Detroit reviews Department of Appeals and Hearings budget, online services and blight enforcement changes

Julianne Pastula, director of the Department of Appeals and Hearings, told the Detroit City Council during a budget hearing that the department saw a sharp increase in blight-ticket activity and higher collections in fiscal year 2024 while continuing operational changes intended to increase public engagement and compliance.

The Department of Appeals and Hearings (DAH) reported that the number of tickets issued rose by 28,000 over the previous fiscal year and adjudicated tickets increased by 8,000. DAH said total judgments for fiscal 2024 totaled $18,400,000 and the department collected $6,600,000, an increase of $1,900,000 over fiscal 2023, for an overall collection rate of 36%.

DAH presented its fiscal-year budget figures to the council: current expenditures of $1,900,000 and identified revenues of $6,740,000, and a proposed fiscal 2026 budget that would raise expenditures by $135,000 and revenues by $1,400,000. Pastula said the department’s overall funding increase is 7%, composed of a 4% general wage/COLA increase and a 3% operational increase.

“The DH is an independent hearings tribunal that is committed to delivering impartial, timely, and efficient services in a fair manner,” Pastula said. She described DAH as composed of two bureaus: Blight Court, which adjudicates blight violations and determines compliance with city code and state law, and the Administrative…