The author is a political commentator and former journalist, who served as deputy director of Public Information under Mayor Young from 1984-1991. He is the co-host of the podcast, Detroit in Black and White.
By Adolph Mongo
Council President Mary Sheffield (Photo: Detroit in Black and White)
For the last year, I have been watching how the race to replace current Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is shaping up.
Several opinion polls in recent weeks indicate that the race to succeed Duggan is going down to the wire. Any one of the leading candidates has a chance to move on to the general election in November.
After three terms, Mayor Duggan has decided not to run for reelection and has announced his intention to run for governor instead. Over the past 12 months, I have studied the records and actions of the leading candidates and have concluded that one of the top contenders, Mary Sheffield, is simply not ready for prime time.
Sheffield, a Detroit City Council Member and currently its president, is young, smart, and has grown immensely in her role representing the city’s 5th District. She may be a leader, but not the strong one Detroit needs.
Our city is facing an uncertain future, and we can’t afford a mayor with a spotty record of not being prepared to handle critical city issues. We don’t need smoke and mirrors. We need leaders who aren’t afraid to make tough decisions—popular or not.
If an elected official like Mary Sheffield missed more than 90 percent of the Planning and Economic Development Standing Committee meetings from 2022 to 2025, it would raise serious concerns about her commitment to the responsibilities and duties required of a mayor. Attending these meetings is crucial for effective governance, as they involve vital discussions on city planning and economic development.
Taking Responsibility
She has also served on the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy Board, where the former CFO, William A. Smith, stole more than $40 million over nearly a dozen years. He was sentenced to 19 years in federal prison. I’m not blaming Sheffield for Smith’s crimes—but I am frustrated by how dismissive she seemed of the damage this theft has done to the continued development of the riverfront. And let’s not forget—she skipped 90 percent of the Planning and Economic Development Committee meetings.
Sheffield stated during a recent mayoral candidate forum at Wayne Community College that her position on the Conservancy Board did not involve oversight duties. She said, “I think all of us were displeased and upset at what happened with the Conservancy. I do not take any credit whatsoever, and I don’t think Matt Cullen or none of the leadership should.”
That’s nonsense. Real leaders step up in a time of crisis and hold each other accountable. She should have called for Cullen to step down as chairman of the board.
Leaders don’t run and hide under a rock—they stand and face criticism. Now I find myself wondering how many Conservancy board meetings she actually attended. She is not ready for prime time.
She is the Council President. A Council President leads by example. Her colleagues picked her to lead—not to deflect blame.
Detroiters don’t want to hear the standard weak reply, “That’s not my job.” If a can of garbage is dumped on your front lawn, do you leave it there and say it’s not your job to clean it up?
Sheffield told voters in the 5th District that she would fight for them if elected to the Council. She didn’t—she missed important committee meetings. What's more, in 2018, it was well documented that Sheffield tried to get out of a speeding ticket in Hamtramck by claiming she was on “city business,” even though her schedule indicated she should have been in a meeting at the time.
Questionable Associations
She also came under scrutiny in her early days on council due to her associations with individuals involved in legal controversies. These connections have raised questions about her judgment and how they might affect her performance as a public official.
Rayford Jackson is a well-known public figure who served time in federal prison for a high-profile Detroit corruption case involving the bribery of a city council member. The media reported seeing Sheffield in his company at her June 7 birthday party in 2014, and posting a photo of the two on her Facebook page -- prompting concerns about their association. It didn't stop there.
Chris Jackson (no relation to Rayford Jackson), a Detroit businessman who admitted to bribing a Detroit City Council member, was a major donor to Sheffield’s campaign committee back in 2015.
Not long ago, Detroiters put their faith in a young, energetic, and well-connected candidate—some even called him the "hip-hop mayor." Now, the Spirit of Detroit statue might shed a tear as Mary Sheffield does her “313 Day” dance video in the shadow of our city’s greatness for all to see. We’ve all been down this road before—a road Detroiters know far too well.
Mary Sheffield is not ready for prime time.
