Macomb County Board of Commissioners Approves 2021 Budget

MACOMB COUNTY, MI — The Macomb County Board of Commissioners on Thursday approved a $857.3 million budget for 2021.

Top priorities of the budget include focusing on public health amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, public safety and redesigning county services to better align with social conditions caused by the coronavirus, officials said in a statement.

“All of our departments and countywide elected officials worked hard to contain costs and create a balanced budget for 2021, so I am very pleased that the Board of Commissioners approved our proposal,” County Executive Mark Hackel said. “Our community is relying on us right now to provide innovative programs and support services while ensuring public health and safety. This new budget will allow us to do just that.”

The approved financial plan details all revenues and expenditures of the county’s operations and includes a three-year financial projection. Although no layoffs are expected, more than 60 currently vacant positions were not funded for 2021, according to the budget.

“With the expertise and partnership of our County departments, we have developed and approved ten consecutive balanced budgets,” Macomb County Finance Director Stephen Smigiel said. “I’d like to commend our entire team for their willingness to collaborate on this process of optimizing our financial practices to ensure we can continue to serve the community during these unprecedented times.”

County officials also detailed how they took advantage of historically low interest rates to refinance existing bond issues. Those financial practices allowed the county to preserve its fund balances, officials said.