Wayne County Commission Approves Executive Evans' Ninth Consecutive Balanced Budget

WAYNE COUNTY, MI – The Wayne County Commission has approved Executive Warren C. Evans' $2.02 billion budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year – Wayne County's ninth consecutive balanced budget under the Evans Administration. The budget includes salary increases for the sheriff's office, prosecutor's office, county, and municipal employees, and more.

"I would like to thank Commission Chairwoman Alisha Bell and each of our commissioners for working with us to pass Wayne County's ninth consecutive balanced budget. When I first took office, we set out to save Wayne County from impending bankruptcy. Over the last nine years, we have done the tough work to stabilize our finances, and we continue to see the fruits of that labor," said Evans.

The 2023-2024 budget is an 11% increase over the 2022-2023 budget. Additionally, the mandatory pension spending is funded with a $5 million advanced contribution. This budget also includes funding for the transition to the new Criminal Justice Complex.

These efforts are paying off for the county. In 2022, all three major credit-rating agencies – Moody's Investors Services, Fitch Ratings and Standard and Poor's (S&P) – upgraded Wayne County's rating to the status of 'A1' from 'A3;' and an 'A' from a 'BBB+;' respectively (both Fitch and S&P). These upgrades are strong evidence of Wall Street's confidence in the County's fiscal stewardship and management.

"Our working relationship with the Commission has been solid. We all remain committed to improving wages and benefits for our staff and improving the quality of life for residents while also keeping Wayne County's fiscal health a top priority. As I said in my State of the County address, we've survived, stabilized and now, we can thrive," Evans added.

This year's budget set the stage for all the major unions to enter into and ratify good collective bargaining agreements including: the Police Officers Association of Michigan (POAM), the police captains, lieutenants and sergeants represented by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3317 as well as the attorneys in the Prosecutor's Office and Corporation Counsel represented by the Government Bar Association (GBA)

Residents and businesses also benefited from this year's budget. Highlights include:

$7 million for township road projects to improve Wayne County's infrastructure

$3 million will go to non-profit organizations and small businesses – including approximately $150,000 for the Western Wayne County Therapeutic Program that will assist in their services for those who are differently abled.

The newly approved budget also focuses on retaining and attracting employees with critical skills in our departments. It boosts the Health, Human & Veteran Services with a major investment in Well Wayne Initiatives for clean air, birth equity, food access, and overdose prevention and makes strides in supporting our critical infrastructure needs in the coming years.