Pontiac council offers condolences for the death of Dr. Doris Taylor Burks

Pontiac City Council members announced the death of Dr. Doris Taylor Burks and said the council will prepare a tribute and resolve to honor her service at an upcoming meeting.

A council member described Burks as a long-serving civic volunteer who held multiple local roles, including service on the Charter Provision Commission, the library board, the zoning board of appeals, and two terms on the city council. The speaker said Burks was active with the Michigan Minority Chamber of Commerce and in other philanthropic and nonprofit efforts over many decades.

Council members said they will prepare a formal resolution or tribute for the next council meeting, and they discussed making arrangements in advance if a private or earlier memorial service requires action before the next regular meeting. No formal vote on a tribute was recorded at the meeting; the council instructed staff and the clerk to prepare appropriate recognition and announcements.

The council asked the clerk to provide details about timing and arrangements so members and the public can participate in any planned veneration or tribute.

The announcement prompted expressions of appreciation for Burks’s decades of public service and a pledge to share additional information when plans are finalized.