Council amends Schedule B: cuts to some program requests, one-time staffing decisions and new one-time studies

The Detroit City Council amended Schedule B during a special session to alter a set of program and staffing line items before adopting the broader budget documents.

Key Schedule B changes adopted in the session include a reduction to a proposed marijuana-tax-funded public-health program, a conversion of police-oversight positions to one-time funding, additions of several one-time positions in veterans services, and one-time funding for workforce and apprenticeship initiatives.

Highlights of the Schedule B amendments and staff clarifications

- "Too Cool for Drugs" program: Council and staff agreed to reduce the proposed allocation from $155,000 to $95,000. Budget staff said the $95,000 represents the net increase over what is already in the base budget and should be reflected in the amended Schedule B.

- Board of Police Commissioners positions: An item to fund six FTEs at $534,788 was revised so the positions would be funded with one-time resources rather than recurring funds; staff told the council the intent was for the positions to use one-time resources to clear backlog work.

- Veterans services: Schedule B includes a $150,000 increase to fund two FTEs in the Veterans Affairs office (one community outreach employee and one technical support employee); staff said the additions will be recorded as increases to appropriation lines in the Housing & Revitalization or related department coding shown in Schedule B.

- Apprenticeship and workforce support: Schedule B adds $250,000 for apprenticeship program support for skilled trades (DESC) in fiscal 2026, with the stated intent that funding would continue at $250,000 annually over four years (as discussed by staff). The council also included $50,000 to study a skilled-trade student pipeline for DEGC projects.

- Workforce housing fund: Council members identified a $500,000 appropriation to the workforce housing fund located in Schedule B (appropriation code referenced in the session materials).

- Economic outlook study for District 6: Council approved a one-time $300,000 appropriation to LPD (legislative administration) to conduct an economic outlook study as a District 6 pilot for equitable development and streetscape considerations.

- Classification and vacancies: Council members pressed staff for clarity on vacancies and classification listings. Staff clarified that the deputy mayor title is an appointive classification recorded in the classification schedule as "Executive Management Team, Mayor's Office" (class code 932014) with a pay range and that the working title "deputy mayor" is used for signature purposes. Staff also agreed to provide a manual report listing actual vacancies by department when requested.

Quotations and attribution

Budget staff explained the basis for the reduced "Too Cool for Drugs" allocation: "we need to put in the net, the delta between what's in the budget now and what you're seeking to get to, and that's the $95,000," (budget staff, explaining the amendment).

Council action and process notes

Most Schedule B adjustments were adopted during the same motion that approved items 3.1 and 3.2; council members moved specific edits on the floor and there were no recorded roll-call votes in the transcript for these Schedule B changes. A motion converted the Board of Police Commissioners' six positions to one-time funding and those changes were reflected in the amended Schedule B adopted by the council.

Ending

Council members requested that the administration circulate the final Schedule B and the second-session spreadsheet showing the adopted edits. Staff agreed to send the vacancy report and to clarify classification entries in the compensation schedule.