DETROIT (WXYZ) — On Tuesday, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan will be speaking to residents during his final State of the City address to share what lies ahead for the city and the successes made during his tenure.
So, I went out to talk with Detroiters about how they think he has done in his three terms, what they want to see him do before he leaves office and what they want from Detroit’s next mayor.
I asked the owner of In Harmony Café Sweets & More if he is satisfied with the work Duggan has done for the city.
“Yes, I am,” Tahlib Barnes said. “I think the mayor has done a great job as far as progression in the city,”
Barnes works with one of Detroit’s Community Violence Intervention groups, Force Detroit.
“Listening to community members and making sure what they are asking for is implemented," he said.
West side Detroiter Kevin Williams echoed similar sentiments.
“I'm really satisfied,” Williams said. "I’m going to be honest: we had some other mayors who I voted for and I can’t say I was pleased with the results, but Mayor Duggan came in and he did his thing.”
Duggan has announced he will not seek another term as mayor of Detroit, instead choosing to run for governor as an independent, so this speech will mark the end of an era for the city.
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As the city’s current mayor comes up on his last nine months in office, Williams said he wants Duggan to keep the momentum going.
“I don’t want him to focus more on his governor run,” Williams said. "I want him to focus on making sure that he leaves the city still on top.”
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Barnes says one reason the mayor has been successful in leading the city is that he understands what a city needs to thrive.
“He kind of understands business,” Barnes said. “You got the social aspect of things and it was kind of good to have somebody who understands business.”
Detroiter Derringer Powell said there are two issues that he would like the mayor to continue to work on before leaving office.
“Blight and get these property taxes together,” Powell said.
Powell said he wants the incoming administration to continue improving it.
But for Williams, he says he wants the next mayor to do what they say they're going to do.
“We want to see some action,” he said. “Detroit is about action.”
Detroiter Sanita Harrison says she wants the city's new mayor to focus on more economic development in the neighborhoods.
“Like the urban areas, especially the 6 Mile, 7 Mile (roads) area, I would like to see more businesses here,” Harrison said.
For Barnes and his cafe, he says he wants the next mayor to follow the current blueprint.
“Let’s just keep going. Let’s keep running," Barnes said.
Duggan's speech is set to start at 7 p.m. He will be speaking from inside the new Hudson's Detroit development, which recently announced they had installed the final window, completing that part of the outside of the skyscraper.
