Highland Park mayor highlights grants, crime reductions and county-funded demolitions
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Summary
Mayor Mara McDonald said her administration secured multiple grants — including a near-$500,000 rec-center grant and police funding for an in-house counselor — credited state assistance in resolving a large water-debt dispute she characterized as nearly $100 million in support, and noted Wayne County Land Bank funds of about $5,000,000 to tear down blighted buildings.
Mayor Mara McDonald described a series of grant awards and recovery efforts her administration says have supported Highland Park’s recovery. She said the city received an almost-$500,000 rec-center grant through the efforts of a former state congresswoman named in the transcript, and that a police grant funded an in-house counselor who rides with officers to help deescalate encounters.
McDonald recounted mediation with a party she referred to as 'Glee' over large claims against the city. She said the city engaged loan lawyers and worked with the state of Michigan and that, as a result, the state provided substantial funds for meters, bill assistance and infrastructure work — a package McDonald described as "almost a $100,000,000." The mayor presented that figure as her characterization of the settlement/support and framed it as a turning point in addressing the city’s water system and arrears.
On safety and staffing, McDonald said homicide counts have fallen from 10 to 2 over roughly the last 3–4 years, and she credited the police for arrests and the department’s efforts. She also said the fire department now has a full-time roster, reducing overtime costs.
Separately, McDonald said the Wayne County Land Bank has begun demolitions in Highland Park and provided approximately $5,000,000 to remove targeted blighted structures; she said that program will continue and residents should look for removals in their neighborhoods.
