July 1, 2021
Bi-Weekly County Executive Newsletter
Dear Friends,
Today, I submitted my proposed three-year rolling budget to the Oakland County Board of Commissioners and look forward to beginning the conversations on the services we provide in the county and how we intend to pay for it.
I’m proud of this budget, which begins with the 2022-23 fiscal year, because it does many important things for county residents.
First, the proposed budget is fiscally responsible, balanced and calls for $478.3 million in general fund/general purpose spending for fiscal year 2022. Another key element of the triennial budget proposal is that it represents a true spending plan that recognizes all the anticipated revenues and costs of providing county services for each of the next three fiscal years. We don’t intend to dip into fund balances to fill holes in the middle of any budget year unless there is a true emergency. And we won’t use the $244 million in continued COVID-19 relief funding we’re getting from the federal government for ongoing operations that aren’t related to dealing with the ongoing pandemic response. We’ve submitted our proposals with commissioners separately for a portion of that federal funding and anticipate a thoughtful and productive debate on using those dollars to meet the continuing, acute needs of our businesses and residents who are still struggling to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic.
This budget philosophy moves us toward a more fiscally responsible, realistic and stable spending plan that will result in a structurally balanced budget for the long term. It also maintains a healthy fund balance that will ensure we can weather any economic downturn that might impact the county’s bottom line in the future.
And despite the need to tighten our belts to achieve true structural balance, we were able to make progress in this proposed budget on some our core priorities, including:
- Expanding and protecting health care through our Health 360 initiative which is providing affordable and quality health care at clinics in Pontiac and Southfield.
- Creating a conviction integrity unit in the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office as part of our ongoing commitment to criminal justice reform.
- Expanding our commitment to workforce development through our Oakland 80 program, which calls for 80% our adult residents getting a college degree or training certificate by 2030.
- Making key investments in cyber security to protect both our own systems and our residents’ personal data against increasing cyber threats and ransomware demands.
- Moving forward with the hiring of an environmental sustainability officer, which the board authorized earlier this year, to fill a vacant and reclassified position in the Economic Development Department.
This fiscal plan starts and ends with a solid foundation, built on honest budgeting without gimmicks or mid-year fixes. You can watch and listen along as the board begins budget hearings this summer.
With gratitude,
David Coulter
Oakland County Executive
Oakland County starts $50 incentive program for COVID-19 vaccinations
The Oakland County Health Division started a $50 gift card incentive program to encourage county residents to get a COVID vaccine. Through the Fourth of July, any county resident who gets a first dose of the COVID vaccine, is eligible for a $50 gift card.
With more than 68% of the county’s residents age 16 and old already vaccinated, the county is on the cusp of reaching its goal of vaccinating 70% of its residents by the Fourth of July. For more information on how to get a vaccine and the incentive program, go to oaklandcountyvaccine.com
Heavy rainfall leads to flooding throughout southeast Michigan
With rain expected to continue throughout the week and the risk of flooding is high, Oakland County’s Emergency Operations Center reminds residents to stay safe and away from flooded roadways and contact your local municipality for assistance.
During natural disasters, including flooding, Oakland County continues to support residents through the Environmental Health Services, Public Health and Emergency Management departments, as well as the Water Resource Commission. For more information on emergency response updates, go to: https://www.oakgov.com/emergency-management/pages/default.aspx
Coulter and Prosecutor Karen McDonald announce plans for conviction integrity unit
A proposed conviction integrity unit that can examine claims of innocence from people convicted of crimes in Oakland County was announced last week by Oakland County Executive David Coulter and Prosecutor Karen McDonald. The unit was included in the three-year rolling budget proposal submitted to the Board of Commissioners today. If approved, the Oakland County unit would become only the second county in Michigan, after Wayne County, to have a team dedicated to ensuring that people who believe they’ve been wrongly convicted have their cases investigated so they can receive the justice that has eluded them.
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