POLICY PRIORITIES
SAUNTEEL'S SIX
1. Stronger Neighborhoods - And a City We Can Afford
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Strengthening our neighborhoods means looking ahead to prepare for growth and resilience.
That starts with making sure we can afford to live, work and play here in Detroit – especially lifelong Detroiters who never left. The Jenkins Administration will make lowering property taxes and housing affordability a top priority. We’ll work with our partners to create more affordable housing options for renters and owners.
For our neighborhoods, we will plan for the future by creating a ‘Strategic Master Plan’ for each of the seven districts, involving community groups, business owners, and residents in the conversation so that you have a say in deciding what developments are most important in your neighborhood - whether it's a movie theater, park, or community center – then use the Mayor’s office to go and find developers and partners who want to work on that project, and provide incentives to help build our neighborhoods, not just Downtown.
Additionally, with common-sense zoning fixes and investments in neighborhood beautification, vibrant commercial corridors and office parks to support small businesses, we will have a Detroit that works for everyone - no matter where you live in the city.
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2. A Safer Detroit
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Saunteel and her family know firsthand the devastation that violence can have on a family. On January 3, 1991, Saunteel’s 14-year old brother Jovan was shot and killed one block from their home. This tragic event has shaped her life, and approach to building community. Gun violence still affects far too many Detroit families. Every Detroiter deserves to feel safe where they live, work, and play. Our Administration will invest in community policing, and community violence intervention programs while fostering stronger relationships between law enforcement and residents to create a safer city for all.
3. More Jobs, More Opportunity - For All
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With Saunteel as Mayor, Detroit will be known as a “jobs city.” Here’s how.
By training workers for the jobs of today and tomorrow, supporting small businesses, the work of our administration will lift more Detroiters into financial stability and create sustainable economic mobility within city limits.
Through partnerships with organized labor and local businesses, we’ll invest in apprenticeships and ensure that advanced, high-paying jobs are available for everyone in Detroit who wants one - whether you have a college degree or not. And when new projects and buildings are being built that use our tax payer dollars, we’ll make sure that city contracts require projects to hire Detroiters and hold them accountable to that commitment.
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4. Get Small Business Back in Business
As a proud former small business owner of Petite Sweets, which provided baked goods to cafes and stores across the region, Saunteel knows that small businesses are the lifeblood of strong, vibrant neighborhoods: attracting investment, creating jobs, and providing essential goods and services within the community. That includes Black small business owners - the backbone of so many of our city’s neighborhoods. By providing the resources, capital, and support needed to scale and sustain these enterprises - we can foster generational wealth and economic empowerment - creating jobs and strengthening Detroit’s economic foundation. We will also make it easier to do business in Detroit by cutting red-tape and revolutionizing the business licensing process to make it simpler and more cost effective for all.​
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5. Public Transit You Can Rely On
More than 30% of Detroiters do not have access to a car. As Mayor, Saunteel will work to make sure the buses run on time. Because getting to work, school or the grocery store isn’t possible without reliable transit. Growing up in Detroit, Saunteel knows firsthand what it’s like to ride the bus to school every day. A Jenkins Administration will invest in a modern, efficient, and connected transit system that will link neighborhoods, job centers, and cultural districts - and get you to work and school on time.
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6. Strong Schools For A Strong Future
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In a Jenkins Administration, we will increase partnerships with our school system, to help ensure every child has access to high-quality schools that prepare them from cradle to career, and beyond. We will also create more intentional partnerships with local businesses and industries to foster well-prepared workers and build pathways from classrooms to careers that include vocational training and apprenticeships. We will work to create campuses that are vibrant centers of learning, open late for kids and seniors alike, and that serve as community neighborhood hubs in each of Detroit’s seven districts.
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