Of the 167 candidates running for the Detroit City Council, 19 owe a combined $2.4 million in taxes, one in seven has filed for bankruptcy and three are felons, according to an investigation by The Detroit News.

Many of the candidates are running on reform platforms, arguing their past problems make them stronger candidates.It's important to note that the majority of council candidates have clean records, but in a field this large and from a city with Detroit's recent history, notable exceptions abound.

The highlights:

RELATED CONTENT

Monica Conyers name will be on Detroit primary ballot

More Detroit City Council coverage

• Small ball coach owes big: Donald Goodson, who filed for bankruptcy back in 1994, owes $1.4 million in unpaid income and unemployment insurance taxes, according to liens on file in Wayne County, Oakland County and Arizona. Goodson worked in law enforcement for 18 years, but lists his current occupation as little league baseball coach.

• Second-degree murderer seeks second chance: Raphael Johnson served time for second-degree murder and felony firearm possession as a 17-year-old. He's since turned his life around. He graduated summa cum laude from University of Detroit-Mercy and works as a motivational speaker. "I owe the City of Detroit," Johnson said. "The worst thing I could ever do took place when I was a misguided teenager and it cost the lost of life of an innocent man."

• Property manager owes property taxes: Arganae Foster filed for bankruptcy in 1998 and owes ore than $25,000 in property taxes on her home. Fisk, who owns a property management company, said she bought the home without realizing back taxes were owed and plans to pay them off once the value is reassessed. "It's in dispute," Foster told The News. "It's not something I wanted to avoid, I just want it to be right."

• From pimp to politician? Walter Hart is a convicted pimp who spend more than 6 years in prison and owes more than $130,000 in child support. Hart admits to taking two females to Washington D.C. for prostitution, including a 16-year-old. Hart says he's reformed and is running on a rehabilitation and revitalization platform. "I don't feel I'm a crook now," Hart told Fox 2. "I feel I really know what it means to be free."

Of course, the current council doesn't have a much better record: Monica Conyers resigned last month after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery, Martha Reeves tax liens total more than $200,000, Kwame Kenyatta walked away from his mortgage earlier this year and JoAnn Watson is on a payment plan after it was revealed she paid $68 in property taxes this year because city records indicated her home didn't exist.

Detroit's primary is Aug. 4. Head here to find out information about other candidates.