Detroit swore in a crop of city officials to new, four-year terms Tuesday.
Unlike four years ago, when the city was just about to emerge from bankruptcy and was still still under state control, this time nearly all are incumbents who have done the job before.
That includes Mayor Mike Duggan, who says he’s back for another full, four-year term.
Duggan says four years ago, most Detroiters were concerned with basic services like functioning streetlights, buses, and emergency service response times.
“And now what I hear is, ‘When is the development in downtown and Midtown going to get to my area?’ So it’s a very different challenge,” he said.
Duggan says he wants to take on that challenge by appointing business neighborhood district managers across the city.
Duggan has already appointed district managers who deal with everyday issues in Detroit’s seven city council districts. He says the new business managers would focus on reviving Detroit’s commercial corridors, helping businesses launch there and hiring Detroiters.
“That’s going to be the next big push. We’re going to spread the development across the city,” he said.
Duggan plans to resurrect his all-out push for no-fault auto insurance reform in Lansing. He spearheaded a big effort that failed late last year.
But Duggan isn’t giving up, saying there are signs car insurance rates are “skyrocketing” around the state.
“And I think a lot of these suburban [state] reps who voted against us the last time, smugly thinking it’s Detroit’s problem … I think you’re going to see that change. So there’s no doubt that’s priority, two, and three.”
But Duggan says he has no plans to head for Lansing permanently. Despite some persistent rumors, he claims he won’t jump in the governor’s race.
“I will be around for the next four years,” Duggan said. “I’m not running for governor in 2018.”
