Jackson council opens FY 2025–26 budget public hearing as residents press on DEI, water and streets

Jackson City Council opened a public hearing May 13 on the proposed fiscal year 2025–26 budget and heard more than a dozen public comments focused on the city’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) work, deferred water infrastructure and deteriorating streets.

Speakers at the hearing and during the following citizen comment period raised recurring concerns about the DEI program’s cost and priorities, the scope and pay of DEI staff, and whether DEI spending diverts scarce resources from water- and street-repair needs. Multiple speakers explicitly tied long-term infrastructure shortfalls — including the need to replace lead service lines and failing water mains — to fiscal sustainability and compared Jackson’s situation to other Michigan cities that faced crises when infrastructure was neglected.

The hearing drew comments from longtime attendees and residents. John C. King and Nicholas…