Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield has proposed her first budget, focusing on addressing poverty and helping youth. The $1.6 billion general fund proposal includes plans for a new office of early education and for public school students to have their children ride city buses free year-round. All city employees would be paid at least $44,616 annually, the state-determined living wage in Wayne County, which would affect around 900 employees and cost the city $7.9 million in added payroll. Sheffield also proposed a $30 million increase in the Department of Transportation budget, primarily for raising driver and engineer wages. The proposal is seen as an early indication of how Sheffield could use city resources to implement campaign promises.