Detroit mayoral candidates tackle lingering issues, plans for city's future

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Five of Detroit's mayoral candidates debated each other Thursday evening at the Mackinac Policy Conference, taking questions about ways to improve the city, and being challenged over their previous roles.
Moderators Stephen Henderson of Bridge Detroit and Nolan Finley of The Detroit News questioned candidates on ways they expect to lure in more businesses while managing tax credits, maintain a balanced budget and whether their past experiences transfer to the duties of the city's top position.
The debate included former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, Triumph Church Pastor Solomon Kinloch Jr., Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield, Councilmember Fred Durhal III and former City Council President Saunteel Jenkins. Todd Perkins, Joel Haashiim, Jonathan Barlow and DaNetta Simpson are also running but were not a part of the debate.
Mayor Mike Duggan held a panel discussion of his own at the conference aimed at propping himself up for his 2026 gubernatorial bid, and moderators asked candidates to delve into whether he did the city right by his policies. In the debate, mayoral candidates had chances for rebuttals, which often resulted in defending themselves or their platforms.
Craig and Sheffield sparred over the theft of $44 million from the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy's former CFO, William Smith, as the former police chief aimed his argument at Sheffield, who sits on the board.
"I'm not saying the board did anything wrong, but I think it warrants a closer examination to find out what went wrong, because we're talking about fiscal leadership and fiscal responsibility. Something's lacking there," Craig said.
Sheffield clapped back, noting she is not part of the audit or finance committees, and called his argument "disingenuous."
"All of the documents were altered. The public documents that were put online and submitted to the board at public meetings were all altered. No one knew what was going on," Sheffield said. "In that situation, we now know, and for me as a leader, the importance of oversight and more control as it relates to fiscal management."
Here is how candidates tackled the debate:
Candidates addressed what they believed the business community's role in the city is and explained how they would manage things like using tax incentives to attract businesses. Tax incentives have been a contentious subject for residents but several developers relied on them to build major projects.
Jenkins said she would partner with businesses, noting 'over half of the tax abatements will have expired' by 2030, which would require searching for ways to extend them.
'Otherwise, we'll start to lose businesses. We'll start to lose jobs, and the role of business is twofold. It's creating jobs. It's an economic driver,' Jenkins said.
Durhal said the city is facing an 'abatement cliff' and expects to restructure it.
'We can utilize, as we spread out the length of that abatement, an opportunity to opt in and generate revenue earlier for our city by allowing developers, as well as those who have built there, to pay a little bit early, and that'll add more money and revenue to our general fund here,' Durhal said.
Kinloch expects to convene various business and community leaders to ensure they are aware the mayor is receptive to business in the city.
'The mayoral office does not just cast vision, it also communicates that vision, and it also convenes a table. In order to bring stakeholders together, we have to make sure that businesses are not the only stakeholders at the table, that we are calling together neighborhood leaders. We're calling together the philanthropic community because we want to ensure that residents feel as much a part of the community as anyone else,' Kinloch said.
Craig mainly focused on growing the middle class by building out small businesses.
'We have to focus on growing our middle class. I talk a lot about growing small businesses, but that doesn't take away from continuing to grow big businesses. We have got to raise revenues in this city,' Craig said. 'One of the things I have heard as chief and deputy mayor over time is many neighborhoods feel left out, the businesses feel left out. As police chief, I leveraged working very closely with small businesses,' Craig said, referring to Project Green Light, an initiative that places cameras at businesses to prevent crime.
Sheffield said during her tenure on council, she tried bridging the gap between people and businesses, and credited public-private partnerships for contributing to the city's growth.
'When it comes to tax abatements, my number one issue is addressing the core of why we have to abate in the first place, and that is because we pay some of the highest property taxes in the country,' Sheffield said. 'My goal, day one, which we're laying the foundation now, is to ensure that we're addressing real structural property tax reform so that we do not have to continue to abate our way out of the issues that we have in Detroit."
Candidates highlighted the Duggan administration's record of attracting businesses and manufacturers after the city came out of bankruptcy, laying groundwork for the next mayor, restoring basic city services, reducing crime, maintaining a fiscal foundation and overall rebuilding confidence for investors. But several highlighted the need to invest more in neighborhoods.
'We need to make sure that there is a commercial corridor in each of the seven districts. We have to ensure that our planning is intentional and that it is inclusive, and when we are having discussions about tax abatements, discussions about affordable housing, we have a real plan in place that is driving development and affordable housing and public transit in a way that is building our neighborhoods, and we also have to include schools,' Jenkins said.
Durhal and Sheffield pointed out that Duggan's successes also stemmed from working alongside City Council. Durhal hit hard on the continuing need to change the city's high property taxes.
'What nobody's talking about when we talk about comprehensive property tax reform, all of those ropes lead through Lansing … so when we take our plans to Lansing, we're going to lower property taxes, we're going to work on preemption to give our city the ability to have the determination of our future. And I think we can have a better job of delivering from Lansing to continue Detroit's growth. You're going to need that experienced leadership to continue that growth."
Kinloch credited Duggan but also pointed out that the city needs to tackle homelessness and poverty, and bring equitable jobs to help residents 'not only just survive, but thrive.'
Craig critiqued the 'red tape bureaucracy,' indicating it holds back business owners from opening up their establishments due to dozens of steps they have to face, which Duggan addressed last week.
Sheffield stressed that boosting the middle class and raising the income levels of Detroiters, who face a median income below the statewide average, is important to creating a pipeline of future jobs.
'Without a doubt, we have to ensure that more investment comes back into our neighborhoods and that we're activating our commercial corridors. I'm very excited for my administration to be way more hands-on as it relates to the education of our youth,' Sheffield said.
Moderators questioned candidates about leaving their roles, leaning toward a political party — despite the mayoral post being nonpartisan — running a religious institution while potentially balancing public office and proving their abilities.
Jenkins served on City Council amid Detroit's bankruptcy but resigned early to pursue an executive role with The Heat and Warmth Fund. She added that her last day on council was when officials announced Detroit was exiting bankruptcy.
'We had a plan in place that would not be changed for the next 10 years, no matter who was on council. So I did something that's actually very similar to what our current mayor did. I left my elected position and went to serve as CEO of a multi-million dollar organization that was serving some of the most vulnerable citizens across the state of Michigan.'
Sheffield has been an advocate involved with numerous politically progressive individuals, though concerns about a deeply conservative White House do not deter the council president.
'I know how to find common ground,' Sheffield said. 'I come from a legacy of fighters. It is really about bringing resources back to Detroit, improving the quality of life for Detroiters.'
Craig has publicly declared himself conservative and flexed his relationship with the White House but pointed out that he is 'a Detroiter first' and expects to draw out more federal money, if elected.
Kinloch expects to run his church simultaneously with his role as mayor, if elected. He promises to serve as a full-time mayor and go to church on Sundays, preach, and leave the day-to-day responsibilities to an executive team at the church.
Durhal addressed his past leadership experiences in Lansing as an assistant Democratic leader of the House, and his experience chairing City Council committees, as proof he can manage more than what his resume shows.
'You've got to have relationships up there. Folks talk about working across the aisle. We've got a proven track record of doing it,' Durhal said.
The city maintained a balanced budget since bankruptcy and has since received more than $800 million in federal money.
Officials are in the process of transferring any remaining federal money that must be spent by next year, along with retaining employees. Boosting revenue will require some creativity from the next mayor.
'We have to diversify our revenue streams,' Sheffield said, suggesting ideas such as an entertainment tax, but noting the city needs a 'phenomenal' chief financial officer to maintain fiscal discipline.
Durhal said that an amusement tax would not generate enough, though it's projected to raise about $10 million a year.
'That's not enough funding to move this city forward,' Durhal said.
Jenkins added that adopting a balanced budget, which Durhal and Sheffield touted, does not make one a good fiscal leader. Although she credited city officials throughout the years for maintaining a balanced budget, simply because it is their duty.
Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact: [e-mail]. Follow her: @DanaAfana
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit mayoral candidates debate at Mackinac Policy Conference