Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield gave her first state of the city address last night at Mumford High School. She announced a new program starting today for Detroit Public Schools students. 

"Any K-12 student in the city can ride the bus for free, seven days a week, 365 days a year." Sheffield said some of the school budget money for bus fare will be rerouted into after-school programs. 

And she announced a plan to lure businesses to economic corridors in the city, with a new position: the Director of Retail Attraction. 

"For too long, the city has waited for retailers to come to them. My administration will go out and compete for that investment, because strong neighborhoods need more than housing and infrastructure. They need vibrant commercial corridors where people can shop, work and gather close to home." 

Sheffield also said she was working with billionaire Dan Gilbert and the Move Detroit Coalition to entice more people to move to the city. "Our first program will support 313 current and future Detroiters with real resources, $15,000 to support home ownership and business growth, and $1,000 in relocation assistance to make it easier to come home to Detroit." 

The mayor also highlighted some of the things she's already done since taking office, such as raising the minimum wage for city workers, and bringing the program Rx Kids to the city to help new mothers. 

Additional headlines from Wednesday, April 1, 2026

New personal finance education initiative

The Michigan Treasury Department is kicking of a new initiative today called Mi Money Matters Financial Empowerment.

According to the Treasury department, nearly 80% of metro Detroiters earning below 125,000 report never receiving formal education in personal finance. Roughly 25% of Detroiters do not have access to a bank.

The initiative includes a website that links to free tools and courses on credit, banking, and student loans. 

Neighborhood Enterprise Zone tax

Detroit City Council debated the value of Neighborhood Enterprise Zone tax incentives yesterday, questioning whether they are a useful tool for relieving the tax burden on residents.

NEZ tax incentives cap the city and county millage rate at 50%. Under the current structure, a $300,000 home would be taxed $6,000; in the suburbs, the same home’s taxes would be less than $2,000.

Councilmember Scott Benson says the city needs to be competitive with neighboring cities, which the NEZ does by lowering taxes—even if they aren’t as low as a suburb's.