September 21, 2023
Bi-Weekly Executive Newsletter
 Dear Friends,
Today, the Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to approve the three-year budget that I proposed back in July, proving that we can accomplish great things together when we work in a bipartisan manner on behalf of our residents.
It’s a solid and balanced fiscal plan that reflects our values and effectively manages the money that Oakland County residents have entrusted to us.
It pays for our key priorities embodied in our eight strategic goals, ranging from educating and training our workforce, our attention to small businesses and manufacturers and our commitment to improving and expanding access to mental health care services.
It pays for the Health Department’s public health clinics and outreach programs that are helping keep our residents healthy and thriving, while the Animal Control Shelter and Adoption Center houses and nurtures the pets that will enrich our lives.
It funds our Sustainability Office which is already having such a great impact on the county’s campus in the two years it has been in existence.
And it makes significant investments in our county’s crown jewel – the system of parks across the county – and public transportation, which help make our communities more livable, walkable and accessible.
It also looks out for current and future employees with a three percent pay hike with the goal of retaining and attracting a talented workforce to Oakland County.
I’m proud of this budget and the collaboration with the Board of Commissioners to have thoughtful and productive discussions on how we can best achieve our goals by living our values.
And, as we transition away from the critical federal COVID relief funding that we have received over the last three years, together we are looking for creative and financially smart ways to continue these critical programs once the federal funding ends.
These are the priorities that matter most for our residents, our businesses, our communities and organizations and fulfill our pledge to in All Ways, Move Forward.
This budget provides quality services to our residents in an efficient, responsible and equitable manner. And it builds on the programs and services that will allow us to maintain our AAA bond rating that will be so important for our future plans, such as reinvesting, relocating and redeveloping in downtown Pontiac.
Serving our residents. Assisting our businesses. And supporting our communities. That’s what this budget is all about. And the bottom line is that’s Job One for Oakland County.
With gratitude,
Dave Coulter
Oakland County Executive
 Walk with Amal at the Funky Ferndale Art Fair
We are proud to welcome Little Amal to Ferndale during the Funky Ferndale Art Fair on Sept. 24 from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. Little Amal – whose name means ‘hope’ in Arabic – is a 12- foot puppet of a refugee Syrian child who has traveled to 13 countries.
She began her journey from the Syrian border and carries a message of hope for displaced people everywhere, especially children who have been separated from their families. Her urgent message is simple – “don’t forget us.”
Little Amal will lead a car parade that starts at 3:30 p.m. at Ferndale High School and head north to the art fair.
 Summer jobs program is a hit in Pontiac
It’s only September, but a festive graduation celebration happened last week as more than 100 Pontiac residents successfully completed the “I Am Pontiac,” summer job training program.
For years, the Oakland County Michigan Works! department has sponsored a summer works program for students and recent graduates to get experience in real jobs. And this year, the department put a special focus on Pontiac. Of the 400 students across Oakland County who enrolled in the program, 103 were from Pontiac.
They were placed in jobs based on their interests and ease of transportation and ranged from maintenance and office work, to the Pontiac Library and Literacy Council to culinary tasks, restaurants and Dutton Farms. They got paid $12.50 per hour for the eight-week duration of the program.
Paid for with funding from the U.S. Department of Labor and the Ballmer Group charitable foundation, the program gave many young people a first taste of what it feels like to have to get up, make it to work on time and stay through the closing bell.
When they finished the program successfully, they were treated to a celebration and a cash incentive for making it through the eight weeks.
“This program helps give these kids the foundational skills of the workplace that they haven’t experienced before,” said Jennifer Llewellyn, manager of Workforce Development and director of the Oakland County Michigan Works! office. “It was a really great partnership with the city of Pontiac and the Pontiac Collective Impact Partnership.
And several of the students have been hired on by their summer employer, turning a training program into a full or part-time job.
Suicide Prevention Task Force to Hold Community Discussion to Share Stories and Seek Community Input
The Oakland County Suicide Prevention Task Force will host a Community Discussion from 9 a.m. – noon on Sept. 28 at Oakland Community Health Network, 5505 Corporate Drive, in Troy. The theme of the event is “The Reasons I Speak” and will feature speakers sharing personal stories about their experiences with suicide to help educate the community about how best to support individuals moving through a suicidal crisis.
“Stories help provide perspective, reduce stigma, and inform our efforts to prevent suicide in Oakland County,” said Leigh-Anne Stafford, director of Oakland County Health and Human Services. “Learning how to better help those in crisis is important to prevent tragedies from occurring.”
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