Wayne County committee reviews proposed budget language that would require quarterly and project reports from departments

Wayne County commissioners reviewed proposed budget-language instructions that would require departments and elected offices to submit a series of recurring and topic-specific reports, including quarterly staffing tallies, sheriff recruiting updates and status reports for several grant-funded initiatives.

The Committee on Ways and Means and staff framed the package as a way to document legislative intent and to collect information the commission can use during the year. "The report needs to be formally submitted through SciQuest/TCM," Mary Karr, deputy director in the Office of Fiscal Agency, told commissioners as she read recommended language and deadlines for multiple reports.

The proposed instructions specify timing and recipients for multiple reports. Examples included quarterly staffing reports due Jan. 15, April 15, July 15 and Sept. 15, 2026, the sheriff's recruiting reports due Dec. 1, 2025 and June 1, 2026, and recurring status reports for Vision to Learn, Eastern Market Fresh Trucks and other initiative contracts on the same quarterly schedule. The facilities management instruction would require a countywide inventory with property location, ownership status, lease terms, divisions occupying space and allocated square footage, along with associated operational or lease costs. Another new item would direct the Department of Management and Budget to review outstanding obligations from the airport authority for pre-2002 airport retirees.

Commissioners pressed for clarity on what the staffing reports should include. "It asks us for full time, part time, contract/consultant," Chair Kenlock said after staff confirmed the recommended language already requests those categories. Several commissioners asked that staffing reports also identify vacancies and the length and full- or part-time status of contractors so the commission can compare contractors to employees and see whether work performed by contractors is temporary or long-term.

Commissioner Clemente noted a desire for reports to show whether contractors are full- or part-time. "That way you'll get the actual employees of the county, then you'll get the actual contractors, and then you can compare the numbers," she said. Chair Kenlock and staff agreed to add additional detail to the staffing instruction.

Commissioner Baker McCormick asked about succession planning and workforce development, and staff pointed to an existing instruction on succession plans for senior appointees that can be expanded. "We can modify this if there's something of greater detail that you would like to see," the deputy director said. Commissioners suggested reviewing the first round of reports in December and then refining the instructions based on what is received.

Other specific reporting instructions discussed include: - Penal-fine disbursements: language drafted to require the county treasury's penal fine disbursement report that is sent to the state to be provided to the committee on Ways and Means within 30 days of the state submission. - Facilities: a detailed listing of county-owned, leased and operated locations with allocated square footage, funding sources and occupancy information, with deadlines Jan. 15 and July 15, 2026 for submission to the public services committee. - CJC subcontractors: reporting on subcontractor costs and pricing related to the County Justice Center management-company arrangements, with deadlines Feb. 1 and Aug. 1, 2026. - Health, Human and Veterans Services: quarterly status reports for Vision to Learn, Eastern Market Fresh Trucks and an Empowerment Plan (coats/sleeping-bags) contract, submitted to the health and human services committee on Jan. 15, April 15, July 15 and Sept. 15, 2026. - Economic development: a report on Community Development Block Grant disaster-recovery spending with reports due Feb. 1 and Aug. 1, 2026.

Mary Karr and other staff described how several items were added to a one-page update after the packet went out and said the final consolidated language will be circulated. Staff also said they will track outstanding reports and provide chairs with lists of late submissions.

Commissioners also discussed adding demographic details to certain health-related reporting. When a proposal to require opioid/Narcan-related data by gender and city was raised, Commissioner Baker McCormick suggested race be included as well; staff said they would check the language and add race if appropriate.

The committee did not take a final vote to adopt the language package at this meeting; staff said they would "clean everything up" and incorporate the one-page additions into a single revised packet for the full commission to review at a future meeting.

Ending

Staff said the first iteration of the revised instructions and a consolidated document will be circulated to commissioners and committee chairs ahead of the next round of budget deliberations so chairs can request items for their committee agendas and track late reports.