Sheffield pushes lowering property taxes in State of the City speech
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Mayor Mary Sheffield's State of the City speech. Photo: Annalise Frank/Axios
Mayor Mary Sheffield forecasted lowering Detroit's disproportionately high property taxes during her State of the City speech Tuesday night.
Why it matters: Housing expenses tend to suck up an extra-large share of earnings for low-income residents. So reducing taxes is key to affordability, per Sheffield, who made the issue a major plank of her campaign.
State of play: During the address at Mumford High School, Sheffield estimated a 30%-60% reduction in property taxes would make Detroit competitive with other cities, based on data from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.
- The city would need to replace the revenue, too.
- "It's tough, but we have to get it done," she said, adding that her staff is researching how to offset the lowering of those taxes.
Zoom out: Sheffield is three months into her tenure as Detroit's first woman mayor, elected in a landslide 77% victory after 12 years on City Council.
- One of her biggest moves has been creating a department to serve homeless residents and make progress on childhood poverty.
- She also created an office outside the police department focused on violence prevention.
Other highlights of the speech:
📺 Jemele Hill attended: The well-known Detroit native, sports journalist and multimedia entrepreneur got a shoutout while sitting in the high school auditorium that was named after her.
🛍️ Retail recruitment: Detroiters who have to shop in the suburbs deserve more retailers near them, Sheffield contended. As part of a wider neighborhood-by-neighborhood revitalization plan, her administration is recruiting national and local retailers. Some have historically avoided the city.
- A new position, director of retail attraction, will lead the charge.
🤗 Move here, please: The city is partnering with billionaire Dan Gilbert and the Move Detroit Coalition as part of efforts to retain and grow its population.
- MoveDetroit is taking applications for 313 people to get up to $15,000 for homeownership or small business growth and $1,000 relocation assistance.
🚌 Free rides: The city's new "Ride to Rise" program allows any local K-12 student to ride city buses for free all year, starting Wednesday, by showing their IDs.
- It's among a range of initiatives to support Detroit public school youth.
💼 See here, employers: Sheffield, who has made fighting poverty a central goal, issued a challenge for corporations after her budget proposal included spending $7.9 million to bring all city employees up to a living wage.
- "To our corporate leaders and all of our employers, the ball is in your court," Sheffield said. "If Detroit can pay its workers a living wage, you can too."