Half of Detroit City Council candidates have had financial issues, records show

Half of the candidates running for Detroit City Council this fall have had financial difficulties in the past, court records show, which at least two of the candidates said helps them understand city residents and advocate for them.

The nine-member council helps to set Detroit's financial and budget priorities by approving an annual budget proposed by the mayor, which for the current fiscal year totals $3.02 billion.

At least four of the contestants have had civil judgments, which means they owed debt to a creditor; six have been involved in landlord-tenant disputes; and four have had federal or state tax liens.

In one of the civil judgments, Mary Waters ― several years before she became an at-large council member ― owed unpaid city income taxes. In another case, Karen Whitsett, who later became a state representative, owed money to a massage school in Southfield.


https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2025/09/27/half-detroit-city-council-candidates-financial-issues-tax-liens-civil-judgment-records-show/86315891007/