Innovation and transformation sums up 2022 in Oakland County. From voters deciding the county should be all-in on transit to General Motors announcing the investment of billions of dollars in expanding electric vehicle production at its Orion Township plant to the start of major parks and recreation improvements in Pontiac and southeast Oakland County, the county was in all ways, moving forward this past year.
“We’ve put a lot of energy and capital into kicking off a five-year strategic plan announced during my 2022 State of the County speech that commits Oakland County to ‘all ways, moving forward,’” Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter said. “We want to make a real and measurable impact in three primary areas - a strong economy, healthy and safe communities, and opportunities for residents to live their best lives.“
Coulter’s five-year strategic plan has seven strategic goals: a thriving and inclusive economy, healthy residents, a skilled and educated workforce, livable neighborhoods, sustainability, public safety and fairness in the criminal justice system, and organizational excellence.
Oakland County voters approved a countywide transportation millage in November. After the New Year, the county will begin filling three positions – a manager and two transit planners – in the new Transit Division of the Economic Development Department to oversee the implementation of transit solutions throughout the county. Bolstering regional transportation has been Coulter’s long-time goal since he was first elected to represent Ferndale on the Oakland County Board of Commissioners in 2002.
The county will develop plans in 2023 for expanding transit services in all parts of the county, securing more state and federal funds to support transit services, and long-term capital improvements that contribute to accessibility for our residents. To ensure these plans meet the needs of residents, businesses, and communities, the county will provide opportunities for people to provide feedback and suggestions for new transportation services. Oakland County’s four current transit providers - SMART, North Oakland Transportation Authority (NOTA), Western Oakland Transportation Authority (WOTA), and the Older Persons’ Commission (OPC) – are making recommendations on immediate improvements and expansions they can make to local services and identifying issues of common concern.
GM’s $4 billion investment to overhaul its Orion Township plant in Oakland County to build EV pick-up trucks adding more than 2,300 jobs, announced at the close of the year in 2021, aligned with Coulter’s sustainability, skilled and educated workforce, and thriving and inclusive economy goals. Our Next Energy also opened its new global headquarters in Novi while building an EV battery plant in Van Buren Township, a win for the region.
Other noteworthy job creation achievements in 2022 that supported Coulter’s strategic goals include:
• The World Economic Forum, in partnership with Oakland County and Automation Alley, launched the S. Centre for Advanced Manufacturing in Troy during an announcement with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer at the Mackinac Policy Conference in June.
• Oakland County and Business Sweden signed a joint statement of cooperation to "promote innovation and sustainable growth in the mobility and advanced manufacturing industries" during a November business attraction mission to Sweden and Germany.
• The county invested $18 million of its American Recovery Plan Act (ARP) funds to launch Business Forward, an innovative program to help small businesses and entrepreneurs grow and thrive by engaging the county's 36,000-plus small businesses with expertise and resources in the communities where they are located.
• More than $10 million in ARP dollars supported Coulter’s strategic goal of increasing the county’s skilled and educated workforce, $2.8 million of which is funding the Oakland80 Navigators Career and education navigators are helping 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.
Oakland County invested millions of dollars in sustainability and livable neighborhoods in 2022. The county partnered with the Parks and Recreation Commission to invest $20 million in the Healthy Communities Park and Outdoor Recreation Investment Plan. The goals of the plan include revitalizing and enhancing parks located in or servicing residents of communities most impacted by the pandemic; improving physical and mental health, social connectivity, and quality of life of residents; and addressing barriers to equitable access and use of quality park and recreation opportunities for residents of all ages and abilities.
The county Board of Commissioners also approved $3.9 million in planning grants to help cities, villages, and townships with infrastructure improvements and $10 million for the north Oakland sanitary sewer connection championed by U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin this past year. Plus, a grant helped to remove a contaminated tank at the former Webster Elementary School in Pontiac which is being redeveloped by Micah 6 Community, a Pontiac-based non-profit which is investing $21 million to transform the building into the Webster Community Center which will provide social and recreational services.
In addition, the county designated $20 million to improve housing which included the creation of a $10 million Housing Trust Fund, $5 million to increase shelter capacity, and $2 million for critical home repairs.
Initiating a fairer criminal justice system in Oakland County got a boost in 2022. It began with the county executive administration and Board of Commissioners supporting Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald’s creation of the Conviction Integrity Unit for fiscal year 2022 to examine cases where there are claims of innocence and determine whether there is clear and convincing evidence of that innocence. The Board of Commissioners also approved funding for indigent defense that will enable the county to establish a hybrid model consisting of a public defender's office, staffed by Oakland County employees, and the current roster of independent contractor attorneys, for 6th Circuit Court and 52nd District Court indigent defense appointments beginning in 2023.
Finally, Oakland County allocated more than $29 million towards its strategic goal of enabling healthy residents in 2022, especially in mental health. Programs that have provided mental health resources to more than 50,000 residents include $10 million to non-profits to improve and expand access to mental health services, $10 million to place mental health professionals in schools, $2 million for emergency room grants to expedite mental health patients to more appropriate treatment, $2.5 million for Corktown Health, and $1.7 million for food assistance for residents in need.
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