Independent Civic Watchdog

Mayor
Detroit

Tracking spending, promises, and progress. No party lines. No corporate sponsors. Just accountability for the people of Detroit.

By the Numbers

Key fiscal and civic metrics for the City of Detroit, updated regularly from public records.

FY 2026 General Fund Budget
$2.1B
+4.8% from FY 2025
Active Capital Projects
147
38 behind schedule
Vacant Properties
24,100
-6.2% from 2024
Avg. 911 Response Time
12.4m
Target: 7 minutes
Tax Incentives Granted
$310M
Since 2022
Population (Est.)
633K
-2.1% since 2020
Water Shutoffs (2025)
18,200
Disproportionately in Black zip codes
Median Household Income
$36.1K
National avg: $75K

Track the Mayor

Monitoring promises, policies, and outcomes across six critical areas affecting Detroit residents.

H

Housing and Displacement

Tracking demolitions, tax foreclosures, affordable housing units built vs. luxury developments, and neighborhood displacement patterns.

Progress on promises28%
I

Infrastructure

Road conditions, streetlight coverage, water main breaks, lead pipe replacements, and public transit reliability across all districts.

Progress on promises41%
E

Education

School funding equity, facility conditions, teacher retention, literacy rates, and access to programs in underserved neighborhoods.

Progress on promises35%
S

Public Safety

Response times, crime prevention investment, community policing efforts, surveillance expansion, and police accountability measures.

Progress on promises44%
D

Economic Development

Who receives contracts, where development dollars flow, small business support vs. corporate incentives, and job creation claims.

Progress on promises22%
P

Public Health

Environmental justice, lead exposure rates, food desert mapping, healthcare access gaps, and mental health resource availability.

Progress on promises31%

Where the Money Goes

A breakdown of how Detroit's budget is allocated and where the largest expenditures land.

Key Findings

$310M

Tax Breaks to Developers

In tax incentives and abatements since 2022. Most went to downtown/midtown projects, not neighborhood development.

$147M

Housing Budget vs. Need

Only 7% of the budget goes to housing, while Detroit has 24,100 vacant properties and rising rents in target neighborhoods.

3:1

Downtown vs. Neighborhood Ratio

For every $1 invested in neighborhood revitalization, $3 flows to the downtown/midtown corridor.

Community Impact

How development patterns and policy decisions disproportionately affect Black and Latinx communities in Detroit.

67%

Tax Foreclosures in Black Neighborhoods

Two-thirds of all tax foreclosures since 2015 have occurred in predominantly Black zip codes on the east and west sides, often due to inflated property assessments the city later acknowledged were unconstitutional.

41%

Southwest Detroit Rent Increase

Rents in the 48209 zip code have risen 41% since 2019, displacing long-standing Latinx families and small businesses as new development targets the neighborhood.

12,400

Demolitions Without Replacement

Homes demolished through the Detroit Land Bank with no equivalent affordable housing built on those lots. Many remain vacant years later.

$8.2M

Community Benefits Owed

Estimated value of community benefits agreements attached to development projects that remain unfulfilled or under-delivered.

Report an Issue

See something in your neighborhood? Report it here. All submissions are reviewed and tracked.

What We Track

This is a community-powered accountability tool. Your reports help us identify patterns, verify official claims, and hold leadership accountable with real data from real residents.

  • Broken infrastructure and service failures
  • Development projects affecting your block
  • Displacement pressures (evictions, tax issues, rent hikes)
  • Missing or undelivered city services
  • Environmental and public health hazards
  • Discrepancies between city claims and reality

Report Submitted

Thank you for contributing to civic accountability in Detroit. Your report has been logged and will be reviewed.