Special Assignment - Interview a Councilmember
Detroit City CouncilLocation unavailable
Detroit City Council breaks for summer recess on July 26 and returns on Sept. 5. We are assigning a total of (9) Documenters to contact a councilmember and conduct a short 10-minute interview. The interviews can be done in-person, over the phone, or on Zoom. We want you to record the interview and submit the recording, so you should ask the councilmember’s permission to record before you get started. The interview is straightforward and the questions will be provided, and we will assign you to a councilmember after you’ve been chosen.
All councilmembers will be asked the same questions about their goals for the upcoming year. Once the interview is complete, you will write up the abbreviated highlights into a short set of notes around two pages long.
The assignment is due by Sunday, Aug. 13, giving you three weeks to set up the appointment, conduct the interview, and post your notes and audio recording. We encourage you to start immediately by reaching out to schedule the interview. Documenters will be paid the 3.5 hour minimum pay for the assignment. Please keep interviews to less than 15 minutes.
Contact us at documenters@outliermedia.org with any questions!
Agency Information
Detroit City Council
The Detroit City Council is the legislative body of Detroit, Michigan, United States. The Council is responsible for the creation of local laws—called ordinances. Additionally they pass resolutions, motions, and the proposed city budget. The full-time council is required to meet every business day for at least 10 months of the year, with at least eight of these meetings occurring at a location besides city hall. The council may convene for special meetings at the call of the mayor or at least four members of council. Areas of responsibility for the Budget, Finance and Audit Committee include, Budget, Finance and the Auditor General.
City Council members are elected on the same cycle as the Mayor and will be elected in 2021. Seven members represent the seven council districts, while two members are elected at-large.