Pontiac — Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter has proposed a $1.24 budget for the coming fiscal year, a 5.9% increase over this year’s budget, with funds earmarked for five new positions in multiple departments, along with increased money for an indigent defense and college training programs.
Coulter on Thursday presented the proposed budget, which will now go through a series of hearings, for the 2027 fiscal year, to the Oakland County Board of Commissioners. As part of the county’s three-year budgeting process, it also includes recommendations for a $1.26 billion budget and a $1.28 billion budget for the following two fiscal years.
The county’s new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.
“This budget is structurally balanced and sustainable,” said Coulter. “It maintains healthy reserves while providing a roadmap that allows us to keep delivering excellent services and investing in the priorities that matter most to our residents.”
Some items Coulter highlighted in the proposed budget include five new positions, including jobs in the county’s Oakland Connects program, which connects people with food, housing and medical assistance; in the health division, for lead testing and abatement; and in the sheriff’s office to support the county’s Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force.
The budget includes a pilot program that increases funding for defense attorneys representing indigent defendants in circuit court. It also includes an investment in the Oakland80 program, which helps residents complete college, apprenticeship and certification applications, according to the news release.
“This budget represents a disciplined approach that balances today’s priorities with tomorrow’s needs,” said county Chief Financial Officer Brian Lefler.
The proposed budget is $70 million more than the current fiscal year. The increase is because the county’s revenue for the coming fiscal year will be higher than what was estimated for the current fiscal year, according to county spokesperson Bill Mullan.
Speaking to commissioners on Thursday morning, Lefler explained that inflation, consumer spending and business investment impact the county’s financial position each year. In 2026, the county’s tax base grew 4.9% thanks to new property owners paying taxes, Lefler said.
The county commissioners approve the budget after the commission’s finance committee holds budget hearings with county department heads in August. During the hearings, the department heads may ask for changes or additions to the budget.
Asked Thursday what they thought of the budget, commissioners said they hadn’t dug into it yet.
“That’s probably a question for maybe in two weeks, when we start the budget hearings,” said Commissioner Christine Long, a Commerce Township Republican.
Finance Committee Chairwoman Gwen Markham said it “is impossible” to know every detail of a budget the size of Oakland County’s. Because of this, commissioners rely heavily on the department heads to inform them, said Markham, a Novi Democrat.
Markham said the budget will look different after the department heads’ input.
“We’ll be making some adjustments, too,” Markham said of the Board of Commissioners. “There are things that the commissioners want to see and so on, and we’re in the process of trying to compile what those are.”
While she hasn’t looked at the details of the budget yet, Markham said she agrees with the priorities Coulter outlined at the Thursday meeting.
At the meeting, Coulter spoke highly of the budgetary process “in these more polarized political times.”
“One of the best things we can do is lead by example, and that is to show our residents that these are important things that we can come together to have an honest, debated discussion, and then present a budget that works for our county,” said Coulter.
mbryan@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Oakland Co.’s proposed budget for 2027 fiscal year includes new workers, court program
Reporting by Max Bryan, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Max Bryan, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
