A Note from Commissioner Morgan

Your county government has been busy working for you, our residents. I am so proud to represent you as the County Commissioner for District 8 and want to hear from you as we move forward with some big decisions here in Washtenaw County. As you’ll hear in this newsletter, the Board is in the early stages of our next four-year budget, we have allocated and will continue to allocate much-needed federal resources throughout our community, and we are working to ensure ongoing support for essential human services inclusive of mental health, public health and economic and community development. In addition to our many fundamental priorities, we’ve also been taking action to support our LGBTQ community by recognizing Transgender Day of Visibility, standing with our unions by passing a resolution to support local Starbucks Workers’ unionization efforts, and continuing to advance racial equity. Overall, it is my priority as a commissioner to ensure that we are providing quality, accessible, and efficient government services and to ensure that we are supporting all of our residents, particularly those most in need throughout our county.

Jason Morgan
Commissioner, District 8

The Creation of the Community Priority Fund

On March 2nd, the Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the second usage of American Rescue Plan funds. This package approved the launching of a mobile service support initiative that will connect resources and providers to neighborhoods, an investment in the health departments' efforts to respond to COVID and address longstanding social determinants of health, and the creation of a Community Priority Fund.

The Community Priority Fund (CPF) is a strategic initiative funded by the Board of Commissioners to increase equitable, community-informed allocations of ARPA funding, and to support full, ecosystem development for organizations that have not been previously eligible to contract with Washtenaw County. This fund will support innovative programs across a number of topic areas, including community violence intervention, addressing educational disparities, expanding early childhood education, providing direct assistance to households, and addressing housing and homelessness. All programs are required to support low access to opportunity areas, primarily in the 48197 and 48198 zip codes.

The County's Racial Equity Office opened a portal for interested organizations and businesses to submit their proposals in March that closed last week. The next step of this process will be for county staff, a community advisory board, and the county administrator to review proposals and provide recommendations to the Board of Commissioners. More updates will be provided on the County's website in the coming weeks and months.

Launching A New Budget Cycle

One of the primary topics of the Board’s Working Session meetings during the first quarter was the start of a deep dive into the Washtenaw County Quadrennial Budget. The goal is to ensure commissioners and the community have a good understanding of what is currently funded by Washtenaw County. The Commissioners view this step to educate and inform as crucial ahead of numerous discussions and input opportunities to develop budget priorities for the next Quadrennial budget.

At the March 16th Working Session, County Administrator Gregory Dill presented a high-level overview of the revenues and expenditures of the county’s general fund. He also laid out a timeline for additional presentations and conversations across several policy areas, including Public Safety & Justice, Health & Human Services, and more.

Members of the public are welcome to attend Working Session presentations to learn more. Working Session meetings are currently held virtually and in-person on the first and third Wednesday of the month at 5:30 pm. Learn more by going to the Board of Commissioners' Meetings page.

There is an opportunity to give public comment at these meetings. However, it is encouraged to either leave a public comment using a written comment portal on the website or by attending the Board of Commissioner’s full meeting which happens immediately after the working session.

Office of Community and Economic Development Updates and Resources

In the first quarter of 2022, the Board received several updates on the work of the Office of Community and Economic Development (OCED) to serve our community. In the first quarter of 2022, OCED continued operating the COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program, recruited youth and employers for another year of the SummerWorks youth and young adult employment program, and released their 2021 Barrier Busters annual report.

The CERA program provided over $6 million of rental, utility, and internet assistance to more than 850 households in 2021. This program, which is a partnership between OCED, Housing Access for Washtenaw County, and SOS Community Service, continued to serve Washtenaw County residents during the first three months of 2022, and will continue to do so moving forward. Learn more, including how to access assistance here.

SummerWorks is a summer employment, mentorship, and professional development program for young adults from ages 16 to 24. SummerWorks strengthens the community and develops talent by leveraging local resources and networks to provide career opportunities and mentorship to young adults. In the first quarter, OCED and their partners at the University of Michigan and Michigan Works once again recruited young adults, employers, and mentors for this years program. Learn more @ SummerWorks.info

At the end of the first quarter, the Barrier Busters Network, coordinated by OCED, released its 2021 Annual Report. The report showed the initiative providing over $500,000 of support to over 900 households to stay in their homes, keep the lights on, afford transportation, and more. The Board has and will continue to support the Barrier Busters program with direct funding, advocacy, and staff support. Individuals interested in learning more can visit the Barrier Busters webpage.

Also during the first quarter, the Board continued to support OCED by approving a number of grants that come from the state and federal governments. This includes the funding of a number of critical programs like coordinating the county's housing and homelessness response, providing important resources to seniors like Meals on Wheels, and making community infrastructure improvements. The Board also approved the acceptance of grants to expand OCED's Home Improvement programs, which provide free home improvement services to lower-income households. To learn more, including how to apply, go to this webpage.

Other Updates from the First Quarter

Click each title to read the full update: