ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Through Mark’s leadership as the first ever executive for Macomb County, the implementation of the new county charter has been an effective and positive transformation. Mark’s vision for Macomb County Government is focused on three key pillars: Efficient, Transparent & Ethical. Building upon these successes is a key component of providing sustainable government to residents and businesses in Macomb County.
As the Macomb County Executive, Mark’s has delivered a more efficient county government. Through Mark’s time as executive, he eliminated an initial budget gap of more than $52 million and all SEVEN of the county’s budgets were balanced. Through strategic efforts including reorganizing departments, instituting multi-year budget cycles, leveraging realistic forecasts, managing unfunded liabilities and cultivating new revenue, Macomb County has raised its bond ratings from both Standard and Poor’s (AA+) and Moody’s Investor Services (Aa1).
Mark’s second pillar as County Executive is transparency. Mark recognizes how important transparency in government is to constituents, and is committed to responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars. Macomb County was the first in Michigan to provide a significant web-based “dashboard” which provides citizens with information about county operations. For those reasons, the county is ensuring that budget data and information about expenditures is made available to the public through this website. Mark firmly believes that the public provides an important role in providing oversight to government and should be able to inspect how their government utilizes their resources.
The third promise Mark delivered on is to provide ethical government. The County Executive’s office has set high standards and expectations among every county employee. Within its first year of operation, the County Executive’s office established the Macomb County Ethics Board to provide independent oversight and ensure that Macomb County government operates in a highly professional and ethical manner. As such, Mark ensured that Macomb County doesn’t just meet state standards recommended for ethics and financial information transparency and clarity, but that it exceeds them.
As a result of these commitments, Macomb County has seen five key areas of sustained growth and improvement:
Continuously Growing Population and Diversity
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Since 2010 more than 12 people a day have made Macomb their home,
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In 2017 the county added nearly 3,000 new residents
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Macomb County continues to be a welcoming place, the county’s minority population continues to grow, 10% of Macomb county residents are foreign born
Rising Educational Attainment
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Since 2010 Macomb County’s educational profile has added more than 22 Thousand associates, bachelors and graduate degrees.
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Mark’s focus on training and workforce development has meant not only are residents able to find a more prosperous career pathway, but that the county workforce is able to find the talent necessary to compete in a global economy.
Family Income Levels Increasing
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In 2016 Macomb’s median household income rose by 9 percent
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This was one of the largest increases in the state, and brings Macomb County’s household income back above the state average, something it hasn’t been in nearly 20 years.
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In 2010, Macomb County families took home $10.7 billion in private sector earnings. In 2017 that number is up to $15.8, a nearly 50% increase
Added Jobs Every Year Under Mark’s Leadership
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Macomb County’s unemployment rate stands at 4.1 percent
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Right now, our workforce has risen to more than 440,000 individuals returning us to near historic highs in jobs, and continues to grow.
Housing In Macomb County On The Rise
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In 2016 we added more than 14 Hundred housing units to Macomb County
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And the median home value increased by nearly 9 thousand dollars