Tyrone Carter - Candidate for City Council - District 6

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: Any changes to health care will have a devastating effect on the city residents. As we witnessed during Covid-19, the access to healthcare crippled the city. Many of our communities are still considered medical deserts.

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: I have always made education a priority. In my first term in the legislature, I requested to serve on the education policy committee. Everything possible, the American Dream, the ability to improve your life starts with education. We have made the largest financial investment by the state in history of education, but we still have more to do. Literacy still is a priority issue that we need to address in the city.

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: I know that several of the funding sources that the city has benefited from the federal and state level in the past, will no longer be available. We will have to prioritize essential services, hoping to only have to scale back and avoid layoffs. We also have to monitor pension funds that are due, I believe in 2027. Having served in the legislature on policy and appropriations, I will leverage that experience and relationships to secure as much available funding as possible.