Michael Stephen Ri’chard - Candidate for City Council District 5

1) Federal policies often shift in ways that impact cities’ ability to provide essential services and maintain stability, especially in today’s political climate. What are the key federal programs you believe most directly affect Detroiters, and how would you advocate to preserve or replace these supports?

Response: The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 is one. This is a plan where the federal government allocated millions of dollars to Detroit for neighborhood revitalization, affordable housing and home repair. Money was given for small buiness grants and public health and safety. Money was to be used for infrasture and jobs, like road repair, public transportation and Electric Vehicle Charging infrastructure. All of the above are helpful and are very important to Detroiters except for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (EVCS). I would fight to keep them all as ALL of Detroiters need those services but just a few, less than 10% need the EVCS which should be built and serviced by car and battery companies. In order for Detroit to grow and maintain being a great city it has to have all the other programs to be in tack.

2) With the challenges posed by economic uncertainty, rising inflation, and evolving federal policies, what will be your approach to collaborating with local, regional, and national leaders to protect Detroit’s progress? What specific area—such as housing, education, or economic development—will you prioritize?

Response: Economic Development would be first as it is absolutley essential to the long- term health and prosperity of any community. It's not just about boosting buniness it's about improving the quality of life, equity, and opportunity for Detroiters. Education is very important to Detroit not just for students but for the city as a whole. A strong education system is the foundation of for economic recovery and community stability. When citizens are thinking about moving into an area the first thing that they ask is how good are the schools. Housing is next as it's important to have an economically, safe clean neighborhood. The area has to be stable, growing and healthy. Blight and high vacancy and nonaffordable homes are a problem. Buying a house is still the American Dream.

3) A review of the City of Detroit’s Economic Outlook 2024-2029, dated February 2025, states that:

“Detroit’s economic recovery has encountered significant headwinds over the last eight months, but we expect it to regain its footing this year as the macroeconomic environment becomes more favorable. We note, however, that there is substantial uncertainty surrounding our forecast, particularly regarding policy changes with the new presidential administration, as well as with the pace of inflation and the Federal Reserve’s response.”

The report further states that the gains made in the number of jobs in the city and the number of Detroiters employed have declined since mid-2024. With this sobering background information and the instability caused by the tariff policies and the anticipated gutting of federal programs, what will your strategy be to:

A. Monitor the general fund for impacts, identify the trigger for a reduction in revenue that would necessitate scaling back services or triggering layoffs, and/or slow down the pace of service delivery?

B. Engage other levels of government to arrive at a plan of action?

Response: First i would keep an eye on the moves of the new federal administration as it relates to federal grants and determine the rate of inflation on Detroits economy. I would come up with a five year plan to forcast where the federal cuts may come from. I would not have any layoffs but maybe not fill some positions. I would look at the budget to determine what are major services and what are feel good or un important services. I would not slash the budget but may cut duplicate services or look at services that are also performed by non profit agencies. There would be no slowing down of city services, job cuts or layoffs. I would go into the rainy day fund for money but I would not raise taxes. I would work with county and state government to work on a plan to maybe share some services or turn them over to them. I would make sure that there is no duplication of services with other government departments.