Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan gives final press conference before leaving office

Detroit Mayor Duggan announces big budget surplus as he leaves office

Duggan became mayor of Detroit in 2013 and has served three terms as mayor until he announced he would not run for reelection in 2025. He plans to run for Michigan governor as an independent in the 2026 midterms.  The Detroit mayor hosted his final press conference and was asked questions as his final week in office approached. He was asked if he would consider eliminating the city income tax. 

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Mayor Mike Duggan gave his final press conference of his term. He touched on a number of subjects and one of his biggest accomplishments was that he had 12 balanced budgets and a surplus each year that he was mayor.

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Duggan became mayor of Detroit in 2013 and has served three terms as mayor until he announced he would not run for reelection in 2025. He plans to run for Michigan governor as an independent in the 2026 midterms. 

The Detroit mayor hosted his final press conference and was asked questions as his final week in office approached. He was asked if he would consider eliminating the city income tax. 

"I think property taxes are still would be better," Duggan said. "We still have one of the highest property taxes in the state and I think we have been committed in the last three years to reduce property taxes and I hope that continues. But when I talk to people, its property taxes are more burning issue than income taxes. This year, it was the Department heads that actually cut their budgets to create $100 million. So to all the Department heads, thank you."

He was later asked during his time in office, what was his most difficult part of being mayor of Detroit.

"Oh, there’s no question the night when you get a call saying that an officer has been shot. And you get dressed and head to the hospital and have to see the families. We had a number of times when Officer survived, and we had some nights when they didn’t and those nights always stay with you," he said.

What's next:

Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield will be sworn in as Detroit's next mayor on Jan. 1. She won in the November election against Solomon Kinloch, the pastor of one of Detroit's largest churches who stormed onto the race and beat out several other candidates in the August Primary.

She will be Detroit's first female mayor in the city's history.