Oakland County Unanimously Adopts Balanced Three-Year Budget with Investments in Health, Safety, Housing and Workforce

• The Oakland County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a $1.17 billion budget for FY 2026, safeguarding the county's AAA bond rating and healthy reserves.
• Key investments include expanded vaccine access, combating human trafficking, an additional veterans' benefits counselor and greater emergency shelter capacity this winter.
• Funding continues for proven initiatives like Oakland80, Oakland Thrive and Project DIAMOnD to strengthen residents and small businesses.

Pontiac, Mich. - Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter applauded the Board of Commissioners for unanimously approving a disciplined and sustainable three-year budget that invests in public health, safety, housing, veterans and the county workforce for fiscal years 2026-2028.

The budget, which was adopted with bipartisan support, prioritizes people while maintaining Oakland County's reputation for fiscal excellence. It preserves a strong fund balance to meet future emergency needs and safeguards the county's AAA bond rating.

"This budget reflects both our values and our discipline. We're making smart, sustainable investments in people while preserving the county's long-standing fiscal excellence," Coulter said. "We also demonstrated that in this era of political polarization, we worked together in a bipartisan way to put the needs of our residents first."

Key investments in the budget include:

Public Health:

• A $300,000 increase to the county's vaccine budget to meet rising demand amid outbreaks such as measles.
• Extra funding for weekly testing of all active Oakland County beaches with designated swim areas. Currently, the county tests about 100 beaches per week and will sample an additional 150 beaches next season.
• Equipment upgrades at the Oakland County Animal Shelter and Pet Adoption Center, including a veterinary multiparameter monitor, centrifuge and ultrasound machine.

Public Safety:

• Nearly $500,000 for the Prosecutor's Office to create a human trafficking unit to combat a recent rise in activity.
• Protective vest replacements for the Sheriff's Fugitive Apprehension and Narcotics Enforcement Teams.
• Funding for the Sheriff's Office to help secure large, regional public events like the Woodward Dream Cruise.

Housing and Human Services:

• Allocation of $300,000 for expanded wintertime emergency shelter which will increase capacity by 300 individuals experiencing homelessness during the coldest months.
• Continued funding for the Oakland Together Housing Trust Fund, launched in 2024, which has supported the development of more than 700 affordable, accessible housing units.
• Support for Oakland Connects, linking residents to housing, food and social services, plus expanded language translation access across county platforms.

Veterans' Services:

• Adding a veterans' benefits counselor position. Veterans' benefits counselors help veterans and their family members navigate programs and services and provide assistance in filing claims or appealing adverse decisions about their benefits.

Workforce Investment:

• A general salary increase of four percent for non-represented employees in FY 2026, followed by three percent increases in FY 2027 and FY 2028, to attract and retain skilled employees. Forbes has ranked Oakland County Government among the top 10 employers in Michigan.
• It also sustains the wages and robust benefits package reached through collective bargaining with union-represented employees.

The budget also reaffirms funding for programs with proven success, including:

• Oakland80, which has connected more than 8,000 residents to education and job training.
• Oakland Thrive and Project DIAMOnD, which provide critical support to small businesses and manufacturers.

This balanced budget does not draw from the fund balance for ongoing operations. The general fund budget is $606.2 million for FY 2026, $617.3 million for FY 2027 and $635.1 million for FY 2028. The total budget is $1.17 billion for FY 2026, $1.19 billion for FY 2027 and $1.21 billion for FY 2028.

Fiscal Year 2026 begins Oct. 1. Click here to view budget documents.