Detroit’s candidates for mayor are in the final weeks of their respective campaigns.  City Council President Mary Sheffield and the Reverend Solomon Kinloch are working to get out their visions for the future of the city. 

Jeremy Allen is the executive editor for the Michigan Chronicle.  WDET’s Jerome Vaughn spoke with him about the upcoming mayoral election.   

Allen says this year is unusual because Detroit voters seem to have largely made up their minds already. 

“It’s pretty clear that people are either for Mary Sheffield or for Solomon Kinloch.  And there are—there’s really no in-between.  And so, what I’m seeing from the community is folks who are invested in this race are fully invested on one side or the other, and there’s no in-between.” 

Allen says residents aren’t saying they want to read more and learn more about a candidate before making a decision about who they’ll vote for.   

Key issues

As far as key issues in the race, Allen says he’s found Detroiters have a wide range of concerns about the city moving forward.  Overarching issues that need solving are crime—or the perception of crime—and the tension between downtown development and development in city neighborhoods remain near the top of the list.   

The future of Detroit’s school system is also something residents are keeping an eye on.  While education isn’t under the purview of the city’s mayor, Allen says the next mayor should set up some sort of task force should be set up to work more closely with Detroit Public Schools Community District. 

“…to ensure that the city of Detroit can educate its children to be better citizens down the road, because all research points to the fact that a better educated community has impacts down the road and all measurables for quality of life.”          

Black leadership

No matter which candidate wins on November 4, Detroit will have its first Black mayor in more than a decade.  Allen says that will make a difference when dealing with Detroit residents—and when dealing with the federal government. 

“I think once a Black mayor assumes leadership of the city of Detroit, I think the gloves are going to come off for how the federal government looks at and talks about the city of Detroit.  There will be more room for scrutiny.  I think there will be much more room for just this negative tone towards the city that we haven’t seen in the last few months.” 

The Michigan Chronicle has endorsed Mary Sheffield for mayor.  The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press have also given their endorsements to Sheffield.  Election Day is Tuesday, November 4.  Early voting begins Saturday, October 25. 

More election coverage

Only a few weeks remain until Detroit’s city elections. The results will impact the entire metro region.

Candidates want to reach undecided voters like Uber driver Deaujejuan Braxton.

He says he’s seen some positive changes in his eastside Detroit neighborhood.

But Braxton says there are still issues that Detroit’s next mayor needs to address.

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length. 

Deaujejuan Braxton: A lot of gentrification, first and foremost, is going on. Even rent prices have almost doubled, in some cases, just over the past few years. And of course, if the people can’t afford it, they’re forced to move. Even looking at a lot of the high-rises downtown, it was elderly people living there and they are getting moved out. New business is coming in. And you can see the switch.

As far as the good happening, there are some small programs you hear about that certain organizations are coming up with to help the people that still live here. Affordable housing programs, a little stipend in order to maybe pay your first month’s rent, even help with paying the water bill or a light bill, things like that.

Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: Some people I talk to about stuff going on in the neighborhoods say crime is still an issue. What’s your view about that?

DB: I see crime as going down, actually. I spoke to a law enforcement officer who got into the Uber,  he was a 911 dispatcher. And he told me that people have a false perception of there being a high crime rate. He said it’s actually relatively low in comparison to other places. But he said they do have a high theft issue, specifically downtown, as far as stealing cars. He said not really violent crimes as much.

My thing is, we need more programs for children in the city to get them off the streets and out of this poverty that they’re facing. Because there’s a lack of good paying jobs. We’re not even making a living wage here. And if you’re not making a living wage, we know that there’s going to be more crime due to that alone. Because you have to survive, you have to live, you have to eat, have a roof over your head.

QK: We do have the city elections underway right now in Detroit. Have you been following any of the candidates or any of the issues that they bring up?

DB: In regards to voting for anybody to have some type of high office, I feel as though they should have some high level of morality, just in general. You have to believe in God, first and foremost, to me. If you don’t, I feel like you are subject to do anything at any given moment based upon the current circumstances in your life, whether it be embezzling money or anything else, if you fall on hard times. You have to have something outside of yourself to keep you grounded.

I came across some people at grocery stores who try to get you to sign a petition to have people show identification in order to vote. I definitely don’t agree with that. They probably are putting me in a database to try to figure out who I voted for. They’re going to look at the demographics of your race, your age, and they’ll put all that into play as soon as you show your identification. That’s a worry, because when you give up your freedoms in any capacity, you’re subject to give up all of them later on.

More election coverage

Detroit’s mayoral candidates have their only scheduled debate this week.

The Reverand Solomon Kinloch faces City Council President Mary Sheffield in the general election. Kinloch, a political newcomer, says city leaders haven’t done enough to increase affordable housing in Detroit. He votes to do that and continue pastoring his church if voters elect him.  

“All of us got a responsibility, not to just do something from a spiritual perspective, but to do something social and political. That’s my rearing and my raising. I believe that this is a great opportunity to inspire an entire city that ordinary people can do some extraordinary things.”

Sheffield argues dealing with Detroit’s housing and financial issues demands someone with the kind of experience she’s gained over a dozen years on Council.

The debate will be on Channel 7 starting at 7 p.m this Wednesday, Oct. 15.

– Reporting by Quinn Klinefelter 

Additional headlines for Monday, October 13, 2025

Dearborn Heights acting mayor 

Dearborn Heights City Council Chairman Mo Baydoun is now the Acting Mayor due to Mayor Bill Bazzi’s resignation. The U.S. Senate confirmed Bazzi’s nomination to serve as the Ambassador to Tunisia. 

Acting Mayor Baydoun says he will work closely with city council, public servants and local unions to bring fresh perspectives and solutions. He also says he will focus on public safety, city services, infrastructure and neighborhood revitalization.

Residents of Dearborn Heights will vote for a new mayor in November between Baydoun, the highest vote getter during the primaries, and Councilwoman Denise Malinowski-Maxwell. 

The next mayor’s term begins January 1st 2026. 

Detroit Repair Cafe

The Detroit Repair Cafe is hosting a popup at the Moondog Cafe in Detroit.

People can bring their clothes, electronics, bikes, toys and other things to fix for free. There is also free parking available.

The repair popup takes place every 3rd Sunday in October, November and December from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Moondog Cafe 8045 Linwood Street in Detroit.

The next repair clinic takes place Sunday, October 19. 

Rising Voices Salon Series 

The Asian American-led group Rising Voices is hosting another artist salon in their series “We Belong Here – Asian American Ancestry, Authenticity and Healing.”

The program will begin with a walking tour of Asian Americans and allies buried in the cemetery, followed by a panel discussion about AAPI history in America and healing.

The event takes place next Friday Oct. 24th at the Elmwood Cemetery 1200 Elmwood Ave. in Detroit. 

It is free and open to the public. 

Samaritan Operation Christmas Child 

The international Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse is looking for gifts and donations for Operation Christmas Child starting next month. Volunteers are collecting and delivering gifts for kids who have faced war, poverty or disaster.

This year the initiative will have 5,000 drop off locations across the nation, hoping to serve 12 million children. People can also donate $10 for a box of goodies to fill a shoebox full of gifts for a child. Collection week is November 17-24.

Find the closest drop-box by entering your zip code on this Samaritan’s Purse page. 

If there is something happening in your neighborhood that you think we should know about, drop us a line at DetroitEveningReport@wdet.org. 

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

There are about 2,200 urban gardens across Detroit. In a place with a lot of empty tracts,  that can be a great use of land. 

And, over the past few years, the city has done things to assist the people who tend to it. There’s now an entire department dedicated to the inner workings of urban farmers. 

Recently, the city alongside the Eastern Market Partnership are collaborating to offer $225,000 in grant funding to Detroit-based farmers.

But even with the new dollars being made available, preserving and expanding farms can be challenging because upkeep can be costly and labor-intensive. With Mayor Mike Duggan leaving office, there will likely be turnover and questions about the priorities of the new administration.

Amanda Brezzell is the creative director and co-founder of Fennigan’s Farms in Detroit, a board member for the Detroit Food Policy Council, and a policy and engagement specialist for the Groundwork Center.

They spoke with Cary Junior II about the challenges and joys of farming in Detroit.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or NPR or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

Voting has begun in Detroit’s mayoral election.

Reverend Solomon Kinloch, a political newcomer, is taking on career politician and City Council President Mary Sheffield.

Leading into the primary, the common refrain on the campaign trail was affordable housing and lowering crime.

Kinloch, the leader of Triumph Church, is no different.

In an interview with Detroit Public Radio, Kinloch spoke about filling up the city’s limited housing stock.

“We got to begin with, neighborhood revitalization. My plan would commit to putting a family in every house,” Kinloch said. “We do that by creating a greater pathway to home ownership, by increasing and intensifying the down payment assistance program… and prioritizing affordable housing development.”

The City of Detroit says there’s been over one billion dollars of affordable housing investment in the city since 2019. Many of those developments come with more expensive apartments, with units set aside for people with median income.

This, Kinloch says, is where he and Sheffield disagree. He thinks Sheffield, and the city, aren’t being aggressive enough.

“They’re bragging about affordable housing. Affordable for who?” Kinloch said. “You got rent 17,18, $1,900 a month. That’s not affordable for the average family in the city of Detroit.”

No victory laps when it comes to crime

Another key difference is that Kinloch sees city leaders, Sheffield included, already celebrating a drop in crime.

“I don’t think nobody should be taking a victory lap,” Kinloch says. “When you talk to residents in the city of Detroit, and when you leave a funeral, as I have left so many, where I’m burying too many young people in this city to go into saying, ‘you ain’t gonna change nothing’.”

Kinloch maintains that many in the city still feel unsafe, despite recent improvements.

“We got to be honest about how bad the problem is, so that we can take some comprehensive and some realistic and practical steps in order to deal with that,” Kinloch said. “People still don’t feel safe…they still got bars on their windows.”

That willingness to try new things when it comes to law enforcement and lowering crime does not extend to the using the National Guard in Detroit.

“I believe that the wonderful police officers in the City of Detroit should be responsible for caring for the people in the City of Detroit, and that people who live in the city should be responsible for being a part of that police department in order to patrol and protect their citizens,” Kinloch said.

Referencing the uprising in the summer of 1967, Kinloch says the National Guard being sent to Detroit is still an open wound for many.

“I believe that when you start talking about martial law, it regurgitates some traumatic experience for the community,” Kinloch said. “They long have tried, mentally and socially to and psychologically to distance themselves from (that).”

The organization that operates the Detroit People Mover has launched a study to look for ways to improve services.

Kinloch says he lives downtown, and he wants Detroiters to feel like it’s their downtown too. Expanding and improving the People Mover would help that.

“When I did my launch, people were saying, ‘Why are you going to the Fox (Theater)? That’s that’s not where we go. We don’t go downtown.’ We have to make sure that everyone in this city feels a part of what’s going on in this city, because if we bring them downtown, we want them to use the mode of transportation to get around downtown,” Kinloch said.

In just a few weeks, Detroit residents will take to the polls and pick the city’s next mayor. The candidates are City Council President Mary Sheffield and Reverend Solomon Kinloch.

WDET is speaking with residents as part of our Citizen Vox project to gauge what the community is looking for.

Ronald Ferguson is a 69 year old born-and-raised Detroiter who plans to vote for Kinloch. He spoke with WDET’s Bre’Anna Tinsley about his decision.

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity. 

Ronald Ferguson: Well, I feel he’s for the people, and to me, I think he’ll do a better job than what we’ve seen over the past six to 10 years from his opponent, you know? I mean, she’s been their council president for so long, but yet, where’s all the results from her efforts? So, I’m ready to try something different to see if I can get a different result, because I’m not happy with the results we’re getting.

Bre’Anna Tinsley, WDET News: What results are you looking for?

RF: The common things: safer neighborhoods, all of the things that make a community thrive, and not just being concentrated on downtown, but the other parts of the cities.

BT: Can you talk about your neighborhood specifically? If there’s anything in there that you’re looking for.

RF: In my neighborhood, there’s few houses, and all the abandoned houses have been demolished. So I’m pleased with that. So the neighborhood is actually clean, and that is a good thing, but I just want to make sure that we have a little more security, because in the summertime, for whatever reason, our young people tend to want to use the public streets as a drag strip. And if there were more police out there or being placed in certain areas, I think we could minimize or eliminate that. That’s a concern.

It’s to the point where you don’t want to go out when it’s dark out, and you shouldn’t have to feel that way in your neighborhood. But I know when you have limited funding with fewer taxpayers, that’s what you get. So,  I’m hoping a new mayor can get more people to reside in the city, to increase the tax base, so therefore you can get better schools, better stores, better policing, all the things that we all want when you live somewhere. Detroit is no different than any other city. The only difference is we don’t have the tax base because of the lack of residents. And then when you look at the percentage that’s unemployed, let’s find a way to get these people employed if they’re going to reside in the city, or find people that can move in the city that’s already employed, that’ll resolve your problems, most of them anyways.

BT: You mentioned not seeing any results from City Council President Mary Sheffield. Duggan has been the mayor for the last over a decade. Now, were you not satisfied with him as mayor either?

RF: Well, now you’re on a different target. I would say I’m pleased with a lot of the things he’s done. I remember vaguely when the city was dark because of the thieves stealing all copper wires for the streetlights. Well, they revamped that and put them above so they could relight the city. He also campaigned on tearing down a lot of the condemned homes, and he did a great job at that, because it happened right on my block, and I witnessed it. So, a lot of things he did, I approve of, but I don’t know. I just didn’t see or give credit to Sheffield being the president of city council.

I just didn’t see a lot coming from her and her efforts. But maybe if you combine her with Duggan, well, kudos to them, because they got some things done that help my community. Policing can help a little more. That tax base has to grow, and I don’t see where all the jobs are coming to make people employed that’s residing here. That’s not something to cheer about, what are we going to do about that?

More election coverage

It’s the home stretch for Detroit City Council candidates with election day only about a month away.

On the city’s northeast side incumbent Scott Benson faces a challenge from a life-long resident of Council District 3, Cranstana Anderson.

She’s a former UAW local official and administrator who works from home preparing taxes.

Anderson says she wants to change how city government operates on the eastside.

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity. 

Cranstana Anderson: For instance, the rainfall sewage fee. They call it a fee but it’s actually a tax. If people want to build around their homes and they put more cement down, there is nowhere to absorb the rainwater. So your drainage fees are higher. A lot of churches experienced it because they made parking lots or created more sidewalks. Anything that is not grass or trees to absorb, that rainfall becomes an additional charge.

Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: If you were elected to council, how would you address those kind of problems?

CA: I would first have to see how we get out of something that we got into. I really believe Detroit not having control over the water has led to these types of actions by leadership. The water bill used to be less than what it is every month now, even every three months. So, it seems like that’s a long-term consequence of them giving control of it to the Great Lakes Water Authority.

QK: There’s been a lot of talk about a “financial cliff” that Detroit could be facing because federal funding and some other money is running out. Some of the mayoral candidates have talked about increasing revenue by perhaps raising certain taxes on things like events downtown. Do you think that that’s a way to go?

CA: I do believe that we’ve given out enough tax abatements and incentives for those businesses downtown to be a contributor into paying a higher tax, if that’s what’s going to help the neighborhoods. Because originally, that’s what downtown was getting built up for. It was to change the dynamics of the way downtown looked, to change the dynamics of economic growth in Detroit and build-up downtown. But it was also supposed to contribute to building up the residential communities, making sure those who have retired, bought their home, worked their 30 years, are not left out. And that’s what we want to focus on, not leaving those who have already paved the way for us to stabilize the community be forced out by business or investors. I believe in gentrification versus nullification. So if it’s nothing, then gentrification sounds pretty good when it’s nothing.

QK: I still hear lots of concerns about crime, not just on the northeast side, but throughout the city. If you were on council, how would you try and help address that?

CA: I would try to create some different policies about how we retain our public safety officers. I believe when they were given the option to live outside of Detroit, that’s when we had more crime created. The crime rate is just at a flat line right now. I don’t see the quality of policing in Detroit, in my area and in many other areas, the way it used to be. When I grew up, relying on police was the route to go to keep the community safe. But now, to engage with them, to build a certain amount of trust with them, and have none of our officers that want to live in Detroit, that says a lot about their policing.

There’s a lot that needs to be done. But I want to make sure we look right.

QK: You’ve mentioned that you’d like to see more political accountability. Do you think that’s lacking at the moment with some of the Detroit officials?

CA: Yes, especially mine, in my district. I think we’ve compromised our office.

QK: You’re talking about Detroit City Council member Scott Benson. There had been some allegations made about bribery charges. But federal authorities said that they had closed that case. And Benson said he and his staff came up completely clean. So, in your view, wouldn’t that kind of clean his slate in terms of that?

CA: No, not with me. Because I’m analytical. I’m from Detroit. And I know everybody who is in prison is not guilty and some of those who are guilty are still walking around.

QK: In any political campaign it is often hard to beat an incumbent. And you’re the challenger in this one. What do you say to people in District 3 if they ask why they should vote for you for council?

CA: Because I understand exactly the hardships that they’re going through. I am a person that’s just like them. And I will fight harder for them. The people who live there, who built there, who are maintaining their property and shopping in that area, doing business in that area, should be entitled to good service. There needs to be some type of resources made available that help these residents qualify for the investors that we want to come into our community.

As far as jobs go, you have the Work First program. But the jobs pay minimum wages, $15-$16 an hour. That’s just not a fair wage. We’re supposed to live off 30% of our income. How do we manage that? Affordable housing is $1,200 and your wages are $1,500. What does that calculate up to? That calculates up to a struggle.

One of the things that hasn’t been invested in is the blighted buildings in my community. A lot of schools shut down. And no one’s talking about doing anything with them except maybe utilizing them as training spots for the police or other public safety departments. These are buildings in the community that used to educate. And we believe, not just myself but a lot of residents, that we can turn these buildings into community hubs where they teach about things like drones, auto mechanics. We don’t want those buildings torn down. We want to utilize those buildings to put back into the education system what they took away. Creative arts. Let the residents, the children, tap into their natural talents or introduce them to the skills that they don’t know they have. Those are places that we can renovate and make into state-of-the art facilities. To make sure that we have the resources not 50 miles from us, not across town, but right here in our own community, where our children can actually walk to school. There’s a lot that needs to be done.

But I want to make sure we look right, so that we don’t invite the wrong type of activity into the community. Get rid of what we do have that’s not a positive influence in our community. Our children are becoming a product of their environment. We say we want to help them, but we have an overpopulation of alcohol stores. We have a population of marijuana dispensaries. It’s legal and a lot of people voted for it because they were tired of people going to jail for marijuana, which is understandable. But it’s something we need to go back to the drawing board about to make sure that it’s regulated properly, that our children don’t have such easy access to it. It’s really hurting us. And in order to build a community up, you have to eliminate the things that take them down.

More election coverage

Detroit voters will elect two at-large city council candidates in 2025. Incumbents Coleman Young II and Mary Waters are on the ballot. So are former council member Janeé Ayers and Detroit Fire Department Community Relations Chief James Harris.

Why she’s running

Ayers joined the council in 2015. She was appointed to replace Saunteel Jenkins, who vacated her seat to become the CEO of The Heat and Warmth Fund. Ayers won a special election in 2016 and secured a full four-year term in the 2017 general election. She ran for re-election in 2021 but lost.

At the time, the federal government was investigating corruption in city government. FBI agents searched her home for evidence but found none. The Justice Department closed the case in 2025 without charging her.

Ayers says if not for that ordeal, voters would have re-elected her.

“It was horrible, but I’ve come through it,” she says.

Ayers says she couldn’t talk about the investigation until now but welcomes voters’ questions about it. She also says it helped her understand many of the problems Detroit faces.

“I’ve lived it in a way that makes me so much more keen on the issues that people are dealing with,” she says.

Support local police

One of those issues is crime and how to fight it.

Detroit has seen a steady drop in the number of homicides and other violent crimes in recent years. Despite that, President Donald Trump has insisted crime is out of control in Detroit and other U.S. cities.

Vice President JD Vance repeated those claims while visiting Howell, Michigan, and said Trump would send the National Guard to Detroit if Governor Gretchen Whitmer requests it.

Ayers doubts she would.

“She and I know each other well,” Ayers says. “If she did, she’d have some serious questions to answer.”

Ayers says the federal government doesn’t need to police the streets of Detroit. But she does see a problem on the horizon—replacing Detroit Police officers who are retiring.

“We’ll be losing a lot of the institutional knowledge in those folks that have been on the job,” she says.

Ayers chaired the Public Health and Safety committee throughout her years on the council. She says the city needs to encourage young people to join the Detroit Police Department as older officers leave.

“We definitely need to strengthen that pipeline for Detroiters to start taking those positions,” she says. “So that we just have people that are from our community policing our community.”

On housing and jobs

Besides public safety, Ayers says she’s concerned about affordable housing in Detroit. One reason why it hasn’t been affordable for many, she says, is the formula the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development uses to calculate the city’s median income.

“For us, it is Detroit, Warren, and Livonia, and they take the median income from those three cities,” she says. “We can’t get a median income that makes sense for Detroiters as long as we’re compared to those two cities.”

Ayers says more Detroiters could afford to buy a home if they had better jobs and better access to transportation. She would also like to pick up where she left off with a task force to help people returning to the city after being incarcerated.

Don’t call it a comeback

While Ayers hasn’t been on the council for almost four years, she has been busy running her own consulting company and returning to work for the city’s recreation department where she started.

“I’ve been right here doing all the things I would have done with or without the title,” she says.

More election coverage

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer says she shared her concerns with President Trump about his new H1B visa policy which makes the price of applying for a visa $100,000.

H1B visas allow companies to bring in international workers for specialized jobs requiring higher education. Whitmer says she told President Trump that raising the application cost of those visas by around 10,000% could hurt Michigan’s economy.

Whitmer adds the state’s medical and automotive industries could be directly impacted by visa policy changes, saying large numbers of Canadian workers in fields like nursing and engineering rely on the visas.

Additional headlines from Tuesday September 30, 2025

Southwest Detroit hosts forum for candidates in upcoming election

A group of local community organizations is hosting the State of Southwest: A Municipal Candidate Forum on October 11.

Candidates for mayor, City Council District 6 and at-large seats have been invited to hear personal testimonies and concerns from residents of Southwest Detroit before sharing their plans to address the problems.

Organizers include 482Forward, Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation, Michigan League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, Michigan United, Raices Detroit, Urban Neighborhood Initiatives and We the People MI.

The forum is Saturday October 11 from noon to 3 p.m. in the  El Nacimiento warehouse at 7000 W Vernor Hwy. 

Resource guide for Native Americans returns

The state is relaunching a resource guide for Michigan tribal communities.

The Office of Civil Rights began publishing the Michigan Indian Quarterly more than 30 years ago. Now the Native American Resource Guide will be produced by the Department of Lifelong Education Advancement and Potential in partnership with Michigan State University’s Native American Institute.

The guide will include a list of tribal, state and federal contacts, education, legal and health resources, scholarship opportunities, genealogical research tools and artwork from Native artists from Michigan.

Print copies can be requested at nai@msu.edu.

Hamtramck Neighborhood Arts Festival 

The Hamtramck Neighborhood Arts Festival is this weekend.

The city’s creative community invites visitors to their home studios and front porches as well as to coffee shops, galleries and parks throughout the city. Organizers say the festival is meant to show that art is for everyone and that all are welcome.

The Hamtramck Night Bazaar will offer food and goods from a variety of vendors, and stores and restaurants will also be open. For more information visit hnaf.org.  

DNR on the lookout for Belle Isle alligator

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has confirmed sightings of a small alligator roaming on Belle Isle.

The Detroit Free Press reports someone took a picture of the gator and shared it on social media. The DNR reviewed the photograph and used geolocation data to determine its authenticity.

The agency says it doesn’t know how the reptile got there, but it reminds people that releasing pets or wild animals on Belle Isle or other state parks is illegal and harmful to native creatures.

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Detroit Economic Growth Corporation announced a new platform that will match entrepreneurs with the best fitting lender. 

The website is designed to help small businesses navigate financial options through partnerships with local Community Development Financial Institutions.   

Applicants visit the website, submit the criteria for the type of loan and amount they need, and the algorithm will match them with the best lenders.  

DEGC Senior Vice President Derrick Headd calls the hub a central command center for the city’s small business ecosystem.  “One place where you can find financing options, technical assistance, and service organizations. Everything you need to have a thriving company.” 

Lenders participating in the hub include ProsperUS, Detroit Development Fund, Invest Detroit and more.  

Eligible applicants must be located in the city, have documented cash flow, and cannot be affiliated with any business prohibited by federal law.  

 Additional headlines for Thursday, September 25, 2025

Pastors seek high voter turnout this mayoral election

Detroit voters will elect the city’s first new mayor in 12 years this fall. A coalition of pastors is working to educate and mobilize their flocks to decide between City Council President Mary Sheffield and Reverend Solomon Kinloch. 

Organizers say 12 churches took part in the Lift Every Voice and Vote campaign in the August primary. They want five times that number mobilizing voters in the general election. 

Al Williams leads Lift Every Voice and Vote Detroit. He admits its hard motivating voters in the city. “I think that the history of our mayoral elections, past two or three mayoral elections, have shown us that the excitement has gone down every single mayoral election. Yes, it has made it a challenge.” 

Less than 20 percent of eligible Detroit voters cast ballots in the August primary.

Proposed ordinance requires body cam footage be made public

A proposed Detroit ordinance would require police to release body camera footage within 30 days of police shootings and other incidents including the use of non-lethal weapons like tasers, pepper spray, tear gas, bean bags and rubber bullets.

Under the proposed ordinance, footage must be posted on a public website. Exemptions would be allowed upon written request from the Detroit Police Department or Wayne County prosecutor.

Exceptions apply to footage captured during federal or state task force operations, footage prohibited by court order and footage determined to be prejudicial to a civil matter. 

James Baldwin Sidewalk Libraries

The City of Detroit and the Detroit Public Library will be hosting the James Baldwin Sidewalk Libraries across the city. Detroit ACE and the Charles H. Wright Museum also partnered to launch the reading campaign.

Boxes designed to help residents find or donate books by and about author James Baldwin will be placed in Detroit neighborhoods. 

The initiative completes the work started by artist Sabrina Nelson, whose landmark exhibit on Baldwin debuted last fall.

The initiative is being launched during Black Reading Month in Detroit. 

Fashion business management degree now offered at CCS

 The College for Creative Studies in Detroit is now offering a fashion business management degree. The degree will take 90 credits and just over three years to complete. 

Students will learn merchandising, styling, marketing strategy, brand development, trend forecasting, and fashion communications. No portfolio is required for admission.

Visit the College for Creative Studies and look under the listing of undergraduate programs more information and to apply. 

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

A new survey conducted by the University of Michigan and Outlier Media reveals the top concerns Detroiters would like to see the next mayor address.

Crime and Safety topped the list, followed by neighborhood maintenance, access to better paying jobs and affordable housing.

Mara Ostfeld is with the University of Michigan and co-authored the survey. She spoke with WDET’s Bre’Anna Tinsley.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Mara Ostfeld: If you had to identify your top three major challenges just getting by in life today, what would you say those are? And as you mentioned, the most commonly selected ones were crime or safety, neighborhood conditions  and employment. And I don’t think any of those would jump out as new themes for people who’ve been in Detroit or talking to Detroiters, but I think it was interesting to think when we asked Detroiters who mentioned crime or safety next as a follow up: so what would you want the city to do about this? …A majority of Detroiters mentioned something other than police when they were talking about what would make them feel more safe. A lot of Detroiters mentioned things like better lighting or more gun control or less vacant housing or more support for neighborhood associations. Which highlights something different and something we have seen more in Detroit, but something different than what often comes to mind is the most common response to safety concerns.

There was just a really big push in desire to see the city show respect for people’s neighborhoods in a way that reflected the way a lot of people love their neighborhoods.

MO: It would probably resonate with you and other people who spent a lot of time talking to Detroiters, is that a big theme was just concern about how people’s neighborhoods were being maintained and attended to. And a really strong desire for just better attention for neighborhood upkeep, whether that mentioned just trash pickup or vacant lot maintenance or, you know, people coming to fix lighting or fix trees. There was just a really big push in desire to see the city show respect for people’s neighborhoods in a way that reflected the way a lot of people love their neighborhoods.

Bre’Anna Tinsley: Employment and access to jobs were mentioned in the survey, and when asked what specifically Detroiters would like to see addressed, items like wages and flexible hours were mentioned. Not typically something a mayor can address, does the mayor have any sway over these things?

MO: I mean, I think that’s a really good question, and not all of these are things that the incoming Mayor can directly mandate. But it does speak to you know, we do know that mayors and our legislators do work to create incentives for different types of companies to come to the city. And I think another thing is that we can think about what makes the desire for flexible schedule so prominent. We know a big factor that leads to a desire for more flexible schedules is after school programs, child care, and transportation. All of those things are things that are more directly in the realm of mayoral control and impact.

BT: Schools also fell into that same category. Issues like better teachers, class sizes and more schools were of big concern for Detroiters, but the mayor doesn’t have direct control over that. In what ways could the mayor address these concerns?

MO: There are partnerships that can be incentivized in the city, building more partnerships with teacher training programs. And I am hesitant to say too much. I don’t know all of like, the policy dynamics and politics behind, you know, education policy. But regardless of whether it’s in their direct realm of control, we know there’s a lot of indirect mechanisms in terms of incentivizing certain partnerships or changing the structures around which some of these like things, are enabled for this by the school board. And so I think it’s important for the mayor to know what’s this? Residents, especially people concerned about education, want in that realm so that they can work within what is in their space to incentivize these other changes.

More election coverage

Wayne State University President Kimberly Espy is resigning.  That’s according to a source with knowledge of the situation. 

Espy has reportedly been under pressure from the school’s board of governors to step down.  In recent weeks, there’s been criticism about the unexplained decision to place the dean of Wayne State’s Medical School on leave. 

A story by the Detroit News says the Interim Med School Dean resigned because his appointment did not follow proper channels.  Espy was also criticized for not fully engaging in the Detroit community.  She did not appear at an event on campus Monday to announce a program to make it easier for DPSCD high school students to attend Wayne State. 

Espy became the President of the university in August 2023.  A Wayne State Board of Governors’ meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday at 5 p.m. 

Additional headlines for Wednesday September 17, 2025

Mayoral Debate 

WXYZ-TV has announced that it will broadcast a Detroit mayoral debate on Wednesday, October 15. 

The television station will host City Council President Mary Sheffield and Pastor Solomon Kinloch in its Southfield studios that evening.  Sheffield and Kinloch were the two candidates receiving the most votes in the city’s August primary. 

The October debate will be moderated by Chuck Stokes and Carolyn Clifford. 

679 Area Code 

Get ready to dial a few extra digits every time you call someone on your phone.  Starting October 7, residents will need to dial all 10 numbers when making a call.  In other words, all calls will need an area code. That’s to get folks ready for the new 679 area code.  That new code takes effect on November 7. 

Detroit residents seeking new phone numbers after that may receive a 679 area code once all 313 numbers are exhausted.   Residents in Wayne County suburbs such as Redford Township, Highland Park, Hamtramck and Dearborn will also be affected by the change. 

Fall safety

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is working to keep older adults from falling and getting injured. 

The department is collaborating with the Michigan Falls Prevention Council and the National Council on Aging.  They’re offering special online tools for risk assessment and fall prevention classes online. 

A webpage provides a directory of programs to help senior citizens stay healthy.  Residents can also call 2-1-1 to speak with a live operator about resources in the area. 

Next week is Falls Prevention Awareness Week. 

Detroit Grand Prix Dates 

The Detroit Grand Prix has confirmed its dates for next year. 

The race through downtown streets will take place on Sunday, May 31, 2026.  That’s the weekend after Memorial Day.  And as has been the case for many years, it’s the weekend following the running of the Indianapolis 500. 

Detroit Grand Prix organizers say 156,000 people came downtown to watch events over this year’s three-day weekend.  They say more than a million people watched the Grand Prix on television this year. 

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

In 2020, 15 Republicans tried to cast Michigan’s electoral votes for President Trump, even through President Biden won the state by 154,000. In this episode of MichMash, WDET’s Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Zach Gorchow break down how the legal case against these electors unraveled.

Then, Executive Director of the Michigan Association of Counties Steve Currie joins the show to talk about how the state budget affects local governments.

Subscribe to MichMash on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.