Oakland County pushes envelope with triennial budget

Once palabras non gratta, the phrase "budget deficit" seems to have become expected an expected financial process in Michigan this decade.

It's a phenomena that has produced painful budget cut after budget cut and tax increases no one can say anything nice about. Oakland County is making a change in the way it does business to help stop this.

Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson announced that the county will be switching from a biennial to a triennial budget this year. That means the county will begin budgeting three years ahead instead of two.

The idea is to allow county officials to make more long-term plans, giving them more time and opportunities to avert or tamp down financial crisis before it hits.

Patterson says Oakland County will become the first county in Michigan and possibly the U.S. to make such a move.

Source: Oakland County
Writer: Jon Zemke
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