Stephen Wallace, Ginger Root Policy Lead
Budget season in Detroit should be one of the most important times for residents to shape the future of our city. It’s when decisions are made about what—and who—we prioritize. After all, we all want Detroit to be a place where working families and neighborhoods feel safe and can thrive for generations to come.
But for many working-class Detroiters, the process feels rushed, opaque, and, at times, predetermined. When people believe their voices don’t influence outcomes, they stop showing up.
Consider the timeline. Detroit’s fiscal year begins January 1. The first public hearing this year took place February 17 in District 7. The budget was signed on April 8. Compare that to the state process: the governor released her budget proposal on February 11, and months later it is still being debated in Lansing. While outcomes aren’t guaranteed at the state level, public comment is often followed by committee questions and continued discussion. In Detroit, there is little opportunity for follow-up. Public comment can feel like a one-way conversation.
When decisions appear largely set before residents have a meaningful chance to weigh in, it raises a serious question: How are working-class Detroiters supposed to advocate for themselves in real time?
Like on the federal budget for instance. Federal funding flows to states, and states distribute resources to cities like Detroit. Roughly 40–42% of Michigan’s budget comes from federal dollars, and approximately $253 million of Detroit’s $3 billion city budget comes from state revenue sharing.
Now, proposed federal cuts threaten healthcare systems and mental health access across the country, forcing working families to choose between necessities like food and healthcare while the richest give themselves tax breaks on luxury yachts. Some estimates project nearly 200,000 Michiganders could lose healthcare coverage next year if Medicaid cuts move forward. For Detroiters already struggling to access therapy, prescriptions, evaluations, and long-term mental healthcare, those cuts would be devastating. Michigan spends roughly $27.8 billion annually on Medicaid, but removing 200,000 people from healthcare coverage could ultimately cost the state billions more through increased emergency room usage, uncompensated hospital care, homelessness, incarceration, and untreated mental health crises. Local economies would also be devastated, as many rural hospitals are often the largest employers in their county and would have to shut down due to lost Medicaid revenue .
When people lose healthcare access, the consequences don’t disappear—they manifest in schools, workplaces, neighborhoods, and emergency response systems. Untreated mental health crises, housing instability, substance use, and community violence are all connected to whether people can access care before situations escalate.
This is why lawmakers at every level must stop treating healthcare like a secondary issue. State lawmakers entering this election cycle should prioritize healthcare access, mental health infrastructure, and economic stability over political distractions that do little to improve people’s daily lives.
At the same time, the government cannot continue responding to widespread struggle primarily through policing. During periods of economic instability, lawmakers often default to over-policing communities instead of investing in the conditions that help people thrive. True public safety cannot come solely from enforcement—it must also come from prevention, treatment, stability, and care.
Despite these challenges, this year’s budget process included some meaningful wins:
- A commitment to explore expanding therapy access in recreation centers
- A commitment to strengthen Detroit’s behavioral health workforce
- $250,000 for the Office of Crime and Violence Intervention
- $322,000 to expand language accessibility services
At Ginger Root, an organizing team with We the People Action Fund, we’re organizing around clear next steps: a $28,500 pilot investment that would expand therapy and group therapy access at Black-owned community hubs and recreation centers, develop culturally relevant mental health tools for Black boys and men, and identify funding gaps that must be elevated to the state level. In addition, we want City Council Members to contribute $320k out of their district’s budget into a shared community pool for mental health resources. We also believe reallocating even 1–2% of Detroit’s police budget toward mental health services and community-based violence prevention would create a more sustainable approach to public safety.
But cities cannot solve this crisis alone. Local lawmakers must join communities in applying pressure on the state to protect healthcare access and secure the funding municipalities do not have the revenue to generate on their own.
Budget season may be over, but the work is not. As federal cuts ripple downward, Detroiters must continue organizing—not just during hearings, but year-round. Detroit deserves a budget process that is transparent, responsive, and rooted in care rather than punishment. Ginger Root remains committed to fighting for the mental health of Black men and boys because healthier communities benefit the entire city.
Stephen Wallace, Ginger Root Policy Lead, is a proud Detroiter, a husband, and a father who wants Detroit to be the best place it can be to raise a family.