Macomb County Board adopts FY 2026 budget, clarifies staffing numbers

The Macomb County Board of Commissioners adopted the fiscal year 2026 Comprehensive General Appropriations Ordinance (Ordinance 2025-O2) by a 13-0 vote on Nov. 20.

Vice Chair, speaking during final discussion, sought to correct public understanding of staffing changes: "The word cut implies you already have 18 and a half positions. What we are doing in effect is not approving 18 and a half new positions," the Vice Chair said, adding that the board was not planning layoffs but was declining to appropriate certain proposed new roles from the county executive’s budget. The board recorded no layoffs in the motion before it.

Chair praised the county finance team for their work during a difficult budget process. "The budget is the goal for next year. Budget amendments do come to us throughout the year, and we deal with those, as needed," the Chair said, commending continuous improvement in the process.

The ordinance authorizes the county’s general appropriations for FY 2026. Commissioners asked that staff and department heads engage in more frequent, monthly conversations so the board can better track real-time needs and reduce information bottlenecks during future budget reviews.

The board took the vote after a period of committee review and public comment, including remarks from finance staff and volunteers who supported the process. The ordinance will govern county spending and appropriation levels for the coming fiscal year; the transcript records the motion to adopt by Commissioner Kraft, supported by Commissioner Wallace, and a unanimous recorded vote of 13 to 0.

The board did not record any directive to implement layoffs as part of this vote; any staffing or appropriation changes beyond the ordinance would require subsequent board action.