FLINT, Mich. — Flint City Council’s Finance Committee met for more than three hours on May 21, 2025, pushing forward only three of eight resolutions on its agenda.
Council President Ladel Lewis, Vice President Candice Mushatt, Councilmembers Judy Priestly, Tonya Burns, Dennis Pfeiffer and Jonathan Jarrett were present.
Prevailing Wage Resolution
The committee reviewed a resolution that would require construction companies working on city-funded projects to pay workers at least the regional prevailing wage. Councilmember Pfeiffer said staffing shortages in the city attorney’s office prevented him from gathering necessary information. The committee voted 5–1 to keep the resolution in committee for further review.
ARPA Funds for Youth Job Training
A proposal to reallocate American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to support the Clean & Safe Summer youth job training program drew mixed reactions.
Pfeiffer questioned which organizations would receive funding. Chief Strategy Officer Seamus Bannon said it is not standard to share that list in advance. Burns disagreed, recalling that the council reviewed applicants in previous years and insisted on transparency before voting.
Jarrett asked if fiduciaries, organizations responsible for managing funds, had been selected. Bannon said Shelly Sparks-Green is overseeing the process, but no final decisions had been made.
Pfeiffer raised concerns about potential favoritism in organization selection. Lewis pushed back, criticizing Pfeiffer for assigning motives without evidence.
“School is about to be out and organizations don’t want to be bothered with the fickle council,” said Lewis, adding that many youth applicants were turned away in prior years due to limited capacity.
Bannon urged the council to refocus on the youth. “There seems to be a lot going on and being said here, but ultimately, the one thing that hasn’t been mentioned much is the youth,” he said.
The motion to send the resolution to council failed in a 2–2 tie with one abstention. Burns said she needed more information before voting.
Master Fee Schedule
The city’s 2025–2026 Master Fee Schedule which covers water, sewer, and other municipal fees was held in committee. Debate centered on proposed fees for the under-construction McKinley Center and the Mays Senior and Community Service Center.
Pfeiffer objected to including fees for centers not yet fully operational. “Until we are shown how these centers are going to be funded … putting them on this schedule is putting the cart before the horse,” he said.
Gennois Wiggins, director of the Mays Center, said staff wages are currently funded by ARPA, and utilities are covered by the Parks and Recreation budget.
Mushatt called the resolution “poor legislation.” The committee voted 6–0 to retain it for further review. Priestly noted, “Without this master fee schedule, we are in jeopardy of not passing the budget on time.”
Street Lighting Fee to Be Offset by Trash Fee Adjustment
Council voted 5–0 to approve a proposal to reduce the $72.18 street lighting assessment and offset it by increasing the trash collection fee. Pfeiffer argued the lighting fund had sufficient reserves and recent ARPA investments had cut operating costs.
“This isn’t to lower taxes,” Pfeiffer said. “This is to cushion next year since there is a big deficit coming in the waste account.” Moore confirmed the shift would be revenue-neutral.
Priestly agreed, calling it “moving the money around.”
Trash Fee Corrected
The trash collection fee in the budget was corrected from $202.56 to $201.56. Moore confirmed the correction would not affect residents’ overall tax bills. The amendment passed unanimously, 5–0.
DDA Millage Remains in Committee
Councilmembers debated continuing a millage to fund the Downtown Development Authority (DDA). Pfeiffer criticized the DDA for not submitting a budget as required and raised concerns about the removal of parking meters.
“Maybe it’s time to dissolve the DDA,” Pfeiffer said.
Moore said the city attorney would send a letter requesting the budget. A city official confirmed new meters have been purchased, but did not provide an installation timeline. The resolution remained in committee with a 6–0 vote.
Operating Millage Slightly Reduced
The citywide property tax rate was amended from 19.1 to 18.9948 mills—a slight reduction. The resolution passed unanimously and will proceed to the full council.
Budget Review Stalls Without Quorum
The Finance Committee began reviewing the 2026 city budget, including a proposed tax rate decrease to 18.948 mills.
A motion to reduce the council’s travel budget from $25,000 to $15,000 failed in a 3–3 vote. Another proposal to cut the ombudsman’s budget to the $250,000 minimum required by the city charter gained some support but was not finalized before quorum was lost.