Wayne County commissioners voted to forward the recommended comprehensive executive budget and appropriations ordinance for fiscal years 2025 6 and 2026 7 to the committee of Ways and Means, including a package of technical amendments and the budget instructions previously reviewed by the commission.

The motion to forward the proposed budget, as amended, passed on a roll-call vote recorded in the meeting as seven yes votes. The motion included forwarding technical amendments presented at the meeting and the budget instructions that commissioners had reviewed previously.

The budget presentation was opened by Terrence Adams, identified in the meeting as chief fiscal adviser. Adams said the commission would not repeat earlier budget instructions and that the materials before the committee reflected corrections made after the prior meeting. County staff member Vista Whitfield reviewed the technical amendments that staff recommended be incorporated into the ordinance. Whitfield described amendments that add, remove or recertify funding for specific projects and department line items.

Among the technical amendments reviewed at the meeting were:
- Decertification of revenue sources/uses erroneously added for the Wayne County Building Authority (listed in the packet as technical amendment number 14). (amount not specified)
- HHVS rental funds: certify $13,000 to pay for rentals (technical amendment 15).
- Prosecutor's Office: decertify $150,000 related to the Fair Michigan Foundation grant (technical amendment 16; decrease).
- HHVS: increase $10,000 to support the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) hub state grant (technical amendment 17).
- DPS projects: certify two commission-initiated projects (a roundabout at 7 Mile and Sheldon Road and a pedestrian bridge on Beck Road), increasing appropriation by $1,300,000 (technical amendment 18).
- Additional funding for a Western Wayne County initiative (listed in the packet as "Western Wayne County Special Lives Grama"); the transcript names the initiative but does not specify an amount (technical amendment 19; amount not specified).
- Stipends for a high-deductible health plan: increase appropriation by $120,000 (technical amendment 20).
- Economic development: support for the Renaissance of Hope Resource Hub Development Project, increasing appropriation by $3,000,000 (technical amendment 21).
- Economic development: support for the Samaritan's Family Independence Center, increasing appropriation by $1,000,000 (technical amendment 22).
- A commission initiative listed as township pay from DPS: increase appropriation by $14,000,000 (technical amendment 23).
- An additional item described in the transcript as a technical amendment (the transcript repeats the number 14) to cover basketball courts at Hyatts Park, increasing appropriation by $100,000 (the transcript lists this as a duplicate amendment number; numbering inconsistency noted below).

Whitfield told commissioners the list of corrections concluded the amendments to the initial fiscal-year 2026 CEO-recommended budget. Commissioners asked questions about specific amendments. Commissioner Baker McCormick asked for more detail on the $3 million Renaissance of Hope Resource Hub item; Whitfield said it was a commission initiative and offered to discuss details offline. Commissioner Anderson queried whether an adjustment for a veterans'burial benefit was included; staff said it was not in the packet and would be taken up at a future Ways and Means meeting.

The meeting record also shows a correction to previously discussed amendment amounts: a previously stated $403,000 figure for a technical amendment was revised to $201,777, and a training appropriation for Global Visions Technology & in-service training (technical amendment 12) was recorded as $500,000.

During the discussion of the clerk's office budget lines, commissioners and staff discussed a reduction in a legal-services line and an overtime allotment. Terrence Adams told the commission that the clerk's office budget line under discussion reflected an overall departmental increase from the prior year while noting other increases across the budget; he said the change before the commission would recognize a requested $500,000 in overtime-related costs but that particular line-item adjustments resulted in an increase from the previous year for the clerk's office overall.

Wayne County Clerk Kathy M. Garrett addressed the committee during public comment. Garrett said she had requested an additional $90,000 for overtime on Sept. 18 and described her concern that a line-item reduction could affect her office's ability to secure outside counsel for pending litigation. Garrett said, "I didn't quite understand your response'... the timing of reducing that line item to me pales beyond suspicion," and said the decrease raised worries about carrying out mandated, unfunded duties in the clerk's court division. Her remarks were entered on the record and staff responded that the matter would receive further discussion at Ways and Means.

A procedural vote to forward the proposed budget, including the technical amendments and previously reviewed budget instructions, was made by the vice chair and seconded by Commissioner Marecki. The meeting record shows a roll-call vote with recorded affirmatives from Commissioner Scott, Commissioner McCormick, Commissioner Marecki, Commissioner Clementi, Commissioner Anderson, Vice Chair Badu and Chair Kellogg; the chairman announced the motion carried.

Routine business votes on meeting minutes and adjournment were also recorded. The commission approved minutes from Sept. 23 (vote recorded in the meeting as approved; specific tally not recorded in the transcript excerpt). The meeting adjourned after the budget motion and the completion of public comment.

What happened next: the forwarded budget and listed technical amendments will proceed to the full Ways and Means committee for further review; staff and commissioners indicated some line items (including the clerk's overtime and legal services funding) will be discussed further at that committee meeting.