Will Mary Sheffield follow through on participatory budgeting?

February 9, 2026

Mayor Mary Sheffield will present her first budget proposal to the Detroit City Council in March, marking a significant transition as the city exhausts its remaining COVID-19 relief funds from the Biden administration and enters a new fiscal period. The budget represents Sheffield's policy priorities, including potential implementation of participatory budgeting—a program she has championed since 2016 that would give residents direct input on spending decisions in their council districts. The new City Council faces the challenge of exercising its budgetary authority more assertively than its predecessor, which struggled to implement its priorities and saw the previous administration fail to spend millions allocated for council-approved programs through what members call "phantom vetoes.

Who is affected

Mayor Mary Sheffield
Detroit City Council members (specifically mentioned: District 7 Council Member Denzel McCampbell, At-Large Council Member Mary Waters, District 2 Council Member Angela Whitfield-Calloway)
Detroit residents who participate in public budget forums
Former Mayor Mike Duggan and his administration
Budget Director Donnie Johnson
City departments (Law Department, Police Department, Civil Rights Inclusion and Opportunity Department, Eastern Market, Office of the Chief Financial Officer)
Legislative Policy Division
Invest Detroit (led 2018 participatory budgeting process)
Residents around Clark Park (2018 participatory budgeting participants)

What action is being taken

Sheffield's budget proposal is being prepared for delivery to City Council
The City Council is finalizing the budget calendar
Budget Director Donnie Johnson and staff are researching participatory budgeting models for Detroit
Public forums for the upcoming budget have been organized and held (referenced Jan. 28 forum)
The Legislative Policy Division is monitoring appropriations and requesting updates from the Office of the Chief Financial Officer on spending status

Why it matters

This budget matters because it represents a major transition point for Detroit's finances as the city depletes the last of its $827 million in federal pandemic relief funds and must rely solely on tax revenue going forward. The budget serves as a critical test of governance, revealing whether the new City Council will exercise its co-equal authority more effectively than its predecessor, which struggled to influence spending and saw millions in approved appropriations go unspent through "phantom vetoes." Sheffield's position as a former council president who experienced having her priorities sidelined gives her unique insight that could lead to more collaborative budgeting, potentially including participatory budgeting that would fundamentally change how residents engage with municipal spending decisions. The outcome will demonstrate whether Detroit can move toward more transparent, accountable budget processes that reflect both resident priorities and constitutional checks and balances between branches of city government.

What's next

Sheffield is tentatively scheduled to present her budget proposal on March 9
A public hearing is set for March 30
City departments are scheduled to brief the council on their budgets, performance goals, and financial needs in hour-long hearings from March 11 through April 2
The City Council must vote on the budget by April 7
The Office of the Chief Financial Officer is expected to provide updates on 25 appropriations whose spending status could not be determined by the Legislative Policy Division

Read full article from source: bridgedetroit.com