Tatjana Jackson - 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: Medicaid and Medicare, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Social Security, HUD’s housing assistance programs, and job training and workforce development programs are among the most essential federal programs that directly affect Detroiters.

To preserve or replace these programs if funding shifts, I will first communicate and encourage the Mayor and State Reps to communicate with the House of Representatives. If there is no progress, I would send a letter and request a meeting with the speaker of the house and from there, speak with the president about replacing the funds

I would sell municipal bonds, work with the private sector and encourage, connect and mobilize the community, small businesses foundations and nonprofits to combine resources.

In addition, I would continuously advocate for community wealth building such as targeting businesses and industries to come to Detroit that pay wages in the $125,000-$200,000 range. I would also address the education problem that is preventing Detroit residents from being able to get these jobs. Furthermore, the advertising and communication with citizens for available jobs, job training and workforce development are not good enough. That is something I would address through positive mass-marketing and partnerships with news sources.

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: While I see the value in collaborating with private investors for developments such as affordable housing and significant retail outlets, I also embrace real estate developers that support cooperative economics or community ownership of housing and businesses when it is appropriate and can benefit all parties. In addition, I would not overlook investments from entities abroad to support tourism dollars. This form of cash flow can be helpful when there is a reduction in city revenues.

As I look to prioritize specific areas in the city, housing is a key concern. I know that other major cities have an ongoing problem with homelessness. Detroit. has been fortunate not to see tent cities city-wide, unlike Los Angeles, which faces this problem. That is something I would like to continue to prevent and uphold.

Meanwhile, my platform does involve prioritizing education through after-school programs and economic development through collaboration with residents, developers, and business owners.

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:

A. To monitor the general fund, I would monitor the auto industry. Auto manufacturers and auto suppliers are key players in Michigan and Metro Detroit. I am looking for downturns in auto sales and monitoring whether downturns are reflected in the price charts of publicly traded auto stocks and auto suppliers. This might determine what may be happening with city tax collections. In addition, I am looking at whether there is a decrease in grants, state, and federal aid. I am also looking at the private sector. Is there a continuation of investments in the city? What is happening with permits to build or start a business in Detroit? If the interest rate is climbing, will the cost for essential services rise?

B. To engage other levels of government for a plan of action, I would look at merging public services regionally with surrounding counties. If a Southeastern Michigan millage is negotiated to help address the issues of all counties involved, it could have the effect of saving money for the entire Southeastern Michigan region and address a larger number of issues than before. This will also open doors to creating a Southeastern Michigan regional bond that could bring in even more funds from investors.