KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners approved the 2023 budget earlier this week. With an 8-to-2 vote, they approved a budget for $120 million.
The county plans to prioritize three initiatives: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI); safety; and recruitment and retention.
“I think that in this budget, our constituents will notice that we've really tried to offer greater funding for priorities that really drive home the mission of the county, which is extraordinary, extraordinary governance,” said Kevin Catlin, the Kalamazoo County administrator and controller.
This new budget will allow the county to create more employment opportunities within the DEI department.
“The DEI department will now include another staff person to assist the director in really trying to educate, not only internal county employees, but also the communities on why it's important to create a welcoming, approachable, diverse community within the county that is inclusive,” Catlin added.
In terms of recruitment and retention, the county hopes to be more inclusive when it comes to conducting background checks. That means performing the checks when the applicant has been offered the position. Credit checks will only be done if necessary.
Catlin said they plan to ramp up their involvement in the I.D. program.
“There's new funding in there that will create a full time position to offer greater service delivery in that area. And there's funding in there that addresses things such as better wages for our county employees that were some are underpaid," Catlin explained.
On top of the $120 million budget, Catlin said the board approved nearly $39 million in ARPA funds that will address mental health, substance abuse, gun violence and a host of other issues within the county.
