This week on Bankole’s Nation, journalist Bankole Thompson talks with Mary Waters, one of the most outspoken members of the Detroit City Council, about the agenda for the legislative body in 2026 and her expectations for the new mayor, Mary Sheffield. 

Waters, a former Lansing legislator and the highest vote-getter in the last election, discusses several issues facing the city that the City Council should address. These include the troubled Detroit Land Bank Authority, whose governance has been publicly questioned by frustrated residents, hiringDetroiters and placing them in jobs that pay livable wages, as well as the pressing issues of affordable housing and the state of homelessness in the city. 

Waters, who has been assigned to the council’s Budget Committee, also discussed her recent conversations with the current Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Scott Turner, about helpingto address the homelessness crisis in the city, especially regarding resources for shelters to house families. 

During the interview, the councilwoman advised Mayor Sheffield to build a mutually respectful relationship with the City Council to ensure an effective partnership that prioritizes the needs of all residents, including the most vulnerable.