield, a political phenom whose rise began when she was elected to Detroit City Council at age 26, made history Thursday when she was sworn in as the city’s first woman mayor. 

    In her first one-on-one interview since taking office, Sheffield spoke with Metro Times about making history as Detroit’s first woman mayor, how she wants residents to judge her success, the balance between downtown development and neighborhood needs, and the priorities she plans to tackle in her first term. She also opened up about her recent marriage and her relationship with God. 

    Sheffield’s inauguration marks the start of a new era in city government, ending a 324-year stretch in which men led Detroit.

    Now 38, Sheffield has become a popular figure in city politics by promoting progressive values, advocating for racial equality, and championing policies aimed at narrowing the economic divide. 

    Sheffield won the general election with 77% of the vote in November, delivering a decisive mandate for a platform centered on equity, neighborhood investment, and structural reforms designed to improve residents’ quality of life. 

    She now faces daunting and serious challenges. Nearly half of Detroit’s children live in poverty, many neighborhoods continue to struggle with basic resources and disinvestment, and the city has seen a continued exodus of Black residents even as downtown has flourished.

    Sheffield’s rise has been rapid and historic. In November 2013, Sheffield was 26 years old when she became the youngest person ever elected to Detroit City Council. She later became the council’s youngest president. 

    During her tenure on the council, Sheffield has become a leading advocate for affordable housing, tenants’ rights, neighborhood development, property tax reform, and environmental justice, often pushing back against large tax incentives for wealthy developers and calling for investment strategies that more directly benefit longtime Detroiters.

    Sheffield succeeds Mike Duggan, who did not seek reelection after three terms and is now running for governor as an independent. 

    Metro Times: Yesterday, you became Detroit’s first woman mayor. What does that milestone mean to you personally, and what do you hope it means to women and girls growing up in the city?

    Mayor Mary Sheffield: I think it means leadership has no gender, no age limit, and no ceiling. And for women, especially Black women, it affirms that our voices, our experiences, and our ideas belong at the highest levels of decision-making. I’ve watched so many young girls follow me throughout this campaign who feel inspired and empowered, and that’s what I’ve always wanted my leadership to reflect. It’s an indication to dream big, to work hard, and to know that we can all achieve what we put our minds to.

    I also think it’s a powerful moment as it relates to attracting and retaining youth in Detroit. Hopefully this is an inspiration and motivation to want to be in Detroit. There are so many young professionals who I believe are encouraged and inspired to stay and come back to the city as well.

    Metro Times: You became the youngest person ever elected to City Council at 26 and later the youngest council president. What has driven you, at such a young age, to serve?

    Mayor Sheffield: It all goes back to my childhood. My life was really molded by service. It’s all I know. My father [Rev. Horace Sheffield III] was a civil rights activist and preacher, and my mother [Yvonne Lovett] was an educator at Wayne County Community College District and a professor of nursing. Both of them showed me that life is really all about serving.

    Detroit is a city that shaped me and molded me into who I am. When I got into office at 26, I didn’t know I would have the impact I had in terms of legislative accomplishments, but it motivated me to understand how important these positions are in directly changing quality of life. Detroit has made tremendous progress, but there are still needs. That inspired me to continue serving now as mayor, to elevate the issues that matter to Detroiters and ensure that Detroit’s resurgence goes deeper into our neighborhoods.

    Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield succeeds Mike Duggan, who led the city since 2014.

    Metro Times: When Mike Duggan was first elected in 2013, he said residents could judge his success by whether Detroit’s population increased. Is there a similar benchmark you want Detroiters to use to judge your administration?

    Mayor Sheffield: For me, it’s really about overall quality of life. Whether that’s directing more money into our neighborhoods, making Detroit the best place to grow and start a business, creating more jobs, increasing incomes. I don’t think it’s one singular thing.

    I want Detroiters to be able to say their quality of life is better because of this administration. That their neighborhood has investment. That their street lights are on. That they were able to access a home repair grant. If incomes are increased, mental health is better, and poverty is reduced, those are the things I want to be judged on.

    Metro Times: Are there one or two priorities you want residents to see tangible action on in your first year?

    Mayor Sheffield: First and foremost, we have to take bold steps around housing. I want to see more development of affordable housing, particularly access to homeownership. Increasing the number of residents who can become homeowners is very important to me.

    Neighborhood reforms are also critical — basic infrastructure like sidewalk repairs, dangerous trees, alley cleaning, and overall neighborhood investment. We want to activate additional commercial corridors to support small businesses and bring vibrancy back to neighborhoods. And property tax reform is extremely important. It may take time, but providing relief from Detroit’s high millage rate is a priority.

    Metro Times: Is there a neighborhood issue you think City Hall has underestimated or misunderstood for too long?

    Mayor Sheffield: For me, it’s about creating a government that directly works for people and is easily accessible. We want to bring government back into the neighborhoods, whether that’s activating rec centers where residents can access city services or creating more community hubs.

    There’s always room to improve customer service — how we respond when residents call about sidewalks or vacant buildings. Creating opportunity hubs throughout neighborhoods so people can easily access resources is something we’re committed to improving.

    Then-Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield at a charity basketball game in 2023. Credit: City of Detroit

    Metro Times: Former Mayor Duggan emphasized art and culture through murals and public projects. How important is it for your administration to continue elevating art and culture?

    Mayor Sheffield: It’s extremely important. Arts and culture came up significantly throughout the campaign. We had a committee focused on it and met with many stakeholders. It’s an untapped economic engine that we haven’t fully utilized.

    We’re looking at forming an office dedicated to the creative economy and taking mural arts and cultural investment to another level. Arts and culture are part of Detroit’s identity. They beautify neighborhoods, tell our story, and create opportunities for local artists. We want to make sure this work is valued and funded appropriately.

    Metro Times: What part of being mayor do you think will be the hardest for you personally?

    Mayor Sheffield: I really want to understand and listen to everyone’s perspective. I believe in leading with collaboration and making sure people feel seen, valued, and empowered. In a big city, there are many voices and ideas, and balancing that can be challenging.

    Politically, the climate has changed, and we have to do more with less. And as a woman leader, there are different expectations and standards I’ll be judged by. That can be difficult. But I believe I was put here for a reason, and that God will equip me with what I need to serve Detroiters.

    Metro Times: What keeps you optimistic about Detroit right now?

    Mary Sheffield: The people. I’ve been inspired by the support from corporate leaders, grassroots organizers, faith communities — every sector of the city. There’s a shared belief that Detroit’s best days are ahead.

    During the transition alone, we had 18 committees and more than 150 residents and business leaders give their time and expertise. That tells me people are deeply invested in Detroit’s future. No one wants to see this city go backward.

    Metro Times: You’re known for progressive leadership and taking positions that weren’t always popular. What do you think people don’t know about you?

    Mayor Sheffield: I’m very purpose-driven. I focus a lot on personal development and always trying to be better as a person and a leader. I’m very family-driven, and my relationship with God is central to who I am. I’m always working on improving myself.

    Metro Times: You recently got married. Has your relationship with your husband Ricky Jackson Jr. shaped or grounded you as you take on the role of mayor?

    Mayor Sheffield: Without a doubt. He brings a lot of stability and peace in the midst of what can be turbulent and chaotic times. He’s an anchor that keeps me grounded. I’m blessed to have someone by my side who shares a deep commitment to the betterment of Detroit. He’s from Detroit, went to Cass Tech, and has a passion for youth and sports. He’s been a true blessing throughout this process.

    Metro Times: When things get overwhelming, how do you reset or ground yourself?

    Mayor Sheffield: Stillness. Prayer. Being quiet and listening to my intuition. Finding ways to center myself and really listen.


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    Steve Neavling

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  • Mary Sheffield wins big, becomes Detroit’s first woman mayor – Detroit Metro Times

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    Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield will become the first woman to be mayor of the city after handily defeating Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. in Tuesday’s general election. 

    With 49% of precincts reporting, Sheffield was ahead 78.2% to 21.8%. 

    The Associated Press called the election for Sheffield at 9:18 p.m.

    Sheffield, 38, entered the race as the clear frontrunner after defeating eight other candidates with 50.8% of the vote in August’s primary. Kinloch, pastor of Triumph Church, which has more than 40,000 members and seven locations including two in Detroit, finished a distant second with 17.4%.

    Sheffield’s victory is a historic milestone for Detroit, which has never elected a woman as mayor in its 324-year history. Sheffield will also be one of the youngest to hold the office, continuing a political rise that began when she became the youngest-ever city council member at age 26. 

    Sheffield has served as the council’s president since 2022. In her 13 years on the council, she has become a leading advocate for affordable housing, tenants rights, neighborhood development, property tax reform, and a clean environment. As council president, she has been a vocal critic of inequitable investment strategies, calling for a shift away from tax incentives for downtown developers and toward policies that directly benefit Detroit’s most vulnerable residents.

    Throughout the campaign, Sheffield continued to call for more affordable housing, economic equity, and government transparency, pledging to prioritize neighborhoods that have been left behind by downtown development. She also called for strengthening police accountability and improving city services.

    “When we are united, there is nothing we can’t achieve,” Sheffield told Metro Times when she announced her campaign in December 2024. “We need a Detroit where everyone has reached their potential.”

    Kinloch, who grew up in poverty, campaigned on his faith-based leadership and said he was inspired to run to ensure all Detroiters have a better future. 

    But he has faced mounting scrutiny over delinquent water bills, property tax issues, Triumph Church’s real estate dealings, his $1.3 million mansion in Royal Oak Township, residency requirements, and a conviction for assaulting his first wife with a butcher knife. 

    Sheffield’s landslide victory follows dozens of endorsements from labor unions, community groups, pastors, and key political figures, including Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Detroit City Councilman Fred Durhall III.

    Sheffield is expected to take office on Jan. 1, succeeding Duggan, who did not seek reelection after three terms in office. Duggan is running for governor as an independent.


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    Steve Neavling

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  • Who will defend Detroit? – Detroit Metro Times

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    The threat is here

    Since deploying the National Guard to Washington, D.C., the federal government has mobilized to deploy more troops to Chicago, Portland, and Memphis. While the administration claims these deployments are about controlling crime, history and context tell a different story. This is not a public safety strategy — it’s a political maneuver pulled straight from the authoritarian playbook. 

    Now, with recent talk of President Donald Trump invoking the Insurrection Act, the administration is laying the groundwork to further erode civil rights, suppress dissent, and undermine the authority of local governments to govern themselves. What’s at stake is democracy itself, the right of people and their cities to exercise self-determination, to choose their leaders, and to shape their collective future free from federal coercion.

    It is not a stretch to anticipate that Detroit could soon join the list of municipal targets. With a high-stakes election on the horizon, Detroiters must ask themselves: Which candidates will have the courage to stand up to authoritarianism and defend our city’s right to self-govern? Across the country, cities are taking bold steps to protect their residents and affirm the principles of local democracy in the face of federal overreach.

    How other cities are fighting back 

    Across the country, mayors and city councils are moving swiftly to assert local autonomy, defend civil rights, and protect residents from unlawful and unconstitutional federal incursions.

    In Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson and the State of Illinois have filed a lawsuit to block the Trump administration from deploying National Guard troops on city streets. “It’s going to take all of us, and I’m using every single tool that’s available to me,” Johnson said. “We don’t know what our limits are just yet — and I’m going to test the boundaries as much as I possibly can to do everything in my power to defend the people of this city.”

    Johnson also issued an executive order — a mechanism that Detroit’s city charter also allows — establishing the Protecting Chicago Initiative. This initiative establishes a city-wide “Know Your Rights” campaign, demands that President Trump withdraw his threat to deploy the National Guard to Chicago, and reaffirms that the Chicago Police Department (CPD) will remain locally controlled. The executive order also explicitly states that CPD will not cooperate with or enable the unlawful actions of federal law enforcement or any U.S. Armed Forces operating within Chicago. 

    Additionally, Mayor Johnson issued an executive order establishing “ICE-Free Zones,” prohibiting federal immigration authorities from using city-owned or controlled spaces — such as parking lots, garages, or vacant lots — as staging or processing sites for immigration enforcement.

    Other cities are also taking steps to defend their cities:

    • In Providence, Rhode Island, the city council mailed “Know Your Rights” information to every household, ensuring residents are equipped with the tools to assert their legal protections in the face of federal overreach.
    • In El Paso, Texas, the County Commissioners Court adopted a resolution requiring federal agents operating within the county to clearly display personal identification and agency insignia and barring the use of face masks to conceal their identities.
    • In Nashville, Mayor Freddie O’Connell signed an executive order establishing a system to track and publicly report all local interactions with federal immigration authorities, increasing transparency and accountability.
    • In Evanston, Illinois, the city council amended its Welcoming City Ordinance to broaden the definition of “immigration agent” and further restrict city data sharing with ICE and any third party that could relay information to federal enforcement agencies.

    Together, these actions form a blueprint for local resistance by using every available legal, legislative, and administrative tool to safeguard residents, defend local sovereignty, and make clear that the people will fight authoritarianism at every attempt. 

    What Detroit’s next leaders must do

    Detroit has always stood at the intersection of power and protest. From the labor movements that reshaped the nation’s economy to the 1967 uprising that demanded dignity and justice, this city has long embodied the struggle for self-determination. That legacy is being tested once again. The threat of federalized troops on our streets is not just a question of law enforcement — it’s a question of whether Detroiters will retain the power to govern ourselves, to determine what safety looks like in our own communities, and to ensure that our government remains accountable to the people who live here.

    Detroit’s leaders have both the moral authority and the legal tools to act. The city charter grants the mayor the power to issue executive orders — just as Chicago and Nashville have done — to affirm Detroit’s autonomy and protect its residents from unconstitutional federal action. City Council can follow the lead of Providence, El Paso, and Evanston by adopting resolutions that demand transparency from federal agencies, bar local cooperation with unlawful operations, and inform residents of their rights. These actions are not symbolic; they are essential acts of democratic defense.

    The ballot box and beyond: The long work of democracy in Detroit

    Despite the gravity of these issues, they have received little attention in the current election campaigns. Over the summer, the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights distributed a 14-question survey to all mayoral primary candidates, asking how each would defend Detroiters against potential abuses of federal power. The majority of candidates — including Mary Sheffield — responded. Candidate Solomon Kinloch did not. The Keith Center also sent the same survey to all City Council candidates in the upcoming general election. Candidates Denzel McCampbell (District 7), Roy McCalister, Jr. (District 2), Renata Miller (District 5), and Councilmember Coleman A. Young II (At-Large) replied, while the others failed to respond. This silence is alarming — especially given that Vice President JD Vance has openly threatened to deploy the National Guard onto Detroit’s streets. Detroiters deserve clear, public answers from those seeking to lead them.

    This November 4th, Detroiters must cast their votes with these truths in mind: democracy is not defended by rhetoric but by action, and local power is only as strong as the people willing to protect it. Elections are an instrument, not the end. Electing leaders who will stand up to federal overreach is vital — but so is sustaining the kind of political culture that holds them accountable long after the votes are counted. Detroit needs a durable civic movement that insists on transparency, demands participation, and builds networks of accountability. The right to self-govern is not a one-day choice; it is a continuous practice of vigilance, courage, and collective responsibility.

    Angel McKissic, Ph.D. (she/her) is the Director of the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights at Wayne State University Law School. Peter Hammer, J.D./Ph.D. is the Faculty Director of the Damon J. Keith Center and A. Alfred Taubman Professor of Law at Wayne State University Law School.

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    Angel McKissic and Peter Hammer

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  • Sheffield dominates Detroit mayoral primary and will face Kinloch in general election

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    Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield received more than half the vote in Tuesday’s primary election.

    Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield and Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. will square off in the general election for mayor of Detroit after becoming the top two vote-getters in Tuesday’s primary.

    Sheffield, who has built a progressive record as council president, dominated the nine-candidate field, receiving 50.8% of the votes, while Kinloch garnered 17.4%.

    Nonprofit CEO Saunteel Jenkins finished third with 16% of the votes, followed by attorney Todd Perkins at 5.4%, former Detroit Police Chief James Craig at 5.2%, and City Councilman Fred Durhal III at 3.4%.

    Activist DaNetta Simpson, former businessman Joe Haashiim, and entrepreneur Danetta Lynese Simpson rounded out the bottom three, each receiving less than 1%.

    If elected in November’s general election, Sheffield would become the first woman to serve as mayor since Detroit was incorporated in 1802.

    At 26, Sheffield was first elected to city council in 2013. She has served as the council’s president since 2022. In her 12 years on the council, Sheffield has become a leading advocate for affordable housing, tenants rights, neighborhood development, property tax reform, and a clean environment. As council president, she has been a vocal critic of inequitable investment strategies, calling for a shift away from tax incentives for downtown developers and toward policies that directly benefit Detroit’s most vulnerable residents.

    Kinloch, senior pastor of Triumph Church and graduate of Detroit’s Northwestern High School, portrays himself as a political outsider committed to addressing the decades-long inequalities in the city’s neighborhoods, arguing that Detroit’s economic comeback has left too many residents behind.

    Kinloch’s platform includes building 10,000 affordable housing units, expanding workforce training, reducing poverty, and improving basic city services like trash pickup and emergency response. He has also pledged to bring more grocery stores to underserved areas. Raised in poverty and once a factory worker, Kinloch founded Triumph Church with a few dozen members and built it into one of the largest churches in the state, with campuses from Detroit to Genesee County.

    Kinloch, who moved from the suburbs to Detroit about a year ago, has his work cut out for himself. In late July, Fox 2 Detroit revealed that he was convicted of beating his then-wife in 1993. According to court and police records, he hurled a glass at her, brandished a knife, and struck her in the back of the head with the weapon’s handle. Police found her bleeding from a cut on her hand and unable to walk because of her injuries.

    Third-term Mayor Mike Duggan is running for governor as an independent.

    Also on Tuesday, five city council seats were up for grabs. The races included both at-large seats, which represent the entire city, District 2 in the northernmost part of the city, District 5 just south of Hamtramck and Highland Park, and District 7 on the city’s west side.

    Incumbents Mary Waters and Coleman Young II dominated the field of eight candidates in their bid to retain their at-large seats, each receiving nearly a third of the vote. Former City Councilwoman Janee’ L. Ayers and Detroit Fire Department community relations chief James Harris placed third and fourth, garnering 13.8% and 7.3% of the votes, respectively, and will advance to the general election.

    In the District 2 race, incumbent Angela Whitfield Calloway placed first with 44.6% of the vote, followed by former District 2 Councilman Roy McCalister Jr. with 29.9%. Both candidates will advance to the general election.

    For the District 5 seat, which Sheffield held, seven candidates faced off. The top two vote-getters were UAW retiree and founding member of the Detroit Historic Districts Alliance Renata Miller with 23.2% of the vote, and Detroit Police Commissioner Willie Burton with 19.4%. Both candidates move on to the general election.

    In the District 7 race, four candidates were vying to replace Durhal, who ran for mayor. Progress Michigan Managing Director Denzel McCampbell narrowly finished first with 34.5% of the vote, followed by state Rep. Karen Whitsett with 33.9% of the vote. McCampbell and Whitsett will face off in the general election.

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    Steve Neavling

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  • Safety or exclusion? Detroiters shut out of public parks during fireworks

    Safety or exclusion? Detroiters shut out of public parks during fireworks

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    Detroit’s annual fireworks display on Monday was as radiant and breathtaking as ever.

    Trouble is, many Detroiters had trouble seeing the dazzling display because the city’s police department closed most of the public parks and spaces that offered the best views.

    Now residents and City Council President Mary Sheffield want to know why.

    The decision to close the parks “restricts viewing access for some of our most vulnerable residents, including our seniors and disabled residents,” Sheffield said in a memo to the Detroit Police Department and General Services Department on Monday.

    “It is my hope that the City can be as accommodating as possible for the residents who may find it difficult to attend the fireworks in Hart Plaza and other heavily trafficked areas,” she added.

    While thousands of residents squeezed into Hart Plaza, Spirit Plaza, and Belle Isle, most of the parks — and the Riverwalk — were closed, even though many of them were recently improved with tax-funded renovations. They included Riverside Park, Owen Park, Erma Henderson Park, Mt. Elliot Park, AB Ford Park, Lakewood East Park, Gabriel Richard Park, Stockton Park, Maheras-Gentry Park, and Mariner Park.

    Residents also took to social media to air their grievances.

    “Tonight was a fucking disaster,” @sociallychrissy tweeted. “I wanted to believe that tonight was for Detroiters and after the events of tonight, I have to say Detroit didn’t want Detroiters at the 2024 fireworks.”

    Kat Stafford, a former Free Press reporter who now serves as the global race and justice editor for Reuters, also expressed her disappointment.

    “No tents on Belle Isle. City parks closed,” Stafford tweeted. “These are public spaces that have been used by Detroiters for years. But we know those exclusive rooftop events will proceed as normal.”

    @metrotimes #detroit #fordfireworks ♬ original sound – Detroit Metro Times

    Alex Washington, a former Metro Times digital content editor, said the park closures smacked of racism.

    “I can’t find the words to explain why this is wrong and feels very anti-Black Detroit, but this is wrong and feels very anti-Black Detroit,” she tweeted.

    Washington added, “Like you know how crazy it is you can’t go to a city park and watch the city fireworks?!”

    So why are the parks closed?

    The police department cites a spate of past shootings. In 2017, three people were shot downtown just before and after the fireworks display. In 2013, a man was fatally shot about a mile away from downtown at the Martin Luther King Apartments. In 2011, a 14-year-old boy accidentally shot himself in the groin, and a stray bullet struck a 16-year-old girl in the leg near the Renaissance Center. And in 2004, a man opened fire into a crowd that had gathered for the fireworks, injuring eight people and killing one.

    “There’s just too many kids walking around with guns,” then-Council President Pro Tem Gary Brown told WJR-AM 760 after the 2012 shooting.

    A vast majority of those shootings, however, occurred in areas that are still open.

    Detroit police pointed out that the park closures during the fireworks are nothing new and have been a regular occurrence for the past few years.

    “Decisions regarding open viewing areas are made in the interest of the safety of the hundreds of thousands of attendees,” DPD said in a statement to Metro Times.

    Closing the parks, the police department said, ensures “the safety of all attendees, by dedicating police presence to this event and limiting congestion of areas around the city.”

    DPD added, “The Department is confident in our strategy and in the hard work of our officers. We know the community looks forward to this event and wants to enjoy it safely.”

    As it has in the past, DPD also enforced a curfew downtown for anyone under the age of 18 from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.

    No violence was reported at the fireworks this year.

    Over the past two months, DPD has also come under fire for its handling of large crowds and protests. Police were scrutinized for their heavy-handed response to the Cinco de Mayo festival. And on May 19, a Detroit cop was captured on video telling an anti-war protester to “go back to Mexico.”

    Councilwoman Mary Waters threatened to subpoena police Chief James White, questioning what she said “may be a disturbing, systemic pattern of racist, xenophobic police conduct.”

    White suspended the officer who made the “go back to Mexico” comment after discovering he had also made an offensive remark to a Black protester.

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  • Detroit City Council takes action after study suggests lowest valued homes were overtaxed

    Detroit City Council takes action after study suggests lowest valued homes were overtaxed

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    Steve Neavling

    The Spirit of Detroit statute outside of city hall.

    The Detroit City Council is calling for a reduction in property taxes for low-valued homes and a moratorium on owner-occupied foreclosures after a study suggested the city is illegally overtaxing houses worth less than $35,000.

    The council unanimously passed the resolutions on Tuesday, a day after housing activists held a news conference about the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy study.

    “While we have undoubtedly had some key victories in our attempt to restore dignity to impacted homeowners and provide restitution, none of it has been done without a fight and a willingness to stay vigilant,” council President Mary Shefield said. “The most egregious part of the systemic overassessment of properties in Detroit has been the issue of regressivity, which is when low-value homes are assessed at a higher percentage of their true market value than are high-value homes. While we recognize the assessor’s job is difficult, the stakes are too high to sit idly by while the city’s lowest-valued homes are consistently overassessed.”

    It’s unlikely that Mayor Mike Duggan’s administration is going to lower assessments because Detroit Assessor Alvin Horhn called the study “utter nonsense” and “politically driven.”

    Horhn said the methods used by the University of Chicago “violate Michigan tax law and the practices that every assessor in Michigan is legally required to follow.”

    It isn’t yet clear whether Wayne County Treasurer Eric Sabree plans to consider reducing assessments for homes valued at less than $35,000. Metro Times is awaiting a response from him.

    Activists for the Coalition for Property Tax Justice, a group that advocates for homeowners in Detroit, called on the council to address the assessments.

    Bernadette Atuahene, a property law scholar who has studied Detroit’s property tax foreclosure crisis, called the council’s resolutions “an amazing milestone in our fight for property tax justice.”

    “The City Council finally acknowledged the continued over assessments and unanimously demanded that the Duggan administration and the County Treasurer take action to correct the ongoing property tax injustice,” Atuahene said in a statement. “Now Treasurer Sabree and the Duggan administration must follow these resolutions with action.”

    The group has been behind a separate push to compensate an untold number of Detroit homeowners who were overtaxed for their homes more than a decade ago. Between 2010 and 2016, the city of Detroit overtaxed homeowners by at least $600 million.

    The Michigan Constitution prohibits property from being assessed at more than 50% of its market value. Between 2010 and 2016, the city assessed properties at as much as 85% of their market value.

    The latest study suggests that homes valued at less than $35,000 are disproportionately overassessed. By contrast, the highest valued homes in the city are the least likely to be overassessed, according to the study.

    Activists are worried about another wave of foreclosures based on inflated property taxes on the lower valued houses, which tend to be owned by people struggling financially.

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    Steve Neavling

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  • Mary Sheffield teams up with Skilla Baby for gun buyback and expungement fair

    Mary Sheffield teams up with Skilla Baby for gun buyback and expungement fair

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    click to enlarge

    Mary Sheffield and Skilla Baby pictured together at a recent ribbon cutting for a newly renovated basketball court in Detroit.

    Detroit rapper Skilla Baby took to Instagram on Monday to announce he would be partnering with City Council President Mary Sheffield and Judge Tenisha Yancey for a gun buyback event this weekend.

    The event, which will be held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24 at The Icon in Detroit, will also consist of an expungement and felon-friendly job fair.

    The flier says the gun exchange will be “no questions asked,” with handguns and non-automatic firearms to be bought for $100 and semi-automatic and automatic assault rifles to be bought for $200.

    Additionally, the fair will offer a driver’s license restoration review, and anyone interested should bring a copy of their driving record. People interested in expungement can register for pre-screening online ahead of the event.

    “This will not be the last one,” Skilla Baby says in his post’s caption. “We will try to get as many guns off the streets and clean as many records as possible every year if it’s up to me.”

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  • Indianapolis police purchase billboard enticing better pay to lure officers from Detroit

    Indianapolis police purchase billboard enticing better pay to lure officers from Detroit

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    DETROIT – The city has long faced an uphill battle to recruit and retain police officers, which is why a proposed pay raise is awaiting the city council’s approval.

    But, not even that would make the Detroit Police Department wages competitive with officers in other cities, including one that made a bold move to poach officers from Detroit.

    “I saw it,” said Detroit police Chief James White. “I know that our officers are the best in the country, and I know that they get highly recruited in-state and out-of-state.”

    The bold billboard in Detroit suggests officers could have a starting salary of $72,000. If Detroit City Council approves, pay raises for Detroit police would have a starting salary of $53,000.

    “I am not surprised,” White said. “I’m a little bit disappointed that someone would post something like that in our community, but I also know that our officers are highly recruited.

    A police union leader went to the city council urging the council to approve the pay raises, or the department would continue to lose officers.

    Read: Police union pleads to city council for promised raises in Downtown Detroit

    “From my conversations with council members, everybody believes that we are way overdue in supporting our DPD men and women,” said Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield. “I’m looking for unanimous support coming next Tuesday.”

    “I sent letters to chiefs across the country saying, ‘Please, don’t hire our people,’” said former Detroit police Chief Ike McKinnon. “They looked at me and laughed.”

    Mckinnon says Detroit can’t compete with a $72,000 starting salary.

    “You can’t compete with someone whose making or paying $70,000 to start,” McKinnon said. “They’re making as much as some of our command officers are.”

    Shawn Ley: “Did you happen to call Indy by chance?”

    White: “We won’t get into those conversations.”

    So far, 290 Detroit police officers have left the department for other jobs.

    The mayor and Detroit’s police union agreed on a new contract on Sept. 30. But so far, those raises have yet to become a reality, and officers are leaving the force for other departments and better pay. (WDIV)

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