One-on-one with Detroit's next mayor

One-on-one with mayor-elect Mary Sheffield

Detroit Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield is spending the end of 2025 looking forward to her first 100 days in 2026 when she takes over as the city's first new leader in more than a decade.

(FOX 2) - The holidays are a busy time for everyone.

And that includes Detroit Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield, who is spending the end of 2025 looking forward to her first 100 days in 2026 when she takes over as the city's first new leader in more than a decade.

Mary Sheffield 1-on-1

Sheffield has spent her preparatory time ahead of taking over as mayor with departments as she gets ready to oversee Michigan's biggest city.

Speaking from the Marygrove Conservancy on Detroit's west side, she told FOX 2 residents can expect a focus on issues around poverty and housing.

"You will see coming out of the first hundred days some very bold action items and initiatives and offices that will be formed; elevating the issue of homelessness and housing," she said, "and even the social issues that still plague Detroit around poverty."

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Sheffield also said the age of contrasts between downtown and the neighborhoods should end, agreeing with her predecessor it created an ‘us vs. them’ mentality.

"It’s not productive to continue a dialogue of us vs them or downtown vs the neighborhoods," she said. "In order for Detroit to thrive, and in order for us to be a world-class city, we do need a thriving downtown, but that does not have to be at the expense of our neighborhoods."

In addition to housing, crime will be another focus of her administration. 

The city is coming off one of its lowest violent crime numbers in six decades in 2025.