The Balanced Sheet

The Balanced Sheet

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Airport Delays Break Senate Budget Logjam
The federal government nearly lands the FY26 plane just in time to start working on FY27.
 • Steve Watson
Position Data from Mayor Sheffield's First Budget (Data Download)
Full data on FTEs for all departments in Detroit's New Mayor's Proposed Budget
 • Abdulla Tarabishy
Mayor Sheffield's First Budget (First Look)
New mayor, new priorities. All tightly packed into a balanced budget but with risks on the horizon.
 • Steve Watson
Mayor Sheffield's First Budget (Full Data Download)
800+ pages of PDF now available as downloadable data.
 • Abdulla Tarabishy
Speaker Hall's Budget Cut Bonanza, part 3
Every month, the 2025 work projects fiasco gets a new number. Maybe this is finally it?
 • Steve Watson
Premium Content Arrives at The Balanced Sheet
Downloadable datasets now require a paid subscription, but are discounted to $30 for the first year if you upgrade before the Detroit Mayor’s budget is…
 • Steve Watson and Janani Yates

February 2026

Speaker Hall Pitches Sales Tax on Services to Pay for Property Tax Cuts
Good start with a populist twist. But watch for the lobbyists fighting for exemptions.
 • Steve Watson
MI Speaker Matt Hall Pitches Property Tax Cuts
But you can't find $5 billion without a new tax to replace it.
 • Steve Watson
Pot for Potholes II: Michigan's New Neighborhood Road Fund Hits a Dip
Buckle your seatbelts, the ride gets bumpier.
 • Steve Watson
What Chicago can learn from Detroit
Lessons from the Motor City for the cash-strapped Windy City
 • Katrina Wheelan
Detroit revenues hit a speed bump
This will put more pressure on the next City budget, but the long-term forecast is stronger.
 • Steve Watson
Governor Whitmer's Last Budget (First Look)
Just treading water while the federal government is drowning you is a major challenge.
 • Steve Watson
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