Ways and Means committee approves budget adjustments, including $9M for airport stormwater work

The Wayne County Ways and Means Committee voted to receive and file the treasurer’s first-quarter investment report and to approve a set of budget adjustments covering law enforcement, the general fund, capital projects and staffing needs, including a $9 million county contribution to a Wayne County Airport stormwater project.

Committee members moved and supported a single motion to receive item 1 and approve items 2 through 10; the chair recorded his yes vote and the motion carried. Commissioners asked for additional detail on several items before final board action; staff acknowledged outstanding questions for one budget adjustment and agreed to provide the follow-up information.

Investment report: John Kravitz (Treasurer’s Office) told the committee that, for the first quarter (Oct. 1–Dec. 31, 2024), the county had approximately $1,740,000,000 in the general fund and $41,300,000 in the reserve fund, for a total of about $1,784,000,000 under management. The office reported $19,761,000 in interest earnings for the quarter, of which about $19,200,000 was earned in the general fund and $470,000 in the reserve fund.

Airport project and capital funding (item 9): Greg McIntyre (Management and Budget) described a $9,000,000 county contribution to a capital project at the Wayne County Airport intended to expand Pond 6 (stormwater discharge) and construct a new force main for Pond 3. Economic-development staff and the airport authority said the project’s rough order of magnitude earlier was about $41.6 million; after bids and scope adjustments the working figure presented to the committee was approximately $28,332,370. County staff said FedEx and the project developer also are funding portions of the work; one presenter said FedEx’s related investment numbered in the hundreds of millions as part of broader development nearby.

Michael Jackson, senior vice president for economic development at the Wayne County Airport Authority, named two principal contractors involved in the work: Toby Construction (headquartered in Wixom, Michigan) on the force main and Angelo Iofredi Construction (headquartered in Warren, Michigan) for Pond 6 work. Jackson said there are additional subcontractors but that the airport authority would provide the main subcontractor list as work progresses.

Several commissioners asked for ongoing reporting on contractor selections, subcontractor participation and project progress. Commission counsel said the county’s agreement with the airport is a cost sharing agreement and that it is not structured like a county construction contract that would give the county routine contract-level oversight over airport procurement; commissioners asked staff to secure regular updates. County counsel and staff agreed to provide project updates to the Economic Development Committee or another venue designated by the chair.

Other approved items: the committee approved multiple budget adjustments that included vehicle replacements (a cargo van described as a replacement vehicle for moving court files and equipment across county locations), reallocations in law enforcement and the general fund, and a staffing budget adjustment that included funding for a proposed position. On the staffing item (item 7), Deputy Budget Director Greg McIntyre and Mary Carr (Deputy Director) explained the salary listed ($85,000) and that the larger budget adjustment ($426,915) includes additional contractual services and reallocation of funds; commissioners requested and staff committed to provide an itemized breakdown before the full-board vote.

The committee took one consolidated vote to receive item 1 and approve items 2–10. Chair Kinloch recorded a yes vote and the motion carried; staff noted that item 7’s additional backup information is pending and was approved with the understanding supplemental detail would be provided.

Ending: Staff said proposals and reports on these items will be circulated per the chair’s request and that follow-up updates on the airport project, contractor lists and outstanding budget-detail questions will be provided at future committee meetings.