 Serving all of Oakland County's 19 districts
OCTOBER 2024
Quick links to this issue's stories:
 Finance Committee Chair Commissioner Gwen Markham (District 15, standing) leads the Board vote on the budget during the full Board meeting on September 19, 2024.
During its meeting on September 19, the Board of Commissioners adopted the triennial county budget for fiscal years (FY) 2025-2027, which includes more than $1 billion for fiscal year 2025.
Adoption of the FY 2025 balanced budget follows an extensive, collaborative and bipartisan effort. The three-year budget was first proposed by County Executive David Coulter to the Board of Commissioners on July 18, 2024. After this proposal, the Finance Committee, chaired by Commissioner Gwen Markham (District 15), conducted an in-depth review of the plan and hosted 22 budget hearings with county department leaders.
During the budget review process, commissioners made adjustments to reflect current needs and priorities in a transparent, sustainable and truly balanced budget. The adopted FY 2025 budget includes:
- Allocation of funds for community health-focused programs
- Education assistance from the Oakland80 Initiative
- Additional investments in affordable housing through the Oakland Together Housing Trust Fund
- $6 million in new local road funding
- Expansion of the Oakland County Microloan Program to help local small businesses grow and create jobs
With the 2025-2027 budget, the county prioritizes the health of its residents and works to increase educational and affordable housing opportunities, bolstering economic prosperity across Oakland County. For more information, visit bit.ly/BOC-Budget25.
Are you one of the more than 172,000 Oakland County residents with student loan debt? To help residents navigate the options for loan reduction and forgiveness and apply for existing debt relief programs, the Board of Commissioners and Oakland County have partnered with Savi, a financial technology start-up. The Oakland County Savi portal opened September 30 and registered users will have free access for one year from their sign-up to find tailored recommendations for debt consolidation or loan forgiveness. The online registration takes only 10 minutes to complete.
How does Savi work?
Savi scans federal, state and private eligibility programs and helps with the application process.
How much will I save?
Savi users save an average of $187 month, or $2,244 a year.
What does this program provide?
Registered users receive free access to Savi’s ‘Essentials’ tier for one year, which includes access to digital forms and tailored recommendations for debt consolidation and assistance with filling out applications for relief.
Is the county helping pay off my loans?
No. The Board voted to allocate $500,000 to waive the Savi program fee for any Oakland County resident or Oakland County government employee who signs up for debt help before the enrollment deadline. No funding will go directly to the payment of student debt.
Oakland County and Savi also are also co-hosting live informational webinars to give people a chance to ask questions of Savi staff. The first session is at 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10, with special guests County Executive Dave Coulter and Board Chair David T. Woodward (District 1). The second session is 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23 with Executive Coulter and Commissioner Brendan Johnson (District 4). For more information on the Oakland County Student Debt Relief Initiative, visit OakGov.com/Savi.
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An exciting new feature on OakGov.com/BOC makes it easier for visitors to the Board’s website to find multi-media publications. The new Publications page is a one-stop shop for current and past issues of the Board Bulletin, featured videos and a new initiative – The Sounding Board. The Sounding Board, a series of 5-7 minute audio stories, highlights success stories from the Board’s work. The first episode is live on the new webpage with more in development. Take a listen!
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- Rochester Adams High School grad and current U of M student Cynthia Cao was honored for being crowned Miss Oakland County’s Teen 2024 – presented by Commissioner Michael J. Gingell (District 6) with support from all commissioners, Sept. 5.
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Alexis Ulmer, a native of Commerce Township, was named Miss Oakland County 2024 – presented by Commissioner Christine Long (District 12) with support from all commissioners, Sept. 5.
- Outgoing West Bloomfield Township Trustee Howard Rosenberg was celebrated for his four terms on the board and many years of dedicated public service – presented by Vice Chair Marcia Gershenson (District 11), Sept. 5.
- The Board joined with Oakland Community Health Network to highlight the proud recovery community and the work of organizations and people that make recovery possible by recognizing September as National Recovery Month in Oakland County – presented by Commissioner Penny Luebs (District 2) with support from all commissioners, Sept. 5.
- To increase awareness and understanding of one of the leading causes of death for people ages 10-14 and 25-34, the Board declared September as National Suicide Prevention Month in Oakland County – presented by Commissioner Luebs with support from all commissioners, Sept. 5.
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Clawson Public Schools marked its centennial of educating the future leaders of tomorrow – presented by Commissioner Luebs, Sept. 7.
- The culture, history and contributions of our friends and neighbors with ancestral connections to Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America were acknowledged with National Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs September 15 to October 15, presented by Commissioner Charlie Cavell (District 19) with support from all commissioners, Sept. 7.
- Oakland Schools fine arts consultant and former Troy School District fine arts director Hedy Blatt was named a 2024 Birmingham Bloomfield Cultural Arts Award recipient – presented by Vice Chair Gershenson, Sept. 13.
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Gary Wasserman, resident of Oxford and longtime supporter of the performing arts, was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Birmingham Bloomfield Cultural Arts Center – presented by Vice Chair Gershenson and Commissioner Michael Spisz (District 5), Sept. 13.
- Because of its rich history of incorporating the arts into its parks, the Birmingham Bloomfield Cultural Arts Award – Partners with the Arts was bestowed to Village of Beverly Hills – presented by Vice Chair Gershenson and Commissioner Linnie Taylor (District 18), Sept. 13.
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Ecos Wealth Advisors, a fiduciary wealth management firm dedicated to helping its clients achieve their financial goals, opened its doors in Clarkston – presented by Commissioner Karen Joliat (District 8), Sept. 18.
- The life and talent of local prolific musician Wilbert Peagler of Southfield were memorialized – presented by Commissioner Taylor, Sept. 22.
- Friends and certified mechanics Logan LaClair and Greg Asbury opened Willards Auto Repair – presented by Commissioner Bob Hoffman (District 7), Sept. 25.
Below is a schedule of meetings this month. Full Board and standing committee meetings are open to the public at 1200 N. Telegraph Road, Pontiac, and livestreamed on the Board’s YouTube channel. Visit our website for any schedule changes and follow the Board on Facebook and LinkedIn for the latest updates.
Tuesday, Oct. 1
Legislative Affairs & Government Operations, 9 a.m.
Public Health & Safety, 10:30 a.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 2
Economic Development & Infrastructure, 9:30 a.m.
Finance, 11 a.m.
Materials Management Planning, 2 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 10
Majority Caucus, 5 p.m.
Full Board, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 15
Legislative Affairs & Government Operations, 9 a.m.
Public Health & Safety, 10:30 a.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 16
Economic Development & Infrastructure, 9:30 a.m.
Finance, 11 a.m.
Friday, Oct. 18
Human Trafficking Task Force, 10 a.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 22
Materials Management Planning, 9:30 a.m.
Thursday, Oct. 24
Majority Caucus, 5 p.m.
Full Board, 6 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 28
Transit Ad Hoc, 11 a.m.
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On Friday, October 4, Chair David T. Woodward and his fellow commissioners will meet with their counterparts from Macomb and Wayne counties for the 16th Tri-County Summit. This year’s meeting, hosted by Macomb County at MacRay Harbor in Harrison Township, gives the three counties the opportunity to explore how sustainability and public transit impact the region. For more information, visit bit.ly/TriCounty2024 and look for post-event coverage in November’s Board Bulletin.
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There’s a lot happening in Oakland County! Check out the latest news and upcoming events:
- The Oakland County Treasurer has launched a $100,000 homebuyer assistance program. The program is an initiative designed to increase first-time homeownership among low- to moderate-income individuals and families and would provide a $5,000 grant for a qualifying household to use for the down payment or closing costs of their first home purchase. Learn more about eligibility at OakGov.com/DPAssist.
- Residents will see a millage for Oakland County Parks on the November 5 election. If approved, Oakland County Parks’ current 0.35 millage would be replaced with a 0.65 millage expiring in 2043. For more information on the millage, visit OaklandCountyParks.com.
- Oakland County’s first neuro-inclusive neighborhood broke ground. A collaboration between the County, Rochester Housing Solutions and Three Oaks Communities has resulted in Walton Oaks in Rochester Hills, a community which features homes for sale to the public and three homes reserved and customized for adults with developmental disabilities. Read more at bit.ly/WaltonOaks.
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