DETROIT – Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan laid out plans to spend the city’s $156-million surplus. He wants the money to mainly go to the city’s neighborhoods, replacing sidewalks, removing dangerous trees, and improving parks. It’s a lot of money and a lot of different projects.
Local 4 spoke to Detroiters who’ve been using some of those sidewalks, parks, or transit centers that could see that money.
Twenty million dollars would replace neighborhood sidewalks, something people who use them say is long overdue.
It’s a big problem,” said a man. “Certain areas are worse than others, yes, it’ll make a big difference.”
“I have kids,” said another man. “It’s hard for kids to ride bikes on messed up sidewalks, so I would like that, plus older people like with disabilities and stuff like that.”
Another $19.9 million will go into public transportation, like upgrading the people mover with new cars and developing this transit station on the former State Fairgrounds. Right now, there’s little there.
“Bare bones, there’s not even a restroom for people who are waiting here,” the man said. “I see cities with actual time schedules when the bus pulls up that would be a really big help.”
Duggan’s spending plan also calls for millions of dollars to go to dead and dangerous tree removal, demolishing unsalvageable buildings across the city, park renovations, the city’s retiree protection fund, and risk management fund. The proposal still has to be approved, but it gives the everyday Detroiter something to look forward to.
“It gives a better overall city, not just for downtown but the outer city, let me say it like that,” the man said.
Here is a breakdown of what the $156 million surplus would be used for:
- $60 million to put into city risk management fund
- $20.5 million to replace about 70,000 damaged sidewalk slabs throughout the city
- $19.9 million for public transportation improvements like replacing cars on the Detroit People Mover and updating the State Fair Transit Center
- $17.9 million for one-time expenditures like replacing police bulletproof vests, election equipment, city fleet electrification
- $16.2 million to renovate city parks with new landscaping, equipment and other amenities faster than the current schedule
- $13 million to demolish unsalvageable buildings and speed up the city’s current efforts to remove blighted buildings
- $10 million to put in city’s ongoing Retiree Protection Fund so retiree pensions
- $5 million to remove dangerous or dead trees on private property that could be a danger to the community
Detroit’s Revenue Estimating Conference is open to the public on Monday (Feb. 13) at 1 p.m. on the 13th Floor of Emma L. Henderson Auditorium in the Coleman A. Young Municipal Building. If you would like to join virtually, click here.