March 16, 2022
Bi-Weekly Executive Newsletter
Dear Friends,
I’m fresh off my third State of the County Address, which I delivered Tuesday night from the M1 Concourse in Pontiac.
There, I unveiled a number of new programs, a five-year roadmap for the county and a mission focused on helping residents and businesses thrive.
The message was simple, but powerful: Oakland County is “All ways, moving forward.”
That’s a phrase you’re going to a lot from me and my team. It’s our way of putting into words what really matters: In every facet of our work, we commit – with all of our residents and business -- to moving forward.
We have learned so much from the challenges of the last two years, most importantly, that we can’t remain static. We are committed to a strong economy, safe and healthy communities, and creating new opportunities for residents to live their best lives.
Our new strategic framework charts a course for the future of the county. It includes a set of goals and priorities. Most importantly, it includes ways to measure our progress. Right now everyone --- our residents, businesses and communities -- can track how we’re doing right on the county’s website, oakgov.com. We are holding ourselves accountable for progress and we want you to do the same.
Highlights from the speech
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Business Forward, a new small business initiative that places expert consultants into underserved communities first to help Oakland County’s 36,000-plus small businesses;
- $13 million investment in mental health services;
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Oakland80, provides tuition assistance and other services to help 80 percent of adults secure a college education or training certificate by 2030;
- The Housing Trust Fund provides gap funding to developers to ensure our residents have safe and affordable rental- and home-ownership options;
- Partnership with Oakland University to address environmental sustainability
In case you missed it
Visit the State of the County website:
Watch videos that were debuted during the speech to learn more about:
Learn more about County’s strategic plan and how we’re measuring progress on our roadmap:
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Send me an email at SOTC@oakgov.com to share your feedback on the speech, our strategic plan or anything else on your mind.
With gratitude,
David Coulter
Oakland County Executive
Oakland County courthouse awash in Blue and Yellow
There is a new, visual tribute to Ukraine on top of the Oakland County Courthouse along Telegraph Road in Pontiac.
Each night, the top of the five-story courthouse is illuminated in vibrant blue and yellow to show the Oakland County’s solidarity with Ukraine as the European country defends itself against an invasion by Russia.
“It’s an important way for the county to demonstrate its values and stand up on the side of what’s right,” said Oakland County Executive David Coulter. “This is an acknowledgement that freedom and democracy are under assault. It’s reminiscent of some of the darkest times of our history.”
Michigan is home to more than 46,000 Ukrainian-Americans, having the fourth largest Ukraine population in the United States.
The lights on the courthouse are in addition to a message posted to the electronic signs welcoming visitors to the Oakland County government campus, which read, “We stand with Ukraine.”
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