What Detroit can learn from participatory budgeting processes in NYC, Boston and Brazil

Mary Sheffield, center, had already been through 12 budget processes as a City Council member before she was elected mayor of Detroit. City of Detroit/Flickr

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield delivered her first State of the City address on March 31, 2026, at Mumford High School on the city’s northwest side.

In the speech, Sheffield touted the accomplishments of her administration’s first 90 days, which included bringing the cash assistance program RxKids to Detroit. Sheffield also announced a new initiative called Ride to Rise, which offers free bus service to the city’s K-12 students year-round.