July 20, 2022
Bi-Weekly Executive Newsletter
Dear Friends,
Last night, I presented my three-year balanced budget to the Oakland County Board of Commissioners and there are a lot of things I’m proud of in the fiscal plan.
At their core, budgets are about people – you, the residents of Oakland County as well as the businesses, communities and our employees – and how best to serve your needs and give you the tools you need to succeed and thrive.
I’m proud that the budget officially ends the practice of planning to use our fund balance for operating expenses and still maintains our coveted AAA bond rating.
This budget leans into the seven goals I outlined in my State of the County address, focusing on the health and success of our residents and businesses and making sure we have livable neighborhoods and communities that are environmentally sustainable, inclusive and welcoming for all.
And in these challenging economic times, this is a careful and prudent budget because, as we all know from our own wallets, there is a higher level of economic volatility across the county, nation and globe at the moment. This fiscal plan is designed to withstand the bumps in the road that the economy may experience.
But even with this uncertainty, we know that the time to invest in our services and programs is now when the need is great. So included in the budget is funding, partially through the federal American Rescue Plan, for key initiatives that align with our goals:
- A team of Oakland 80 Career and Education Navigators are providing career coaching and guidance, resources and wrap-around services so that any resident facing barriers to getting the education and training they need for a successful career can overcome those obstacles.
- The Business Forward program with its team of nine counselors, who are working in communities across Oakland County, is giving the same type of services to thousands of small businesses in the county.
- The Health 360 program, in partnership with Honor Health and the Oakland Livingston Human Services Agency, has provided vital health care and wraparound services to nearly 5,000 residents at our clinics in Pontiac and Southfield. And Honor Health will offer a residency program to help train doctors in communities that desperately need more health professionals.
- We’ve allocated $25 million to improve and expand access to Mental Health services for our residents and students.
- We’ve included funding for an older adult advocate to help improve and expand services to our older residents.
- Our Housing programs, including a Housing Trust Fund, Land Bank and expanded Home Repair services, will increase the inventory of affordable housing and help stabilize neighborhoods.
- The Corktown Health initiative in Hazel Park will bring health care services to south Oakland County with an emphasis on services for the LGBTQ-plus community.
- Our plan invests in our employees during these challenging times with a proposed five percent pay increase, which will help us keep our talented workforce.
- The budget protects the important public safety services we provide in Oakland County and invests in recruitment and retention bonuses for our law enforcement officers.
- We’re creating a Public Defenders’ Office, with the help of a state grant, so that all residents have access to quality legal representation, regardless of their ability to pay.
- And we’re committed to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts with our robust equity council, a new position in purchasing to ensure that more minority, women, disabled and veteran-owned businesses have to chance to bid on county contracts, and our Diverse Abilities Program, which provides job opportunities with the county for people with physical and cognitive disabilities.
Finally, this budget brings an unprecedented level of transparency and accountability to you. Each of the county’s departments have developed key performance indicators which tell us how we’ll we’re doing in providing services and programs. Those indicators are regularly updated and will be available on a dashboard on the county’s website that will be available for all to see.
We’ve enjoyed wide bipartisan support on my last three budget proposals and I’m looking forward to working with the Board of Commissioners and the other countywide elected officials on my latest fiscal plan.
With gratitude,
David Coulter Oakland County Executive
Service Highlight of the Week: Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC)
Oakland County’s Women, Infants and Children program is participating in Project Fresh events this month, offering eligible WIC participants $25 for fresh fruits and vegetables.
The Project Fresh events will take place from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 23 at the Oakland County Farmers’ Market, 2350 Pontiac Lake Road in Waterford and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, July 27 at the Oak Park Farmers’ Market, 13701 Oak Park Blvd. in Oak Park.
Only one coupon book for the fresh fruits and vegetables will be issued per family. Residents with a State of Michigan Bridge/EBT card or WIC Project Fresh coupons will receive an additional $5 coupon to purchase produce from local farmers
Oakland County launches Oakland80 Navigators Program
Oakland County, in partnership with several regional educational institutions and community organizations, launched a new effort last week to help Oakland County residents obtain a post-secondary degree or certification.
Career and education navigators will help individuals find paths to meaningful careers, get into and complete college or training programs, and reduce obstacles to education such as the cost of books, registration fees, and childcare options. To connect with a career and education navigator, call 1-888-559-4360 or click on www.oakgov.com/Oakland80.
The career and education navigators are responsible for helping prospective students enter educational programs, including applying to post-secondary institutions, filing financial aid applications, accessing loan applications, transferring records, registering for classes, and helping tackle other barriers to success. Their work also includes intensive coaching and ongoing mentorship through graduation and beyond.
County Executive Coulter invited to White House to celebrate bipartisan gun safety legislation
Wearing an Oxford High School t-shirt, Oakland County Executive David Coulter joined President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. at the White House last week to celebrate the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, a commonsense, bipartisan proposal to protect America's children, keep our schools safe, and reduce the threat of violence across our country.
"I was honored to be invited by President Joe Biden to celebrate the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act Monday at the White House. I carried with me the memories of Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre, Justin Shilling, and Hana St. Juliana, as well as the other students and teachers wounded during the tragic shooting at Oxford High School last fall, to mark one of the most significant pieces of gun legislation passed by Congress in decades,” Coulter said. “I know this won't be the ultimate solution to preventing gun violence in our schools and cities, but it is a step in the right direction to begin to better protect our students and residents."
Residents encouraged to take Community Needs Assessment Survey
It’s time for Oakland County’s 2022 Livable Neighborhoods Community Needs Assessment! This is meant for anyone who lives or works in Oakland County.
To have a complete picture of the county’s housing needs, the Oakland County Neighborhood & Housing Development Division is looking for input from everyone, including homeowners and renters, long-time residents and New Americans, college students, seniors, singles, families, and couples.
This is an important tool for Oakland County to hear directly from its residents about housing needs in your communities. Please feel free to share with your friends and family so that we hear from as many residents as possible.
If you need assistance completing this survey, or need to request a hard copy, please call or email the Neighborhood & Housing Development division at nhd@oakgov.com or 248.858.0493. The survey should take about 10 minutes to complete.
You can access the link above or click here: https://bit.ly/3IBu7Jf.
|