Oakland County’s strengths include creating connections locally, globally
Coulter credited the county’s ability to progress to balanced 3-year bipartisan budgets. Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter delivered his State of the County speech, stating that the key to success is to address issues head-on, find solutions and provide excellent services to residents. He highlighted his strengths include creating connections locally, globally, and supporting business, education, healthcare, and community buildings, with increased support for mental health care. He also highlighted balanced 3-year bipartisan budgets and successful multi-year agreements signed with SMART, Western Oakland Transportation Authority (WOTA), North Oakland Transport Authority (NOTA), the Older Persons’ Commission (OPC), and People’s Express (PEX) after voters approved the millage in 2022. Other notable successes included a $20 million housing trust to help affordable housing by providing assistance for 1,100 residents and a $5 million in funding for energy efficiency improvements in their homes. The county has also invested in innovative programs such as Oakland University's scholarship for nursing students in honor of murdered Oakland County Health Officer Dr. Calandra Green.
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Oakland County has many areas of strength and the key is to address issues head-on, find solutions and provide excellent services to residents.
That was the message from County Executive Dave Coulter during his State of the County speech on Thursday evening.
“Our purpose is defined by the way we step in to help our residents and each other,” he told an invitation-only crowd at The Hawk in Farmington Hills. “It has to do with providing support at every corner to ensure people are living their best lives here in Oakland County.”
In addition to municipal and county officials, others in the audience included: Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, Wayne County Executive Warren Evans, Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel, State Rep. Brenda Carter, State Senator Jeremy Moss, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Michigan Supreme Court Justice Kyra Harris Bolden and U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, among others.
He supported his theme, “Our Strength, Our Purpose, Our People” by touting successes with business, education, healthcare and community buildings, with increased support for mental health care near the top of the list. All of that, he credited to balanced 3-year bipartisan budgets.
He talked about Oakland University’s scholarship for nursing students in honor of murdered Oakland County Health Officer Dr. Calandra Green, who also was a nurse. She had just attended OU’s Nightingale Nursing Awards before her death.
“Calandra was a passionate advocate for public health services across the country, especially in communities of color,” Coulter said. “Her legacy of helping and connecting with people continues.”
People can donate to the Calandra Green Dream Builders Scholarship fund online. https://securelb.imodules.com/s/1001/g20/form.aspx?sid=1001&gid=4&pgid=1902&cid=4186&bledit=1&dids=3967
He also honored the memories of two county officials who died of cancer: Sheriff’s Deputy Nicholas Dotson of Holly and Commissioner Gary McGillivray of Madison Heights.
Getting to medical appointments, work or school will become easier with the expansion of a countywide public transit system, he said.
Coulter praised multi-year agreements signed with SMART, Western Oakland Transportation Authority (WOTA), North Oakland Transportation Authority (NOTA), the Older Persons’ Commission (OPC), and People’s Express (PEX) after voters approved the millage in November of 2022.
NOTA, WOTA, OPC and PEX are seeing double-digit increases in their ridership since expanding routes and hours last year, he said.
The ability for people to get to grocery stores, recreation centers or local restaurants is making a difference in the lives of those who previously had little or no mobility, Coulter said.
He recounted the many ways in which Oakland County has invested in people this past year.
“We’ve had remarkable success on a number of fronts in the past year, from transit to mental health care, affordable housing to sustainability, small business coaching to education and training,” Coulter said. “We were able to provide these innovative programs with the support of the Board of Commissioners… And these programs have touched hundreds of thousands of people.”
Some of the successes included:
“We’re committed to starting much younger with our high school students so that no matter what their circumstances, they know there are options for success,” Coulter said.
One way is by adding 15 Oakland80 navigators to area high schools. Oakland80 is Coulter’s initiative to ensure 80 percent of Oakland County adults have a post-secondary degree or certificate by 2030. The high school effort has already begun in Pontiac and Hazel Park and will expand. Navigators foster greater goals in students who may not think beyond high school graduation. The navigators can match students with internships at area businesses.
• A $20 million housing trust fund to help developers create more affordable housing by providing gap financing and other incentives. Projects already approved in Southfield, Royal Oak Township, Pontiac and Rochester Hills. The work includes the state’s second development for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Another program made grants to mostly low-income residents for energy efficiency improvements in their homes. The Oakland SAVES program is using $5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars to provide The interest and need were so high that, by Friday of that same week, the entire $5 million in funding was spoken for, providing assistance for 1,100 residents.
• The county used $2 million in ARPA funds and worked with a national non-profit to eliminate for more than 80,000 residents.
• Worked with Corktown Health and Honor Health to provide 11,000 households with pregnant women and young families with nurses’ visits and specialty health services that aided nearly 3,400 children. The county administered more than 32,000 immunizations.
“Business attraction is also a big part of our mission, as we’re always looking for avenues to grow our economy,” Coulter said, talking about:
• The Workforce Development team, which helped develop paid internship opportunities with businesses, some of which are supported by federal funds.
• Expanding international relations for economic development. Coulter joined Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation on a 5-day investment mission to Taiwan and South Korea in March. During that trip, auto supplier TYC Genera announced they will expand their research and development work in Wixom, at the one-time home of Detroit Public Television, the former Riley Broadcast Center.
• Reviving the county seat, Pontiac, with the county’s commitment to renovating the Ottawa Towers complex. That includes moving an estimated 600 county employees to the buildings when the renovation is complete.
• The county invested $2 million in ARPA funds with Micah 6, a community-based organization transforming the former Webster Elementary School into a service center for the Pontiac community. Micah 6 hosted a groundbreaking Wednesday for the next phase of Webster’s ongoing renovation.
• Spending $5 million to upgrade senior centers in the county.
• A $20 million investment to expand the county’s park system and partnerships with municipalities to improve their parks.
To read the full text of Coulter’s speech, visit oakgov.com/exec and click on the State of the County tab.