Washtenaw County, MI - The Board of Commissioners recently approved the 2023-2026 Quadrennial County Budget. Across the four years, the recommended annual budgets range from $362 Million to $369 Million and are all balanced to ensure fiscal responsibility and good government. Local tax dollars, followed by state and federal government funding, are the largest revenue sources. Health & Human Services and Public Safety & Justice are the most significant expense categories, making up approximately 44% and 35% of the Quadrennial budget. This approval ends a yearlong series of discussions to dive deeper into the county budget during Board of Commissioners Working Session meetings.
“The County budget reflects our priorities as an organization and as a community,” said Sue Shink, Chair of the Board of Commissioners, “I am grateful for county staff for their work to ensure we have a balanced budget, and to my fellow Board members for working together to identify and move forward additional important investments that will have a positive impact in our community.”
This budget approval followed a unanimously approved budget amendment and alongside a separate approved resolution that invested in other priority projects. Below you will find a short summary of these additional investments and timelines for when more details will be available for each:
Human Services Transition Program
The Board of Commissioners approved a budget amendment to free up dollars to fund the Human Services Transition Program to continue showing the county’s strong support for our community's social safety net. This Board has already invested a historic amount of resources in service providers through the New Human Services Partnership, the Community Priority Fund, and other funding streams. This action further illustrates their commitment to this work.
While details will be finalized in the coming months, you can read a draft project plan, including organizations slated for funding here.
Youth Assessment Center
This structural investment contributes annual dollars to launch and operate a Youth Assessment Center. Assessment Centers around the United States play a critical role in helping their communities divert and prevent youth from entering child welfare and justice systems. Instead, they connect them with mental health services and other resources to create a stable environment where they can thrive.
More details to come in the new year!
Historic Preservation
The Board amended the recommended budget to include $9K annually to expand the Washtenaw County Historic Preservation Program. This work is dedicated to supporting local historic districts, spurring heritage tourism, and attracting investment in our historic resources.
Learn more about the County’s Historic Preservation efforts here. Historic Preservation | Washtenaw County, MI
LGBTQ Community Building
The Board of Commissioners approved the first investment of county funds to create awareness among Washtenaw County’s residents about the size, diversity, impact, and influence of Washtenaw’s LGBTQ Community. This $150,000 of funding will be awarded to an organization over two (2) years to implement strategies to support programming, foster community engagement, and increase awareness of issues faced by Washtenaw’s LGBTQ residents.
More details to come!
Bridge Loan to Affordability Program
This program, operated by the Washtenaw County Treasurer, provides revolving loans to prevent tax foreclosures and stabilize neighborhoods. This $500,000 investment will build out the existing program, initially funded by the Board in 2018, to reach more families at risk of tax foreclosure.
Learn more about this, and other programs run through the Treasurer here.
Family Sheltering
To ensure family homelessness sheltering programs at Alpha House and SOS Community Services operate optimally in 2023, the Board of Commissioners approved a $75,000 investment to both organizations. You can learn more about the County’s response to homelessness here.
Programming for Young Women
A final investment made by the Board as part of this budget process was investing $50,000 to support young women in our community. County Administration indicated that they would develop a framework for investing these funds and provide more details in 2023.