Troy election races: Candidate platforms on development, schools and economic growth

A $9.2 million tax-increment-financing reimbursement for a Big Beaver redevelopment and a projected 3.4% city-tax increase for a typical residential household frame the practical question in Troy's 2026 council election: As commercial corridors are remade, what must developers return to the neighborhoods paying the bills?

Voters will fill three four-year City Council seats, choosing among incumbents Rebecca Chamberlain and David Hamilton and candidates Annalisa Bluhm, Ken Brodzinski, David Ross Kniffen, Sadek Rahman and Ed Ross.

For residents watching Big Beaver and Somerset change block by block, the question is not whether Troy will keep growing. It will. The question is who gets to set the terms — and whether publicly backed projects deliver something residents can measure: repaired streets, reliable services, affordability and neighborhood protections.

The city's Big Beaver Form-Based District, adopted in 2011, has steered mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented redevelopment along the corridor. Approximately 40 approved site plans have replaced surface parking with restaurants, retail, housing, hotels, financial institutions and health care facilities.

One of the clearest tests came Sept. 29, 2025, when the City Council unanimously approved Brownfield Redevelopment Plan #12 in a 7-0 vote. The plan allowed reimbursement of eligible developer costs through tax increment financing, with revenues estimated at approximately $9.2 million. Mayor Ethan Baker and Council Members Theresa Brooks, Rebecca Chamberlain-Creanga, Hirak Chanda, Mark Gunn, David Hamilton and Ellen Hodorek all voted yes.

Hamilton has been especially direct about the marquee project at 3100 W. Big Beaver Road. "I am proud of my vote to approve the redevelopment of the former Kmart headquarters at Big Beaver and Coolidge," David Hamilton, Troy City Council member, said. The project includes housing, retail, office space, a hotel and a University of Michigan Health facility, with more than $250 million in remaining investment.

The city budget adopted May 11, 2026, totals $235.4 million and emphasizes public safety, core infrastructure including roads and streets, and quality-of-life amenities. It will result in an estimated 3.4% increase in city taxes for a typical residential household. Chamberlain and Hamilton, the two council incumbents now seeking reelection, voted for both the brownfield plan and the budget.

Together, the development reimbursement and residential tax increase make the distribution of Troy's growth a household issue. Candidates split on whether to continue approving incentive packages for corporate projects or to require stronger community-benefit terms, transparency and infrastructure offsets.

The pressure around incentives could grow. Michigan's Commercial Redevelopment Act abatement, or PA 255, expired Dec. 31, 2025, and requires legislative renewal. Developers have warned that stalled action is jeopardizing investment plans and putting multiple projects at risk across the state.

Chamberlain's platform centers on responsible development and zoning reform — protecting green space through incentives for publicly accessible green space in developments, engaging residents through surveys and walk-and-talks during planning updates, and updating the city's master plan while protecting neighborhoods.

Bluhm emphasizes improving EMS response times, transforming underused office parks into housing and retail, promoting job growth through tech incubators and investing in modern infrastructure. Her platform also calls for preserving Troy's AAA bond rating, keeping taxes low and ensuring transparent oversight.

Brodzinski calls for smart, controlled spending to protect taxpayers while maintaining a balanced budget and AAA credit rating. He supports repurposing underused office parks for housing, retail, parks and job hubs, bringing tech incubators to Troy and responsibly investing in roads, the library, parks and city facilities.

Kniffen pledges to prioritize single-family homeowners over developers and opposes tax increases and pay raises for officials. His platform calls for reusing underused sites for housing, retail, parks and job hubs without raising taxes, while addressing small-business closures and the cost of living.

Rahman's platform centers on strengthening public safety and community trust, enhancing infrastructure and public services, and improving quality of life. He emphasizes working with community stakeholders, securing state and federal funding, and using municipal bonds and grants.

Ross emphasizes preserving shrinking green space and using city-owned green areas to fit neighborhood needs. His platform calls for maintaining fiscal stability while supporting core services, improving police and fire services, restoring senior programs reduced after the pandemic, saving Troy's volunteer fire department and securing a dedicated ambulance presence within city limits.

Those platforms offer voters different priorities.

The competing priorities are also visible in the records of city leaders seeking higher office. Baker has served as vice-chair of the Troy Downtown Development Authority and as a member of the Local Development Finance Authority, with city materials describing Mayor Ethan Baker as committed to a robust and growing business environment. He also has backed major street and infrastructure investment with multimillion-dollar capital allocations and supported continued park development.

Baker ran unopposed in the Republican primary for Michigan's 11th Congressional District and will face Democratic nominee Jeremy Moss in the November general election. Baker's congressional campaign themes include rising costs, public safety, infrastructure, health care, jobs and small businesses, with a focus on issues affecting families.

Moss campaigns on cracking down on corporate greed and price gouging, protecting workers and unions, and holding the Trump administration accountable. He also supports the PRO Act, which would strengthen workers' organizing rights.

Troy is also part of Michigan State Senate District 9. Theresa Brooks won the Aug. 4 Democratic primary while still serving on the Troy City Council and will face the Republican nominee in November. Brooks focused her campaign on affordable housing, health care, education and support for small business. As a council member, however, she joined the unanimous vote for Brownfield Redevelopment Plan #12 and its approximately $9.2 million in tax increment financing reimbursements.

Her primary opponent, Brendan Johnson, emphasized protecting school funding, supporting teachers, manufacturing and fair wages, and pursuing long-term infrastructure funding.

For voters deciding whether Troy's corporate boom will pay off beyond its busiest corridors, the test is whether candidates will require growth to come with clear, enforceable returns for the workers, schools and neighborhoods that help finance it. Chamberlain and Hamilton supported both the $9.2 million brownfield plan and the $235.4 million budget. Kniffen says he would prioritize single-family homeowners over developers and opposes tax increases. Bluhm, Brodzinski, Rahman and Ross emphasize fiscal discipline, infrastructure investment and improved services.