Authentically Detroit
Authentically Detroit is the leading podcast in the city for candid conversations, exchanging progressive ideas, and centering resident perspectives on current events.
Hosted by Donna Givens Davidson and Orlando P. Bailey.
Produced by Sarah Johnson and Engineered by Griffin Hutchings.
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Authentically Detroit
Candidate Series: Progressing with Mary Sheffield
Last week, Donna and Orlando sat down with Mary Sheffield to discuss her vision for Detroit’s future. This episode is the fourth in a series of interviews with candidates in the race for Detroit’s 76th mayor.
Mary Sheffield is a native Detroiter with a demonstrated track record of service, empowerment and leadership in the community. Currently serving as the City Council President, Mary has earned widespread admiration for her unwavering commitment to uplifting her constituents and fostering positive change. Mary's deep-rooted passion for her hometown fuels her tireless efforts to make a difference.
In November of 2013, Mary embarked on her journey of service and made history by becoming the youngest person ever elected to the Detroit City Council at the age of 26. Mary's visionary leadership and collaborative spirit have helped shape policies that promote inclusivity, equity, and opportunity for all Detroiters.
With a keen focus on revitalizing neighborhoods, creating economic opportunities, and ensuring access to essential services, Mary has become a beacon of hope for residents across the city.
To learn more about Mary Sheffield and her vision for Detroit, click here.
Up next City Council. President Mary Sheffield joins the Authentically Detroit Candidate series to share her vision for the city as Detroiters prepare to select the 76th mayor. This will be the fourth in a series of interviews. Keep it locked. Authentically Detroit starts after these messages.
Speaker 1:Detroit One Million is a journalism project started by Sam Robinson that centers a generation of Michiganders growing up in a state without a city with one million people. Support the only independent reporter covering the 2025 Detroit mayoral race through the lens of young people. Good journalism costs. Visit Detroit One Million dot com to support Black independent reporting. Hey y'all, it's Orlando. We just want to let you know that the views and opinions expressed during this podcast episode are those of the co-hosts and guests and not their sponsoring institutions. Now let's in the world.
Speaker 1:Welcome to another episode of Authentically Detroit broadcasting live from Detroit's Eastside at the Stoudemire inside of Eastside Community Network. I am Orlando Bailey and I'm Donna Givens-Davidson. Thank you so much for listening in and supporting our efforts to build a platform of authentic voices for real people in the city of Detroit. We want you to like, rate and subscribe to our podcast on all platforms. Welcome back to the Authentically Detroit Candidate Series, where we're interviewing each mayor, hopeful to get to know why they want to be Detroit's 76th mayor. Up next we have City Council President Mary Sheffield.
Speaker 1:Mary Sheffield is a native Detroiter with a demonstrated track record of service, empowerment and leadership in our community. Currently serving as the City Council President, mary has earned widespread admiration for her unwavering commitment to uplifting her constituents and fostering positive change. Mary's deep-rooted passion for her hometown fuels her tireless efforts to make a difference. Her journey in public service began with a steadfast dedication to grassroots activism, where she championed causes close to her heart, from social justice to economic empowerment. Mary stands on the shoulders of civil rights giants like her grandfather, horace Sheffield Jr, founder of the Detroit Trade Union Labor Council and the Detroit Association of Black Organizations.
Speaker 1:Her father, the Reverend Horace Sheffield III, through his social justice advocacy, organizing and ministry. And her beloved mother, yvonne Lovett, who, as a nurse, taught her about the importance of service to humanity. In November of 2013, mary embarked on her journey of service and made history by becoming the youngest person ever elected to the Detroit City Council, at the age of 26. Mary's visionary leadership and collaborative spirit have helped shape policies that promote inclusivity, equity and opportunity for all Detroiters, with a keen focus on revitalizing neighborhoods, creating economic opportunities and ensuring access to essential services. Mary has become a beacon of hope for residents across the city. Once again, we're happy to say this Mary Sheffield, welcome back to Authentically Detroit.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for having me. There's not much more to say after that.
Speaker 1:Well, we're hoping, like our discussion prompts can prompt some more discussion.
Speaker 2:That was great, thank you. I'm glad to be here.
Speaker 1:No, we're happy to have you. It's an 80 degree day in the city of Detroit. Donna, how you doing.
Speaker 3:It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, isn't? It, I just walk outside and I'm like, yes, summer's coming. This is my favorite time of year. I'm just going to keep on saying it. It's the renewal of everything, renewal of life, to see trees budding, to see everything you know. So it's a really bad allergy season, but I'm enjoying it. How about you, mary?
Speaker 2:I'm enjoying it. I think we've all been waiting for the weather to break. I think it's finally here and this is a time where we get out in the community, we get to see all the beauty that Detroit has to offer in the Detroit Pistons.
Speaker 1:I mean, we're in the playoffs for the first time in however long, and we have like this fan experience coming out of the LCA, it's going to be a good day, you know before we get into a lot of your background, I just want to point something out.
Speaker 3:I heard you speaking about your mother and the influence of your mother on you, and that really moved me in a way, because I'm named after my father. My father was Donovan Heston Givens. I'm Donna Givens and people always associated me growing up with my father, but my mother really helped shape who I was, and my mother was such a strong and beautiful person I wanted to uplift her. It's soon to be Mother's Day and so, before we get started, I just thought it would be really good for you to tell people about who your mother is.
Speaker 2:Thank you for that. I think because the legacy of my family is so on my father's side is so strong and so heavy and deep in this community that people do often overlook my mom, and my mother was a professor of nursing. She taught at Wayne County Community College District for 18 years. She was psychiatric nursing and had a huge influence over me as it relates to just compassionate leadership. She taught me to care for people, to serve people here in Detroit, and so I lost her. She had a very, very rare form of brain cancer and I lost her three years before I was elected to the city council and she was young, she was in her fifties, but she was just the kindest person you would ever meet I mean literally an angel, and people who had her for her classes as a professor always said she was tough. She was a tough, a tough educator, but she was very kind, and so I get a lot of my gentleness and my compassion from my mother and the woman in my family.
Speaker 3:I met your aunt. I had an opportunity to meet your aunt and the woman in my family. I met your aunt. I had an opportunity to meet your aunt and your grandmother, I believe.
Speaker 2:Yes, my grandmother as well. Your grandmother is no joke, right? Yes, not at all. I come from strong women, strong, strong women, so I'm very grateful for them.
Speaker 1:And that's also apparent too. We see you manning the desk at the city council formal session every Tuesday, and she runs that meeting. Oh man, and you do a good job. A lot of patience, yeah, yeah, yeah, and I've, you know, had to be there sometimes when it's all day, literally an all day thing, and the stamina that y'all have really is amazing.
Speaker 1:We're happy to have you on, thank you. We've had you on before in different forums and live events, but we've not had an opportunity like this to interview you sort of two on one. And so for our listeners, who have been waiting for this opportunity to hear from you on the show, tell our listeners about you. Yeah, introduce yourself to them.
Speaker 2:So hello Detroit. Born and raised here in Detroit, I am a daughter of Detroit, grew up on Seven Mile and Liver Noise in the Sherwood Forest area, and my entire life has been dedicated to serving this city. I don't know anything else but to serve. I was born into a legacy and a family that has really dedicated their lives to the betterment of others.
Speaker 2:At the age of 14 is when I started my service to Detroit, and, coming from such a huge, inspiring legacy of civil rights and social justice and mobilizing and organizing of course, had such a huge influence on me at a young age to want to be involved and to be active in my community.
Speaker 2:And so I went to Wayne County Community College District where actually I served there. First, that was my first job under Dr Ivory Curtis Ivory, I did financial aid and after there I went to the Wayne County Sheriff's Office serving under Benny Napoleon. Oh wow, working in the Wayne County jail for three years and then, right after that is when I got elected at the age of 26, serving on the Detroit City Council, and it has been a tremendous opportunity to serve at such an important time in the history of our city and really elevate the voices of everyday people, not just with rhetoric but with sound policy, and I'm very proud of my accomplishments and what I've been able to achieve and now really having the opportunity to take that advocacy a step further, now serving in the mayor's office.
Speaker 1:Take a. Can I just do a quick follow up? Take us back to at 23 years old. You lose your mother, yeah, and you decide, in whatever space of mind that you were in, that you were going to run for city council. Take us back to that moment where you decided and how did you get through that space between 23 and 26? Because that's a lot to do. That's a lot going on.
Speaker 2:It is. My mom was there when I ran for state representative, which a lot of people may or may not remember. 17 people were in the race. I came in second, lost by 17 votes. It was close. It was so close and I was up the whole night, and so she was so proud of me. My mom was so proud to see that journey, and I always knew, and still know to this day, that she wants me to continue. You know she wants me to continue what God has put inside of me and serve that to the residents of Detroit. So it took a lot and I think you know losing your mother is something I don't think you ever really heal from right. You never really get over it. But my mom has this amazing spirit that I always have felt like she's here with me, and so for me it was just about purpose and pursuing that purpose in light of that very unfortunate time for me, and I moved forward in doing so because I knew that that is something that also will please her as well.
Speaker 3:In your service as city council president and before that as a city council member, you've done a lot to look at policy around poverty and other issues and at the same time you've also led at a time where many people have felt as though businesses have been coddled by this administration and there's not a lot of accountability, if you look at the Illich's, for example, and all of the promises bail promises with what they're going to do with District Detroit. So some Detroiters have a hard time reconciling that part of you that is standing for social justice and that part of you that sometimes votes in ways that community members struggle with. Can you talk about that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's this idea of, you know, wanting to have growth and progress in Detroit but also wanting to ensure equity and a return on investment for our residents.
Speaker 2:And it's always been a challenge, understanding that council can only do so much.
Speaker 2:Right, the mayor composes, he's the visionary, he's the CEO, and then council kind of disposes or, you know, or votes down or approves these proposals. And so, as many times as I can in that position, I've always advocated for the very best, challenging the status quo, pushing the needle, fighting for more benefits for Detroiters when need be, and sometimes voting no to make sure that my voice is loud enough to say that we can do better for Detroit in these situations, but also not wanting to stand in the way of growth for Detroit. So there's been this delicate balance of saying how do we advocate for, how do we demand more, how do we have more accountability, but also signal that I'm not trying to hold up progress and grow for Detroit, because I do want our city to move forward, we do want high growth, jobs in manufacturing and development in our city and we want jobs for Detroiters. But it has to be done in a way that's equitable and that ensures that there is inclusion of Detroiters. So I try to in a lot of ways, really balance the two.
Speaker 3:You know, I can point to several instances where it hasn't been equitable. Yes, One of them when you are in a parking lot and you look at what's happening with Stellantis. That was certainly not equitable. Yes, yes, certainly not equitable.
Speaker 3:There are certainly violations of human rights, really, when you look at the pollution, the destruction of the Conner Creek Greenway and the rezoning of the Conner Creek Greenway to intensive industrial right next to where people live. And then there's other issues and times when people believe, perhaps, that the votes are good and things don't turn out. Are there any votes that you regret?
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, I think some of the larger votes. When I first got to council, one of my first votes were for the arena. That was the arena deal with the illegits and that started a long relationship of commitments and promises that were made that not necessarily were lived up to, and so that was the very first vote that I had to take and that was the LCA deal. And again I was new. I was trying to believe the promises and everything that was given to me. There was a lot to digest at the time, still trying to understand really what. What are the economic benefits of an arena? Is it worth public dollars and public investment? So there was a lot that I was absorbing and learning at that time and so in retrospect I probably would have not supported that deal. But yeah, I think you know again, we get so much information and I think for me it's always trying to take into the consideration of the impact that it has on Detroiters, how Detroiters feel about it, but also trying to balance the need for growth as well in Detroit.
Speaker 1:Can we dig in on this growth and progress point, right, and this tension that you carry with trying to make sure that there are equitable and material benefits to community members while not stymieing growth? And when we talk about growth, what I'm hearing is a nod to the physical landscape of the city, right, something physical, something brick and mortar, something that will maybe produce jobs, even in the building of it, which we know that has not happened, at least that 51% that is required. Folks are building that gap into their performance and there is no real, you know, enforcement mechanism by that. But I want to talk about growth and spirit, right, because Detroit is as much spirit as it is, exactly, buildings. Can you talk a little bit about that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, I think the entire, my entire time in office has been empowering people. Well, I think my entire time in office has been empowering people. I mean, you read that in my bio. It's about how we uplift people from an economic standpoint mentally, spiritually, physically and so my entire platform has been about lifting up everyday issues of everyday people and empowering them with the resources that they need to improve their quality of life, and that is about how we improve their overall well-being. And so that is what the people's bills are. It's over 20 pieces of legislation that is aimed to improve the quality of life for everyday Detroiters, and so that has been my mission.
Speaker 2:It would always be my mission to bring government to people and to empower people to be better, because, at the end of the day, we can have all these new buildings, we can have all this growth of Detroit, but if people are not economically well, right, people are still just trying to make ends meet, which we have in Detroit. We still have extremely high poverty rate. We have a huge group of individuals that are living below living wages, that we have not addressed, a lot of social issues that still breed in the city, and, to me, if we don't get a hold of that. None of what we're creating means anything, right, because we want all of Detroit to benefit from the prosperity that we're seeing in our city, the prosperity that we're seeing downtown in our city, but we're not seeing it in many corners Exactly.
Speaker 3:I want to talk about growth from a different angle. Yeah, because growth is not something necessarily. I don't know if your grandfather was fighting for economic growth. I think at that time he was fighting for fairness and inclusion Inclusion is a bad word right now. I think at that time he was voting to dismantle institutional barriers to equity and inclusion.
Speaker 3:If you read the Detroit City Charter, the preamble to the Detroit City Charter, the word growth does not appear. There are some neighborhoods that are low-income neighborhoods, there's public housing, there's places that take care of people that aren't growing and, in fact, when they do grow, that's really gentrification, because sometimes growth is code word for gentrification. How do we balance the desire, this mindset around growth with this mindset around taking care of people and well-being, because it feels as though we've shifted our city, our idea of what healthy communities are, to one where they're constantly growing and growth in financial terms means something. I mean Orlando talks about a different type of growth, spiritual growth but how do you balance that to ensure that we're not leaving people behind as we take on these growth mindsets?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, I think how you define it is important. I think to me, when we talk about growth, for me it's just about progress, right? It's about how we improve the quality of life for our residents in Detroit, and I think we all want that. At the end of the day, we all want better communities, better neighborhoods, better jobs, better opportunities, better educational systems for ourselves and our families, and so, to me, that's growth, that's progress, that's forward movement, not necessarily from the standpoint of projects or development coming here, but it's the upward mobility it's about.
Speaker 2:We want to be better, we want to evolve, we want to grow, and so I have always centered generational Detroiters at the forefront of everything that I do, because when we talk about growth and attracting people and population growth in Detroit, we oftentimes forget about those that have been here. It's always been left out of the conversation and every single opportunity I always say well, a part of growth and population increase is how we retain those that have been here, and so that is a part of what this new administration will be focused on is how do we protect and invest in those who have been here, generational Detroiters 40, 50 years, who are trying to hold on to their home. They need home repair grants, they need access. I mean, we have legacy businesses that have been here 40, 50 years that are just trying to get by, but they were here when it wasn't cool to be in Detroit, so to me that is also a part of growth. It's about retaining those that have been here as well.
Speaker 3:I appreciate that distinction. I wonder if the terminology, though, sometimes can be challenging for people. Sometimes can be challenging for people because I just think that when we say growth and some people mean economic growth is increasing average incomes, increasing, you know, housing values, increasing property values, that's growth right. And the fastest way to increase just like you know in schools, increasing test scores the fastest way to grow is to push out those people who are holding down the growth or, you know, to allow them to sort of leave. What President Nixon used to call benign neglect and it feels like part of what we have happening in our city under this current administration is benign neglect, where it's sort of like OK, go on, okay, go on.
Speaker 2:No, no, I agree with you and I think that it has been a challenge to not be able to have a greater impact and reach on some of the things that you're talking about as a council member. Without a doubt, detroit is moving forward and there is momentum in our city, whether we like it or not. And the question now, I think, is who's benefiting from that right and does it touch and reach everyone? We're excited to announce in our campaign we have a pillar that deals with social services and basic needs. Right, when we talk about creating a world-class city, no one is talking about the most vulnerable in our city, which I've spent my entire career trying to uplift Social services and basic needs, the most vulnerable, our immigrants, our seniors, our disenfranchised and marginalized. How do we get city government to them? How do we connect them with the resources that they need to create upward mobility? That has to be a part of the new renaissance of our city so that we can ensure prosperity.
Speaker 1:And that has to be intentional right. It has to be Market momentum is happening, but the market is not moral toward poor people who cannot participate. Not at all. And so what does a Sheffield administration intentionality look like, if you are elected toward reaching those folks who can't participate in the market right, whose neighborhood would probably never see home values rise upwards of $100,000. But they're Detroiters, they're still here.
Speaker 3:Yeah, right, and they shouldn't have to. Yeah, you shouldn't have to be middle class to have human rights, human rights.
Speaker 2:So go on, I'm sorry. No, I agree, and I think that is why I'm extremely excited to really build out this pillar of social services and basic needs.
Speaker 2:A part of that is the creation, the centralization of a department of human, homeless and family services, which will centralize all of our wraparound services, our support to really help that vulnerable population to make ends meet and to support them with the services that they need. We're looking to have more community empowerment resource hubs throughout our neighborhood, similar to neighborhood city halls, where people can go into these centers right within their areas and get the services and support that they need. Partner with organizations as well, too, and it's really about creating these resources and making sure they're in the hands of the people that need it.
Speaker 3:There are organizations like ours that provide resource hubs, exactly. Yeah. Does the city duplicate that and say we're going to have our own, or do you partner we?
Speaker 2:partner. We partner when need be. We look at where the service gaps are. We talked about heat maps and getting kind of demographics of where existing needs may be in providing those services as need be, but also kind of using a situation where we can have city departments that are needed the most come and utilize these spaces to provide the resources that residents are needing. And so it will be a partnership. I'm not really trying to duplicate the work.
Speaker 3:that's already being done, and I ask that because, as a nonprofit leader, you've probably heard this before. Sometimes we feel as though we're in competition with the mayor's appointees to deliver services, and it's not only inefficient and a municipality that's raising money from the same foundations that is supposed to be funding community development. It's a tension there. Why aren't we working together? We all want the same thing.
Speaker 1:And can I just also say this there's a tension there in that fundraising aspect. But in his original, in Duggan's original consolidated plan, what we saw was a plan to sort of claw back community development block grant dollars into the city to deliver those services themselves right, and so organizations who had been doing the work and dependent on CDBG dollars were no longer getting it and we're sort of left in limbo trying to figure out how to continue to do the work and get it funded.
Speaker 1:And then we'll see a city appointed official at the same foundation. It's a weird thing, it's disconcerting, it is.
Speaker 3:It doesn't make sense. We've been administering, for example, beautification grants long before the city started to administer beautification grants.
Speaker 3:We have a process. We, before the city, started to administer beautification grants. We have a process. We provide support. In fact, one of the city's alleyway grantees came through a fellowship that we initiated. We gave her her first grant. Then she went to the city. The city then came to us and said will you be a fiduciary? Sure, we are the fiduciary for the Yellow Brick Road Lord don't start me off, all right, it's the Yellow Brick Road.
Speaker 1:Lord, don't start me off, okay, all right.
Speaker 3:It's the Yellow Brick Road project in the Jefferson Chalmers. And it's actually going to be opening and having an open house on June 21st, so I'll be going to that after we have our mayoral forum. So there's specific instances where we felt like why aren't we working together?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, and I agree. I think that you know a limited amount of resources. If there's a longstanding organization in the city that has been doing the work that has been proven to be able to deliver that, there just has to be more coordination and communication. It's actually interesting, I think we're using Wayne Metro now to implement our Neighborhood Beautification Grant Program, which I actually founded and created, but would have loved to explore how you all could have helped participate in that as well.
Speaker 3:Absolutely. I mean, that's the kind of work that we love doing, and we love partnering with people. I have a question, though how do you pay for this? Because you know the constant complaint, or the constant, you know conversation, is there's no money for this.
Speaker 1:There's no money for this or it's against state law to do this. Those are the two things oh my.
Speaker 2:God, my whole time on council I've heard it's illegal or state law preempts it. There's no money to do it. Yes, I think it's about priorities. You know, and that's the power of the mayor's position Right, you really literally set the priorities of the city. I think also that we have to, as a city, start to diversify our revenue and our revenue streams. We rely heavily on the four major streams that we get in Detroit, and then we have federal funding, of course, and money that's coming through the state of Michigan, but there hasn't been enough conversation on how do we generate more revenue to Detroit. I think we've talked a little bit about this as well, whether it's a local sales option tax or entertainment tax, where we are essentially— Can we just stop the press?
Speaker 3:for a minute Entertainment tax. You know this is very, very dear to me. Yeah, thank you, go on.
Speaker 1:I was very. I mean. I mean Donna was writing about entertainment tax. Remember the hub?
Speaker 3:In 2017, I wrote an op-ed advocating for an entertainment tax in a newsletter that no longer exists in the hub, but I can send it to you.
Speaker 1:You remember the hub exists in the hub, but I can send it to you.
Speaker 3:You remember the hub. I appreciate you laying the groundwork.
Speaker 2:I really do. But those conversations are starting to happen more and more now. We just commissioned a study, again through the CRC, to explore and quantify how much revenue could come to Detroit possibly from that. But for me as an administration it's going to be really how do we diversify our revenues? Speaking of the CRC, let's talk about the Downtown Development Authority. Let's talk about the Downtown Development Authority. Yes, ma'am, I know that's one of your favorite topics. You know it is yes ma'am, what about?
Speaker 2:it. Oh well, you know, we talked, you know what I believe.
Speaker 3:I believe that the Downtown Development Authority played a vital role at one point in our city's history and it served its purpose and it served its purpose and that the Downtown Development Authority is now the institutional framework for two Detroits and until we're willing to tackle that, we're going to continue to have two Detroits. Can you talk about what a Sheffield administration would do to help remove those barriers between the two Detroits?
Speaker 2:Or do you believe that a two Detroit exists Right? Do you believe that two Detroits exist first? Yeah, I mean I think there's always been a struggle of downtown versus neighborhoods and there's this unequal balance of attention and resources between the two, without a doubt. I mean, I drive through the communities every day, I see it, I visit residents, I door knock and so most definitely I mean, without a doubt. So for me, again, it's just going to be about intentional focus on how we invest more in our neighborhoods. How are we creating more incentives to develop within our commercial corridors? You know, refining the business process so that it's easier to start and grow a business in Detroit and set up in our city is important. I know there's been conversations, donna, and I'm not sure your thoughts on this, but expanding or creating smaller DDAs in our commercial corridors, that's been a conversation.
Speaker 3:I think that the idea of expanding the Downtown Development Authority to every neighborhood does not serve the purpose. I think that we've got to figure out how to get some of the revenue that is currently being captured by the Downtown Development Authority out of the Downtown Development Authority to the neighborhoods and you know, I commissioned that study.
Speaker 2:And TIFFs where it makes sense, when it makes sense for sure for sure, and so I'm interested in looking and exploring how that will work, understanding that there's a lot of interest in the DDA and how that process will go, as far as you know, exploring how we would extend the boundaries or how we would capture money and move it back into our neighborhood, the process that it would take, but I'm definitely interested in exploring it. So one of the things that happened.
Speaker 3:I believe it was one of the tax abatement conversations and you got a lot of community pushback and there was this conversation about we need to have community conversations and educate the community on this process. Yes, I remember that. I believe it was Bedrock and Detroit Downtown Partnership. On their phone on these Zoom calls saying things like well, it's not your money anyway, regardless of how council votes, this money could not be spent because of state law on recreation, on transportation and on community improvements. And it was wild to me that people are having that conversation and explaining to taxpayers why this $50 million would never come their way and nobody's talking about creating a pathway to make it come their way.
Speaker 3:It's almost as if we stop and we say these are the rules and we're not going to change the rules because these are the rules. But then when the city wants to have a land value tax adopted, they go up to Lansing and say let's change the rules. When we want to have transformational brownfields tax credits, we go to Lansing. We say let's change the rules. My question to you is you commissioned the study? There's actually two studies that came out of the Citizens Research Council of Michigan. What, if anything, resonated with you?
Speaker 2:in those studies. Yeah, I mean, I think for sure what you stated, that it was here for a reason. It definitely has achieved the purpose in which it was set out to do, and now is there a path to maybe explore how we can amend and reimagine what the DDA looks like? I think, more importantly, though, I have submitted several resolutions to try to amend how tax breaks work in Detroit, for example, how we remove the capture of DPSCD, wayne County Community College in our libraries because there's special legislation that was done for the Detroit DIA and other entities that are removed from captures.
Speaker 2:So how come our educational systems can't be removed? The second thing also is that when we talk about tax abatements, for me those are Band-Aid approaches and I think the real issue is structural property tax reform. We have to reduce our millage, our operating millages in Detroit. We have to figure out a. Those are band-aid approaches and I think the real issue is structural property tax reform. We have to reduce our millage, our operating millages in Detroit. We have to figure out a solution that will reduce our property taxes, because people are abating that, because our property taxes in Detroit are so high. And so, while I do have my beliefs around abatements I have voted for some and I have voted against some my main primary objective is to really address how we reduce overall property taxes and I would love to figure out a way to make sure that we are as aggressive in business development.
Speaker 3:One of the things about the Downtown Development Authority and I don't want to leave this yet, one of the issues I have with it is not just the location downtown, but also the fact that most of the developers, most of the businesses and most of the residents who are benefiting from this tax capture are not legacy Detroiters. They're not black folks.
Speaker 3:It's not just a two Detroit thing. It's also really leaning into racial injustice. We don't talk about race anymore when we look at who's developing downtown and who's developing in the neighborhoods. There's a racial differentiation between the two, and I would like to see us get back in the business of supporting black business development, supporting black people to have good places for us to live. We're building places for people to live downtown using abatements that every citizen in Detroit is sacrificing you know, potential revenue for, and a lot of these folks don't even say they live here. They're not paying income taxes, they're, you know, not there because they're saying they live somewhere else and it's because of you know, income tax and also car insurance. Is that something that concerns you? I mean, I hear you say there's always been this tension, but it's never felt like the divide has been greater than it is right now.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's definitely something that is a concern of mine and, to be quite honest with you, it's one of the reasons why I'm running for mayor is because we spent the last 10 years developing our greater downtown. We have, in a lot of ways, you know, laid the foundation, we've cleared blight in communities and I think the next five to 10 years is really about rebuilding really rebuilding our neighborhoods, empowering people and families, rebuilding our middle class and ensuring that the growth and maybe I shouldn't use that word anymore, but you know what we're seeing in Detroit, the momentum reaches and touches more people. My vision and my priorities will always be around seven pillars. First and foremost is public safety right Ensuring that, even though we have the data that shows that public safety and crime has went down, people don't, overall, feel safe, and so greater partnerships to ensure that there's safety in our communities and that we're empowering people in addressing the underlining social issues that breed crime. Number two, it always will be housing. You all know, donna, I've spent my entire decade in elevating and advocating for true quality, affordable housing in this city, and I think now we have to start focusing on home ownership, the development of infield housing and ensuring that we're moving people from renters to homeowners. The third thing, of course, is neighborhoods, and that is anywhere from neighborhood infrastructure, more access to home repair grants, more availability of commercial corridors, activation, walkability and vibrancy of our neighborhoods. The fourth thing for me, of course, is the economic empowerment how do we raise the overall incomes of Detroiters? That is so important to me? Upward mobility how are we attracting high growth jobs to our city? And, more importantly, how are we preparing and training and investing in people so that they can take those jobs that are here and that are coming?
Speaker 2:Our educational system number five is extremely important to me. This next administration will be hands-on, will be vocal and will ensure that there is communication, accountability and collaboration. As relates to DPSCD, I'm excited to hopefully launch a coalition of DPSCD and charter who will come together to measure the outcomes of our children's educational success, focusing on absenteeism, tutoring, after school programming and literacy, which I think are the main issues that our young people face, in transportation as well. But I think the city has a role, primarily as it relates to the social determinants that I think we could be more hands-on involved in. And then, lastly, of course, is mass transit and public transportation and really creating more of a regional approach to how we address and continue to invest in transportation so that Detroiters can be mobile, they can go to and from, they can leave our city of need, beat for jobs and be able to get around the city of Detroit. So we have to continue to invest in our mass transit system as well.
Speaker 1:You're listening to City Council President Mary Sheffield expiles her vision for the city of Detroit. We're going to take a quick break and we will be right back. The discussion continues. Have you ever dreamed of being on the airwaves? Well, the Authentically Detroit Podcast Network is here to make those dreams come true. Formerly known as the Deep Network and located inside the Stoudemire, the Authentically Detroit Podcast Network are for studio space and production staff. To help get your idea off of the ground, just visit authenticallydetcom and send a request through the contact page. Interested in renting space for corporate events, meetings, conferences, social events or resource fairs? The Mass Detroit Small Business Hub is a 6,000 square feet space available for members, residents and businesses and organizations. To learn more about rental options at Mass Detroit, contact Nicole Perry at nperry at ecn-detroitorg or 313-331-3485.
Speaker 1:Welcome back to Authentically Detroit. We are sitting here with City Council President and candidate for mayor Mary Sheffield. You're a current legislator. Yes, we talked a little bit about when council is trying to and the citizens are trying to move some justice-oriented initiative forward. The pushback is we don't have money or it's illegal and not in accordance with state law. What is a Sheffield administration's legislative policy agenda look like?
Speaker 2:Wow. So, from a legislative policy agenda, we will continue to elevate the work of the people. Some of that will come in the form of policy. I think, as I mentioned before, there's going to be some things in Lansing that we have to get done regarding structural property tax reform. I also have a very robust plan as it relates to the overassessment that I think people have not really talked about as much in this campaign.
Speaker 3:And be sure to end forgetting that they're never going to forget it. Well, you know what? There was a study that was just released that said there was an overassessment Exactly.
Speaker 2:Right, an over assessment, exactly Right, yeah, yeah, but those who were over assessed between the years, I think, 2009 and 2016,. There was an article that came out to the tune of $600 million and, of course, we were told legally that we cannot compensate people directly. I would love to pursue changes in state law that will allow for a tax credit on people's bills in the amount that they were over assessed that can be phased in within five years. That would take changes in state law. Of course, the entertainment tax, all of these are legislative things that will have to be changed and challenged, and so you know we're up for a challenge legally if need be. I'm always on the side of what's right for the people, and sometimes that takes challenging state law, and I've always stood for that, and it wouldn't be any different as mayor.
Speaker 3:I mean, you know again, this mayor, the outgoing mayor, has certainly challenged state law According to this mayor's priorities, but these issues never rise to the priority of the mayor, Seems like sometimes it is an excuse. You talked about neighborhoods and you know, of course that's where I live, that's where my work is and I have a question about that. Will the strategic neighborhood model continue under Sheffield administration?
Speaker 2:I think so. Yes, and it's interesting. You said that I met with some stakeholders who indicated that the next administration will have to kind of come in and figure out how we continue the pathway for our strategic neighborhoods. I think it's a good foundation that has been laid, and I would love to duplicate that and try to expand to more areas of our community. I think there are private and philanthropic support that we're going to need to regrow and develop our neighborhoods. It's going to take strong partnerships, public and private and so I would love to take kind of some of that framework and kind of see what worked and what didn't. I don't think it has to be the exact same way, but the idea is that we do need private investment and we do need partnerships to be able to grow and redevelop our neighborhoods.
Speaker 3:We do. But you know, if I live in a neighborhood that's not a strategic neighborhood, where you know removing dead trees and fixing sidewalks and other types of amenities are not the priority of the city, should I have to pay the same amount of taxes as people who live in areas that the city has decided to grow?
Speaker 2:So I don't think that, because we are focusing on those strategic areas, that there wouldn't be investment in attention and growth in other areas.
Speaker 2:This is how you know and that's how I said. It doesn't have to be the same way, and so you know, I envision even building around the strategic neighborhoods that have already been developed Right and creating more incentives to develop and to grow and to invest around the current ones we have now. Our resource is because you do want to be strategic in a sense, so that your resources are all going in one area strategically, but that doesn't mean that you neglect or forget about other areas.
Speaker 3:But that's what it has meant.
Speaker 2:And just because it has done it doesn't mean it has to always be that way, I think again when I hear strategic neighborhoods and a continuation.
Speaker 3:That's the concern. And sometimes nomenclature helps people right, because, willie Mae Gaskins, do you know who she is?
Speaker 1:Most people know who she is. Everybody knows who she is 91-year-old woman, amazing community leader.
Speaker 3:She's been here forever. I worked in Warren Conner in the 90s and she was here. She's still here working with us at 91 years old Still driving.
Speaker 3:Harding Street Block Club community leader and she lives on a block that sat outside the hardest hit area, and the areas outside the hardest hit areas were literally the hardest hit areas in the city of Detroit. That's why they were moved out, because they were not seen as opportunity areas or places that could grow. There are water main breaks that have continued right next door to her that don't get repaired. There are the city would not tear down houses because the money that we were using to tear down houses did not include her block, and so, for a person like her, when I got to Eastside Community Network came back in 2016, I asked her, willie Mae, how are things? And she says nobody cares about me anymore. Yeah, and that broke my heart.
Speaker 2:That broke mine too, and I think that that goes back to basic customer service, and that's one of the first 100 days when we get in the office where my administration comes in is we're analyzing the current state. How do we take government to people? How do we ensure that departments are working on behalf of residents? Coming from the council side? I get those calls, so I understand how important it is to have an effective and efficient government. And so just because we say, hey, here are seven areas of the city or 10 areas that we want to strategize, funnel all of our resources to, and to be strategic and developing does not mean, because I live right outside of it, I don't get the attention and the resources right. I think we have to be strategic, in a sense, and make sure that we are developing certain areas of our city in our neighborhoods, but that does not mean, if you live outside of that, that you shouldn't get the resources and the support that you need.
Speaker 3:Or another example we are looking at doing a multifamily housing project on MAC and it sits outside the multifamily area and there was a time where people were looking at bringing in private dollars and going to the state and trying to develop housing in areas and could not get support from the city because it sat outside that strategic area. Is that something that you would? No, no no, no.
Speaker 2:I believe that we should prioritize the investment and identify areas in Detroit. I think from a strategic standpoint, it does make sense when you have you have a deeper reach, a greater impact if you can identify area.
Speaker 3:You can target your resources.
Speaker 2:But because you're outside and I understand what you're saying because I hear it and I've seen it If you fall outside of this area, you don't get the attention and the resources. That would not happen, of course, not under a Sheffield administration. We want to prioritize neighborhood growth altogether in investment, and so I would love to see how we reimagine and reinvent what the strategic plan would be, but I would love to still have some partners and investors on board that are willing to invest in our community and our neighborhood.
Speaker 3:You know, for example, when I first got here I just wanted to just say one more thing about this, though, because this is my when I first got here, I sat down with the city and I said, great, if you focus on these areas, we'll focus on the other areas. And the administration said no, we're going to try to stop outside folks from investing in any area outside of there and stop you from being able to accomplish your goals in these other areas. And so I'm glad to hear but I think it's important for anybody who works in community development to hear that you're saying that you would not, you know, carry that on?
Speaker 2:Not at all. It has to be a strong partnership with our community development corporations and organizations that want to develop and contribute to the growth of Detroit. The city can't do it alone and there's definitely a space for you all to be a part of that.
Speaker 1:I'm sorry, no. Willie May talked about feeling cared for right and feeling loved, and you talked about customer service, but I want to ask you more about this care. You know this care and this love. Tell us how you love Detroit and why you love Detroit.
Speaker 2:Well, detroit made me. Detroit is who I am. It has been good to me. I can't envision myself anywhere else. I've traveled all over and I'm one of those hardcore Detroiters that believes there is no place in the world like Detroit Our spirit, our culture, our history. And so to love Detroit for me is to give Detroit my all, my best to stand up for what is right, to advocate for the best for Detroiters, and I believe that my calling is to do that through service, through public service. And so I really believe and I know that Detroit is a world-class city. It is. I mean, we talk about LA and DC and New York and Chicago. To me it has absolutely nothing on Detroit, we have a unique opportunity to really recreate, reinvent ourselves, reimagine ourselves and be that world-class city that I know we are.
Speaker 2:I think back to the great migration when my great-grandparents came here in 1919. Everyone, scores of people, flocked to Detroit because it was a destination of opportunity, jobs, homeownership, education. And I really view Detroit as that city that can once again become that destination If we can get a hold of some of the social issues, if we invest in those seven pillars that I talked about. And the beauty about it is. Detroit is big enough that there's enough space for all of us to coexist Right. We can have high class and wealthy and more influential, and we can also have a strong middle class and we can take care of what Donna said Some people who are just want to get by and the lowest, the lowest income of the of those in Detroit. It's enough space for us to all coexist and do so in a dignified way, quality housing, great neighborhoods, and that is the Detroit that I love and I want to contribute to creating.
Speaker 3:And I do want to clarify, though, because we have people who are doing really well, doing great work, who still live inside of these neighborhoods. Our chief operating officer officer, who is on extended medical leave, is living in this house that she was raised in. She has her master's degree. She worked under the Archer administration. She has been an amazing community leader. She led one of his top executives and she's still there. Alberta Tinsley-Talabi is still in the home that she grew up in.
Speaker 3:And so people. Some people see Upward Mobility as up and out, and some people see Upward Mobility as up and taking care of the people around me, and there's all the people in between. The thing I love about our community is that you have people who love their neighbors so much that they don't leave. They stay and love their neighbors. There's something that's so special about our people.
Speaker 1:I agree, I agree, I agree, we're blessed in that way, we are really blessed. You know, nobody can run for mayor in the city of Detroit and not surveillance related to the use of facial recognition technology, related to the expansion, the really rapid and double expansion, of ShotSpotter, where that contract more than double. Talk about your vision for public safety in the city of Detroit.
Speaker 2:Yeah, thank you for that. So again, I believe in looking at public safety from two lens One is law enforcement and then the second is a human perspective. Law enforcement side, I do believe that we have to equip DPD with the resources and the tools that they need to be effective, whether it's through technology, whether it's through increasing community policing, expanding our footprint to create community safe havens in our neighborhoods. All of those things I think are important to create safety within our communities. And let me just speak on as it relates to technology, which I support in some situations, because we have to have tools in the toolbox that all can address the issue of public safety.
Speaker 2:Because of that facial recognition and all the controversy around that, I created the community input over government surveillance ordinance that once again empowers people in this decision-making process to have the data, to have the transparency, to know why and where this technology is going to be employed.
Speaker 2:Does it violate any civil liberties? And so that ordinance I'm very proud of, because now, as technology is coming into Detroit, residents have a public process that they have to understand what it is, where it's going, why it's being used, and have a say so in the acquisition of that technology. And so I'll always be transparent and I will always empower residents to feel included in that process. The other side of public safety, of course, is the human perspective, and that is you know, how do we address the social issues that breed crime in our community, and I've always been a huge advocate that you can't police your way out of crime. You just can't do it. You have to invest in housing, mental health, education, all of the things that we know are really the barriers or what breeds crime in our community, and so we'll love to continue programs like the Community Violence Intervention Program, where we're investing in organizations.
Speaker 2:Because that's running out of money Running out of money soon. Actually I have an ordinance that's going to create that in perpetuity, so I'm excited about that. But funding organizations like that, continuing with partnerships that would allow for greater participation of organizations and black clubs to be a part of the solution to gun violence in our city. So I view it as those two lens. But again, I think what's really important for me is the community policing aspect and making sure that community is engaged. Police department is engaged with the community, not just when things are happening but really building that trust and that collaboration at an early on stage.
Speaker 3:So when you speak about technology and I consider myself a techie, I love technology, so anybody who knows me knows I have an app for everything, but there's not a lot of evidence that some of this technology actually works to prevent crime. I know that shot stoppers may have been more effective at shot spotter in preventing crime and that's where you had the community violence intervention as compared to you know this technology. Where do you stand on technology where there is not data that it works?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think for me it is a data driven approach and so that's really how I make my decisions. It's if the data shows that it is effective. I have constant communication with DPD on their thoughts around whether or not it has helped in solving crime, in the prevention of crime in Detroit, and based on that information I make a decision. Again, I don't view technology as the end-all solution. I think when we talk about public safety, there's going to be a various amount of tools that the police department needs to utilize, and that is one tool in the toolbox to address crime, but it has to be from a data-driven approach.
Speaker 3:And I have a question, a follow-up question on that what is the difference between ShotSpotter and 911? I know so many people whose 911 calls go unanswered and now you have technology and it says this is happening here. It feels as though a more responsive police department could actually use the existing technology, and that is the 911 phone call system that says there's a gunshot over here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, most definitely. So I think we can do both. I think that there is a benefit to having this gun detection system that, as a gun is shot, it notifies the real-time crime center. You know, for me, what sold me on that was there was the young girl who got abducted and I can't recall her name and the situation, but it was because of that gunshot detection system that they went and found the car where they found her, and that alone is what allowed me to support, because it's not necessarily going to solve crime, you know, prevent crime or reduce gun violence, but it can also bring closure to situations where we've had situations in a city. But I think we need both. I think we need both.
Speaker 3:Because I wonder about the data on that. You remember the House party, the Black?
Speaker 2:party. Oh yes, oh yeah, and people called and no response.
Speaker 3:And so you know, although I always believe we should support police officers, I don't always trust the data that I get from them and I also don't trust how they communicate here or other places, because, you know, I feel as though there's a self-serving amount of sort of things that go on there. I guess my question is, at the same time that we are engaging in this technology, when you still hear people saying the police don't come when I call, I wonder if we want the police to come there. The other question I have is around some of the unintended impacts of ShotSpotter, like people who did not shoot the guns being in the vicinity where the guns were shot. The gunmen get away and the person who's just standing on the street gets treated like a criminal.
Speaker 2:It's led in some places to criminalization right. That came up several times. That was a concern that I had as well, and they assured us that they will not be, you know, essentially going after someone else who had nothing to do. But how would they?
Speaker 3:know I mean. There's been people who were arrested because of facial technology.
Speaker 2:For sure. So this is where we have our board of police commissioner. We have an oversight entity that we have to empower to ensure that they're doing the due diligence of ensuring that there's proper policies in place and oversight of the Detroit Police Department.
Speaker 1:Okay, I will also ensure the same thing. Okay, mary. I hear what you're saying, mary, about BOPC.
Speaker 2:No, but I think, but they have to be empowered too.
Speaker 3:They have to be More so than empowered. They have to be accountable in the roles that they play, Because how many people trust that the Board of Police Commissioners are actually doing the job? We have backlogs of complaints about police brutality that don't get examined. How many people are held accountable?
Speaker 2:So I think the real question for us is— which, by the way, we added more inspectors into the investigators, into the budget to ensure that we clear that backlog has been cleared. We just hired the investigators.
Speaker 1:I am loving this robust discussion. We have about four minutes left.
Speaker 2:I just want to say something because I mentioned technology and I don't want you to leave this conversation thinking that that's my solution to public safety. I think it's a tool I understand so my administration and what I've always been an advocate is is 24-7 community policing, expanding safe havens in our community. More neighborhood police officers, not over policing, but enough where people have the presence that is necessary.
Speaker 1:And also, as you mentioned, reducing the time that it, systems of technology and the the the roots of the structure of policing is inherently racist and adversarial toward black people, and so I would love to hear more about how we quell that, because, as a black, a young black man from the east side of Detroit, I'm not necessarily happy to see police or feel that I'm in relation and good relationship with police when I see police.
Speaker 3:So Antonisha is giving me the I just have one question I've got to ask you about. We just left a meeting at Wayne State and you know we talked about all kinds of things. We did not talk about the impact of the current administration on the well-being of Detroiters and the Detroit economy.
Speaker 3:And the Detroit economy, and so everything that we believe to be true right now is going to change, and we know that. I believe that the president is coming to Michigan next week and you know the governor has gone to the White House. And you know the governor has gone to the White House and you know there's been all kinds of debate about whether or not it makes sense for us to build a stronger relationship with the Trump administration. What are the risks, what are the benefits? Where do you see yourself in that?
Speaker 2:You know, I think we're all watching and trying to see how all of this plays out, and also being active and lending our voice to the detrimental orders and things that are coming down to everyday people here in Detroit. For me, of course, as always, it's going to be how do we find common ground that can benefit the residents in Detroit? He is there in Washington, and I have to be vocal and work with whomever is there, and so I will be someone who will say, hey, this is something that's detrimental to our city, that will hurt and harm our residents, and be very unapologetically bold about any actions or orders that will hurt Detroit, but then also advocating for what is needed in our city. And so I think there's a delicate balance with this administration that I will have to kind of learn and kind of how to navigate. We for sure will have someone who is.
Speaker 1:I mean, it's a real thing. I mean and there's some people who interpret it and your admission of saying that you got to learn how to do this.
Speaker 2:I think we have to learn, but I will say that we will have someone that is intimately involved in kind of understanding the day-to-day of what's happening in the White House in real time and how that's going to be impacting Detroit, and so those relationships or those ties are going to be very important. I think also forming coalitions with other mayors of urban cities so that it's a unified approach and response is important as well. And so day one, our first 100 days, is how do we form these coalitions with other cities nationally so that we can have a unified approach to kind of the responses that we're seeing with the Trump administration?
Speaker 1:To close this out, you are running for mayor of Detroit and you are a woman, and you are running for a position that no woman has ever sat in. What gives you the audacity to think that you can do something that has never been done here?
Speaker 2:Well, I've done it before. I've done it before. I was the youngest ever elected to city council, at 26. Never been done in the history of Detroit. More importantly, I feel like I have put the work in. I am experienced, I'm capable. I've delivered for Detroit and I'm ready to start day one.
Speaker 2:I understand how government operates. I've seen it from all aspects. I've delivered for Detroit and I'm ready to start day one. I understand how government operates. I've seen it from all aspects. I've watched the mirror in operation and learned what I like and don't like about how things have went and move forward in Detroit. And so you have someone who literally, has been invested, who has been in Detroit my entire life and has not left, has not went anywhere, but has been dedicated to serving and delivering for Detroiters. And so I have the financial experience. As it relates to budgeting. I've approved 11, actually 12 consecutive balanced budgets with a surplus. But also, more importantly, I have the compassion and understand the needs of Detroiters. And so I'm excited to have this opportunity to have a people-centered mayor who understands the needs of Detroiters. And so I'm excited to have this opportunity to have a people-centered mayor who understands the importance of bringing government to people, but also being a bridge that can advocate and bring the two businesses and people together.
Speaker 1:City Council President Mary Sheffield, also a candidate for mayor. You can go to marysheffieldcom to learn more about her platform. If you have topics that you want discussed on Authentically Detroit, you can hit us up on our socials at Authentically Detroit on Facebook, instagram and Twitter, or you can email us at authenticallydetroit at gmailcom. Council President Sheffield. Thank you so much for coming on Authentically Detroit. We really appreciate you coming on. Was the seat hot? It wasn't that hot, was it.
Speaker 2:No, it was good. It was good, I enjoyed it. Thank you guys.
Speaker 1:Thank you. We thank you all so much for listening and until next time, love on your neighbor. Outro Music.
