LANSING, Mich. (Sept. 22, 2021) — Southern Oakland County’s state legislators today approved critical funding for the Fiscal Year 2022 state budget that will support local infrastructure, public safety, community health, and parks and recreation projects.

Totaling just under $70 billion — using a combination of state and federal funds — the bipartisan budget agreement provides opportunities to renew and rebuild Michigan in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, prioritizing the health and wellness of Michiganders, their families, and communities.

“A budget is a statement of our values, and I’m proud to support a budget that invests in what I value most: the people of our district,” Sen. Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield) said. “I’m grateful for the strong partnership with my colleagues that helps us deliver for the constituents we represent. Our efforts secured the needed funding for community projects that will enhance the quality of life in southern Oakland County.”

Included in the budget, state funding will be allocated to public safety personnel in Farmington Hills to support police crisis intervention training ($300,000) and replace a fire prevention trailer ($100,000). Farmington Hills City Hall will also make a $36,000 upgrade its infrastructure for electric vehicle charging stations. The Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills will maintain its $500,000 state investment to continue its critical programming.

“Crafting a smart, strategic budget is our paramount responsibility to Michigan taxpayers, and I believe this budget has done just that,” said Rep. Samantha Steckloff (D-Farmington Hills). “These investments in Farmington and Farmington Hills will directly improve the lives of all of our neighbors, and I am grateful and proud to have worked with my colleagues in Lansing to make these values-driven budgetary priorities a reality.”

State resources will be directed to enhance Southfield’s Carpenter Lake Nature Preserve Park ($600,000) and improve Lathrup Village’s storm ditch system ($200,000).

“I am pleased we have secured funds to improve our infrastructure. The appropriations for our community will help prevent extensive flooding in the future, as investing in our infrastructure today will create a better quality of living for years to come,” said Rep. Kyra Bolden (D-Southfield). “I am proud to have been a part of the historic investments made with this year’s budget that will bring direct relief to our residents who have endured so much to this point.”

In southeast Oakland County, Kids Kicking Cancer, a student healing and wellness initiative piloted in Oak Park Public Schools, will receive $200,000 to expand its impact, and Royal Oak Township will be allocated $125,000 for recreation center improvements. Additionally, the state increased funding by $250,000 to free clinics, including FernCare Free Clinic in Ferndale.

“Programs like Kids Kicking Cancer provide indispensable mental health support for students that is needed now more than ever. We also sought and secured increased accessibility for health services such as the free clinics receiving increased funding in this budget,” Rep. Regina Weiss (D-Oak Park) said. “I’m also pleased to see investments for the Royal Oak Township Recreation Center that will provide much needed repairs and maintenance and increased access to recreational opportunities for a community that has often been left behind by the state.”

The budget also includes increased revenue sharing for local communities, a permanent direct-care worker wage increase, funds for educator shortages, and infrastructure appropriations to replace lead service lines and crumbling roads and bridges. It also provides major investments in programs to help skilled trades shortages and funding the Futures for Frontliners program to provide tuition assistance for aspiring health care workers.

 

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