City Council District 3

Scott Benson serves as the Detroit City Councilperson for District 3. The frequent bike rider and sustainability advocate has been a tireless and innovative leader in his community since January 2014.

NEZ Information:

In the spring of 2016, Council Member Scott Benson proposed that the Detroit City Council revisit the city’s Neighborhood Enterprise Zone Homesteads (hereafter referred to as NEZs). To be eligible for an NEZ Homestead certificate, you must be a homeowner with a PRE (Principal Residence Exemption), reside in a designated zone, and commit to making $500 in home improvements. While it is up to City Council to determine the areas to be established as NEZs, NEZs are state-formulated property tax abatements legislated for the purpose of helping Detroit, and other eligible Michigan cities, attract and retain homeowners. In alignment with the State’s goal of encouraging homeowners to remain in their homes, NEZs are of the highest and best use when designated in areas with a high rate of homeownership. It is important to note that when designating NEZs, the City of Detroit cannot exceed 15% of its total acreage. This unfortunately means that not everyone in the city can benefit from this tax break.

The “homestead” facilities provision of Public Act 147 of 1992 as amended states that a local governing body of a local governmental unit, by resolution, may designate one or more Neighborhood Enterprise Zones (NEZ) not to exceed 10 percent of the total area of the unit, to be increased to 15 percent with the approval of the county. Prior to acting upon a resolution establishing a NEZ, a public hearing must be held. The City Clerk must provide written notice to the Assessor and to the governing body of each taking authority that levies an ad valorem tax within the proposed NEZ. Said notice must be made not less than 60 days prior to your Honorable Body’s passage of a resolution designating an NEZ. 

Detroit City Council has scheduled a Public Hearing on June 29, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. during Detroit City Council Formal Session. 

The public hearing will be held virtually. Please find the instructions for attending this meeting below.

Due to Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe “ Executive Order (EO 2020-42) which went into effect on Thursday, April 9, 2020, the Detroit City Council will be meeting virtually using videoconferencing until further notice. This action is in accordance with Governor Whitmer’s Executive Order 2020-48, which allows electronic meetings for legislative bodies.

To attend by phone only, call one of these numbers: 
+1-929-436-2866, +1-312-626-6799, +1-669-900-6833, +1-253-215-8782, +1-301-715 8592, or +1-346-248-7799 Enter Meeting ID: 330332554## 

To attend online: https://Detroitmi.gov/Online-CC-Meeting

To participate at the time of Public Comment, please raise your hand within the zoom application.

1. Telephone participants: Raise your hand by pressing *9

2. Web participants: Raise your hand by clicking raise hand in the application or pressing
    a. Windows computer = [ALT] + [Y]
    b. Apple computers = [OPTION] + [Y]

All interested persons are invited to be heard and express their views. Persons making oral presentations are encouraged to submit written copies to [email protected] via e-mail, for the record.

If interpretation or translation services are needed call The Department of Civil Rights, Inclusion & Opportunity at 313-224-4950. 
___________________________________________

The attached map shows the boundaries of the proposed one fifty-eight (158) NEZH areas. The proposed NEZH areas are as follows: 

City Council District 1: Berg – Grand River, Curtis – Evergreen, Rosedale North, Rosedale South, Kentfield – Fenkell, Grandmont West, Grandmont East, Prevost – Puritan, Pembroke – Telegraph, Eight Mile – Evergreen, Lasher – Puritan, Seven Mile – Berg, Greydale – McNichols, Evergreen – McNichols, Heyden – Grand River. 

City Council District 2: Woodward – Seven Mile, Detroit Golf Club, Detroit Golf Club Correction, Palmer Woods, Sherwood Forest, Livernois – Parkside, Detroit Golf Club Addition, Puritan – Wyoming, Greenacres, Bagley, Wyoming – Outer Drive, Vassar – Outer Drive, Seven Mile – Greenfield, Eight Mile – Asbury, Oakman West, Covington Terrance, McNichols – Hubbell, James Couzens – Trojan, Pembroke – James Couzens, Seven Mile – James Couzens, Pembroke – Appoline, Outer Drive West – James Couzens, Outer Drive West – Hubbell, McNichols – Appoline, Eight Mile – Mark Twain, Curtis – Greenfield. 

City Council District 3: Gratiot – Eight Mile, Gratiot – Eight Mile, Schoenherr – Eight Mile, Van Dyke – Outer Drive East, Hoover – Seven Mile, Charles – Buffalo, McDougall – Davison, Fenelon – Eight Mile, Van Dyke – Seven Mile, Outer Drive East – Concord, North Outer Drive East, Orleans – State Fair, East Nevada, Hoover – McNichols. 

City Council District 4: Clairpointe Woods, Lenox – Avondale, Outer Drive – Gratiot, Grayhaven, Heritage, Warren – Alter, Canyon – Mack, Marlborough – Mack, Chandler Park, East English Village North, Moross – Edgerfield, Canyon – Edsel Ford, Kingsville – Alstead, Morningside, Marlborough – Jefferson, Victoria Park, East English Village, Audubon – Mack, Morningside. 

City Council District 5: Berry Subdivision, Alden Towers, Harbor Town, East Jefferson Neighborhood, 200 River Place, River Place Park, Elmwood Park, Campau Farm, Charbonneau North, Navarre Place, John R – Ferry, Third – Seward, Arden Park, Boston Edison, West Village 2, Indian Village, Garden Court West, Stearns Building, Trumbell – Elijah McCoy, Research Lofts, Jefferson Village, E & B Brewery Lofts, Morgan Waterfront Estates, Islandview East, Upper North End, The Loft Warehouse, Virginia Park, Delmar Street, Woodward – Bethune, Parc Lafayette, Leland Lofts, Park East, Woodward -Kirby, West Village 1, Islandview West, Longfellow Subdivision, LaSalle Gardens, Garden Court East, City Modern, John R – Adelaide, Brush – Eliot, Lower North East, Merrill Place, 

City Council District 6: Midtown, Woodbridge, Lafayette – Rademacher, Sixth – Bagley, Radcliffe – McDonald, Book Cadillac, Grinnell Place, Hubbard Richard, Bagley Housing, North Corktown, Clark – Lafayette, Vernor – Springwells, Michigan – Central, Dix – Woodmere, Vernor – Beard, Woodward – Mack, Hubbard Farms, Grand Blvd – MLK, Underwood St., Corktown, Trumbell – Bagley, Woodward – Alfred, Woodward – Erskine, Calumet – Fourth, Hancock – Third St., Hancock Square, Canfield – Second St., South University Village, Willis – Cass, Willis – Second St., Dix – Military, Riverfront Towers 300, Richard Roadhouse, Michigan – Livernois, Michigan – Martin. 

City Council District 7: Aviation, West Warren – Southfield, Warren – Rouge Park, Russell Woods, Oakman East, Atkinson – Dexter, West Warren – Greenfield. 

If you have questions about the Neighborhood Enterprise Zone Homestead tax abatement, please submit them to the City Assessor’s office at: tinyurl.com/nezhomestead