Description: The City Clerk is an independently elected official who is responsible for keeping records of all City Council proceedings, including its ordinances and resolutions, maintaining the City Code, providing notice of formal meetings and hearings, and certifying official records under the City’s seal. The City Clerk is also the City’s Chief Elections Officer and supervises the registration of voters and the administration of elections in Detroit.
Leadership: The current City Clerk is Janice Winfrey.
Legal Authority: The Office of the City Clerk operates under the legal authority of Article 3.5 of the 2012 Detroit City Charter.
Updated: 3/2/2022
Description: The Elections Department is responsible for maintaining the roll of registered voters in Detroit and administering federal, state, and local elections in Detroit, including the operation of polling locations, as well as the hiring and training of poll workers for each election.
Leadership: The Elections Department is currently led by Director Gina Avery-Walker.
Public Meetings: The Elections Department hosts a public meeting prior to each election date in order to perform public accuracy demonstrations of its ballot tabulation equipment.
Legal Authority: The Elections Department operates under the legal authority of Article 3 of the 2012 Detroit City Charter and Chapter 13 of the 2019 Detroit City Code.
Updated: 7/11/2022
Description: The Office of the Auditor General (OAG) conducts independent audits, investigations, and evaluations of City departments and prepares written reports to provide audit findings and recommendations to the City Council, the Mayor and the management of each department.
Leadership: The current Auditor General is Mark Lockridge.
Legal Authority: The OAG operates under the legal authority of Article 7.5, Chapter 1 of the 2012 Detroit City Charter.
Updated: 3/2/2022
Description: The Law Department provides legal counsel to the City government, including the Mayor’s Office, the City Council, and all departments, boards, commissions, and other offices. The Law Department is led by the City’s Corporation Counsel and includes divisions focusing on litigation, contracts and other transactions, property and economic development, municipal law, and labor law. The Law Department also manages responses to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.
Leadership: The Law Department is currently led by Corporation Counsel Conrad L. Mallett, Jr.
Legal Authority: The Law Department operates under the legal authority of Article 7.5, Chapter 2 of the 2012 Detroit City Charter.
Updated: 7/5/2022
Description: The Department of Appeals and Hearings (DAH) administers hearings arising from "quality of life" violations aimed at ensuring that property in Detroit is maintained free of blight, including certain violations of the City’s zoning, property maintenance, and environmental control ordinances. DAH also hears appeals of certain administrative decisions made by other City departments.
Leadership: DAH is currently led by Executive Director Miriam Blanks-Smart.
Legal Authority: DAH operates under the legal authority of Chapter 3 of the 2019 Detroit City Code.
Updated: 3/2/2022
Description: The Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigates waste, fraud, abuse, and corruption in City government, including its departments, employees, contractors and those seeking to do business with the City.
Leadership: The current Inspector General is Ellen Ha.
Legal Authority: The OIG operates under the legal authority of Article 7.5, Chapter 3 of the 2012 Detroit City Charter.
Updated: 3/2/2022
Description: The Office of the Ombudsman provides independent oversight of the City government by investigating complaints from the public regarding the operations of City departments and employees. If systemic failures are identified, the Ombudsman develops policy and operational reforms and advocates for improved public services.
Leadership: The current Ombudsman is Bruce Simpson.
Public Meetings: The Ombudsman generally does not host public meetings. However, the public can submit complaints regarding City government activities via webform.
Legal Authority: The OIG operates under the legal authority of Article 7.5, Chapter 4 of the 2012 Detroit City Charter.
Updated: 3/2/2022