THE WEEK IN REVIEW, WITH AN EYE ON WHAT’S NEXT NEED TO KNOW

leader to replace the outgoing executive. Brad Dick, the current group executive for services and infrastructure, will be the new COO. He replaces Hakim Berry, who will go to Michigan Medicine to lead human resources and labor relations.

 DUGGAN PROPOSES PROPERTY TAX CUTS IN BUDGET

THE NEWS: Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan called for city residents’ tax burden to be lowered Friday, asking that City Council approve a budget that reduces property taxes in each of the next two years. It also calls for spending to demolish privately owned abandoned homes and to give bus drivers raises. e budget also pays toward the city’s pension program, the rst time since bankruptcy a decade ago that the city has been required to put money toward the retirees’ costs.

WHY IT MATTERS: e proposal would roll back property taxes by one mill this summer and a second mill next summer. Duggan said he thought the rollback could save homeowners $50-$100 this year on their property taxes and more the year after.

 CITY OF DETROIT GETS NEW COO

THE NEWS: Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has named a new chief operating o cer, elevating an internal

WHY IT MATTERS: Dick has the credentials. In his current job, he has spent the past eight years spearheading beautication e orts in the city, including the removal of commercial blight, the cleanup of more than 2,000 overgrown alleys and the revitalization of more than 150 parks and a number of recreation centers in the city.

 HEADCOUNT PLUMMETS AT MORTGAGE COMPANIES

THE NEWS: Securities lings this week by the two largest mortgage lenders in the country — Detroit-based Rocket Companies Inc., parent of Rocket Mortgage, and Pontiac-based United Wholesale Mortgage — show that the two companies reduced their employee headcounts by about 9,500 employees total in 2022.

WHY IT MATTERS: Rocket and UWM have undertaken vastly di erent strategies to weather the storm in the mortgage industry over the last year as interest rates increased at a rapid clip in 2022. ose actions put a damper on the mortgage purchase market, and all but crush the re - nance side of the business.

 MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION OF UNITED WAYS NAMES NEW CEO

THE NEWS: e Michigan Association of United Ways has promoted executive Hassan Hammoud to president and CEO of the statewide association. He will move into the new role e ective March 13.

WHY IT MATTERS: Hammoud, 41, has been with United Way for 13 years, most recently serving as executive director of its wholly owned subsidiary, Michigan 2-1-1, a health and human services hotline and referral service.

 SENATE APPROVES DISCRIMINATION BAN

THE NEWS: Anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people would be codi ed in Michigan’s civil rights law under legislation approved Wednesday by the state Senate, where supporters said such provisions should nally be enshrined in statute after a decadeslong push and not solely be safeguarded by recent state and federal court rulings.

WHY IT MATTERS: Michigan’s business lobby, including chambers of commerce and major companies, backs the Democratic-sponsored bill partly as a way to attract and retain a talented workforce.

Legislature

Legislation would pave way for museums’ millage bid

 Legislation enabling the creation of county authorities to levy a millage to support the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and the Detroit Historical Museum was introduced ursday. A similar bill failed to gain traction the legislature last year. e legislation is the rst step in the museums’ pursuit of an operating millage in Wayne and Oakland counties.

Introduced by Sen. Sylvia Santana, SB136, the “History Museum Authorities Act,” would enable any county in the state to create an authority to bene t the two museums, aligning with the legislation that enabled the Detroit Zoo and Detroit Institute of Arts to secure operating millages. If it becomes law, authorities would be able to levy a 0.4 mill tax on all taxable property for up to 20 years to bene t the two, Detroit-owned history museums. e bill is now before the Senate Committee on Finance, Insurance and Consumer Protection. If the legislation is passed by both chambers, county boards of commissioners would have to approve the creation of the history museum authorities.

e two museums would then take their joint operating millage request before voters in the two counties through a ballot proposal. e Detroit Historical and Wright museums are only pursuing the millage in Wayne and Oakland counties.