Detroit mayor's race sit-down: Jonathan Barlow
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Photo illustration: Axios Visuals; Photo: Courtesy of Barlow campaign
As mayor, businessman Jonathan Barlow would harness his experience in high-tech industries and entrepreneurship to prepare Detroit for the future.
The big picture: Axios' interview with Barlow is the latest in our series interviewing mayoral candidates on their policy priorities.
- Barlow and other candidates who haven't held elected office before aim to bring outside energy to city government when they see many residents jaded by traditional politics.
Flashback: Barlow is a venture capitalist and the strategic partnership director for X Big Tech. He has experience in community organizing, DEI, web development and cybersecurity.
- Barlow has also worked as a cannabis industry consultant.
- His Citizens for Sensible Cannabis Reform group collected signatures to help Detroit's medical cannabis industry through successful ballot proposals in 2017.
- He grew up in Detroit, attending school board meetings in the 1990s with his mother, who worked in Detroit Public Schools.
Driving the news: Barlow spoke with Axios about how he would harness his forward-looking nature for jobs, investment and housing.
State of play: "There's so many innovative things that aren't being considered," he says.
- One of them is using higher-tech methods to build a comprehensive online portal for city services that doesn't confuse or hinder residents.
Zoom in: Barlow wants to create a public-private $500 million business growth fund. It would include assistance for tech founders, expanding the corridor-building Strategic Neighborhood Fund and creating "one-stop-shop" centers for businesses.
- He aims to build hubs that spread the innovative energy started in places like Corktown's Newlab to other areas.
- For comparison, $500 million is the size of Dan Gilbert's 10-year neighborhood improvement commitment.
Barlow, who has worked in Detroit public schools in administration and as a sports coach, says he knows families and he knows what the jobs of the future look like — two key pieces of workforce development.
- "You have a whole 'nother pathway and track that involves media, social media, thought leadership and influencing," he says. "That's a pathway of itself that we're not even supporting as a community."
- He also pointed to space and air mobility as career avenues.
Other policy planks in Barlow's 11-page plan include:
- Utilizing AI, including for traffic and career pathway assessments
- Multiple zoning reforms to get development done quicker and incentivize affordable housing
- Attracting high-tech businesses and incentivizing those that relocate their headquarters here
- Worker support like low-cost transit, child care and mental health services
- Grants for retrofitting homes to be energy efficient
- Education on credit-building, budgeting and mortgage planning
Context: One theme of the mayor's race is big business and community — balancing the varied interests and needs of those affecting and affected by how Detroit is evolving.
- Barlow says sometimes people make new developments into more of a conflict than they need to be.
- "If you can't hold every family's hand, if you can't hold every leader's hand and bring them to the table so that they understand what it is that they're getting out and how they're valued, then you can't, then you can't be a leader."
The bottom line: We asked Barlow about a quality he would bring as mayor that is different from other candidates.
- "The ability to attract branded capital," he says. "They have no clue and no relationship with anybody in entertainment, film or tech that rebrands (the city) for the next chapter."
- He says Detroit needs to harness the powers of native Detroiters who left for successful careers in entertainment.
Go deeper: Read our sit-downs with candidates Fred Durhal III, Mary Sheffield, Saunteel Jenkins, Solomon Kinloch Jr. and Todd Perkins.