Council President Brenda Jones and Councilmember Janeé Ayers are urging residents to come out to the Community Budget Priority Meeting. The meeting will take place at IBEW Local Union 58 on Wednesday, February 19th from 6 PM to 8 PM. The discussion will focus on budget provisions, community involvement, and the results of the 2020 Fiscal Budget Survey. Over 1,000 Detroiters completed the online 2020 Fiscal Budget Survey for the City of Detroit.
“Annually, the Detroit City Council conducts a review of Detroit’s $1.1B budget,” said Jones. “This is the second consecutive year Member Ayers, and I have administered a community budget survey to provide an avenue for Detroit residents to meaningfully participate in the city budgeting process. Their input helps us identify the citizens’ priorities and how they would like to see their tax dollars spent.”
During the 2019-2020 Budget Approval Cycle, Jones and Ayers announced several critical changes for Detroit on behalf of City Council. Some of these developments include:
- A $45 million contribution to the Retiree Protection Trust Fund to ensure that pensioners that have already suffered a significant loss due to the City’s bankruptcy will not be impacted financially by a collapse of the current pension system.
- A $5.25 million investment into tree removal and replanting with the purchase of new equipment, employee training, and enhancement of the aggressive strategy to remove 10,000 dangerous trees within three years.
- Significant investment into the Buildings, Safety, Engineering, and Environmental Department for inspection and monitoring of rental unit compliance and environmental compliance to ensure that residents can have access to safe living conditions in their neighborhoods and homes.
- Investment in neighborhood beautification through the General Services Department for graffiti removal, planting of flowers and cleaning bus shelters, and over a dozen commercial corridors.
- An increase in Department of Public Works funding for the installation of 400 new residential speed “bump” cushions, a significant spot road repair program, and a waste management monitoring policy to address trash collection and ensure that issues are solved quickly.
The Office of Budget handles the Fiscal Budget Survey. The Office of Budget also identifies, projects, allocates, and manages vital components in the finances of Detroit. There are three divisions in the Office of Budget, which include Budget Development and Execution, ERP Transition-Implementation, and Forecasting and Economic Analysis.