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Wayne County Commissioners today issued $19.8 million in funding to help finance 13 economic development projects in Detroit and four suburban communities. Eight of the projects are based in Detroit and one each in Brownstown Township, Grosse Pointe Woods, Hamtramck and Westland. Another is regional.

The county’s share augments some $170 million in community projects ranging from creating new residences and preservation of historic structures to development of walkways, greenways and recreation areas.

Other support will come from the state, local foundations and private individuals. The projects are separate from the American Recovery Act projects previously approved for funding by the commission and not subject to federal deadlines.

“These projects fall into four categories: education, workforce development, affordable housing and parks and recreation,” Commission Chair Alisha Bell (D-Detroit) said.

County contribution to Detroit projects include:

• Ossian H. Sweet Foundation - $226,952 for redevelopment of the historic Ossian H. Sweet home, site of a pivotal event in Civil Rights history.
• Paradise Valley Cultural & Entertainment District Conservancy - $2 million to redevelop Beatrice Park, Gratiot Plaza and other district projects.
• University Commonwealth of Detroit - $500,000 to help create a small business sustainability initiative.
• Grandmont Rosedale Development Corp. - $2.5 million to help create Minock Park Place, an affordable senior housing complex with retail space.
• Detroit Horse Power - $1.4 million to develop an urban equestrian educational center.
• Give Merit, Inc. - $2 million to develop sports, recreational and educational infrastructure.
• National Faith Homebuyers - $500,000 for Phase III of its Detroit Down Payment Assistance Program.

Suburban projects include:

• Brownstown Township - $2 million for the township’s Community Center Redevelopment Project.
• Friends of the Rouge - $4.59 million to help develop the Rouge Gateway Greenway, the second phase of a 20-year walkway project linking Detroit and suburban communities.
• Grosse Pointe Woods - $380,000 for safety improvements to the Mack Avenue and Vernier Road intersection.
• Westland - $2.5 million to create the Nankin Square community center adjacent to city hall in the City Centre District.
• Hamtramck Parks Conservancy - $251,766 to install new restrooms and other improvements to Keyworth Stadium, the city’s historic Negro Leagues ballpark.

Other projects include $1 million to Eccalon, LLC of Hanover, Md. for cyber security workforce development.

Wayne County Commissioners today adopted a balanced $2.02 billion operating budget
for the 2023-24 fiscal year, with money set aside for county township initiative projects
involving roads, a therapeutic park for those with special needs, non-profit and small businesses.

The budget is balanced for the ninth consecutive year under the administration of County Executive Warren C. Evans and reflects wage and salary increases of 2.5 to 3 percent for sheriff’s deputies, county prosecutor’s staff and other county employees.

“We have lost key personnel to other counties for far too long and this past year, as
county finances continue to improve, we made it a priority to retain and attract quality
employees,” commission Chair Alisha Bell (D-Detroit) said.

In other highlights:

The budget includes $7 million for the county township initiative. The township initiative
covers road projects in the county’s nine townships, which have been underfunded for several recent years.

Some $150.000 will be distributed to the Western Wayne County Therapeutic Program,
which provides services for an estimated 8,000 special needs individuals from 25 county communities.

Non-profit and small businesses in Wayne County will receive $3 million in grants and
funding programs to be developed by the Economic Development Corporation.
Funding for the county pension system continues to rise and is now reaching a 65 percent funded level in contrast to the 44 percent recorded in 2013.

As has been recent practice, the budget also includes a projected budget for 2024-25 to
guide future spending.

The budget was adopted after presentations by22 departments and elected officials over 11 meetings held this summer with representatives of the county commission, county executive’s office, county elected officials and department heads. For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, several budget hearing meetings were held outside the county building, with sites in Detroit, Lincoln Park, Dearborn and Northville Township serving as hosts.

“I am pleased with the cooperation we received from everyone. Much appreciation to
County Executive Warren Evans and Deputy County Executive Assad Turfe for setting the collegial tone from the beginning, countywide elected officials, department heads, Terrance T. Adams, the county commission’s chief fiscal advisor/budget director, and his staff,” said Commissioner Jonathan C. Kinloch (D-Detroit), who headed the budget meetings as Chair of the Committee on Ways & Means. “This budget will do a lot in continuing to move the county forward.”

Wayne County Executive Warren Evans said Thursday he is hiring a new financial team of one chief financial officer and two deputy CFOs, recruiting from the cities of Detroit and Flint and a nonprofit museum, but the nominations are subject to county commission approval.

Evans is appointing John Wallace, a current Detroit financial official, to become the county's chief financial officer. He would replace Hughey Newsome, who resigned in November to become the chief financial officer for the Piston Group, founded by Chairman Vinnie Johnson.

Wallace comes from the city of Detroit, where he was the agency CFO for the city’s Public Infrastructure group that includes the Department of Transportation, Department of Public Works, Municipal Parking and the Airport.

“I am excited to join the Evans Administration and begin the next phase of my career with Wayne County,” Wallace said in a county-provided statement. “The county has made strong financial strides over the last several years and I look forward to being a part of its future and positively impacting the residents of Wayne County.”

Two other appointees are Flint Chief Financial Officer Robert Widigan, who would become the county's deputy chief financial officer, and Sharron Rose, the CFO for the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit who would become the deputy finance director of financial reporting and compliance for the Health, Human and Veterans Services Department.

Widigan has been in public service for almost 15 years, including working for the state of Michigan, Genesee County and city of Lansing. He had been chief financial officer of Flint since August 2021.

Two other appointees are Flint Chief Financial Officer Robert Widigan, who would become the county's deputy chief financial officer, and Sharron Rose, the CFO for the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit who would become the deputy finance director of financial reporting and compliance for the Health, Human and Veterans Services Department.

Widigan has been in public service for almost 15 years, including working for the state of Michigan, Genesee County and city of Lansing. He had been chief financial officer of Flint since August 2021.

Wayne County's finances haven't been problem-free. Last year, the county failed to submit an external audit to the state and missed a March 31 deadline. County officials got an extension from the Michigan Department of Treasury through May 5.

"It's a bad signal," Newsome told county commissioners at a March 30. "There's a significant risk this could lead to declination in our bond ratings."

The county ended up meeting the later deadline.