Government of Detroit

The government of Detroit, Michigan is run by a mayor, the nine-member Detroit City Council, the eleven-member Board of Police Commissioners, and a clerk. All of these officers are elected on a nonpartisan ballot, with the exception of four of the police commissioners, who are appointed by the mayor. Detroit has a "strong mayoral" system, with the mayor approving departmental appointments. The council approves budgets, but the mayor is not obligated to adhere to any earmarking. The city clerk supervises elections and is formally charged with the maintenance of municipal records. City ordinances and substantially large contracts must be approved by the council.^[1]

The 2012 Charter added political bodies to council districts called Community Advisory Councils. They are created by the circulation of petitions by residents.^[2] In March 2014 The Detroit City Council passed an ordinance that formalized the directive given in the City Charter.^[3][4] Members of the Seventh District CAC were elected in the 2016 general election on November 8.^[5] In October 2019 a local activist submitted petitions to make District 4 Detroit's second CAC.^[6][7] Members were elected to it in the 2020 general election.^[8] In 2022 District 5 residents elected their first Community Advisory Council as well.^[9][10]

Municipal elections for Mayor, City Council, City Clerk and Community Advisory Council Members are held in years following presidential elections (such as 2013, 2017 and 2021).^[1]

In 2018 the people of Detroit voted to revise the city charter, and elected a Charter Commission for that purpose.^[11] The revised charter could have substantially changed the structure of the government of Detroit if it was approved.^[12] However voters rejected the revisions in the 2021 primary election.^[13]