Oakland County Councilor Highlights ‘Change Without Chaos’ in State of the County Address
“It is possible for a local government to stretch itself, to do things it might not do in other normal times, to help its residents. We can have change without chaos, that just because we’re going through another period in our history of disruption and transformation, it doesn’t have to be destructive.”
In comments shared by The Detroit News, Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter highlighted the county’s investments in businesses, health care, housing, and transportation. He noted how the county responded to extraordinary challenges after the COVID-19 pandemic and economic unrest.
Coulter applauded Oakland County’s investment in programs and initiatives that prioritize mental health, education, financial relief, and entrepreneurship, calling attention to these examples of the county government moving beyond what people expected.
“We’ve stretched beyond the normal role of county government because that is what the times demanded of us,” Coulter said as he addressed a crowd at the Berman Center for the Performing Arts in West Bloomfield Township.
Coulter’s updates included spotlighting initiatives such as the Project Diamond initiative, designed to distribute 3D printers to more than 300 manufacturers.
Coulter added that the Oakland Thrive nonprofit, which connects small businesses with coaching and workshops, has assisted more than 15,000 startups since its inception in 2022.
He addressed gun violence in the county and noted its effect on young people, as well as mental health care. Investments in co-responder programs for law enforcement allow crisis response units to respond to substance abuse and mental health crisis calls, Coulter said.
Coulter said the county has also invested $2 million to help reduce medical debt. Through a partnership with Undue Medical Debt, an organization that purchases medical debt from local health care systems, 14,000 residents have been relieved of the burden of $9 million of medical debt.
