KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — The Kalamazoo County Board held it’s annual retreat Tuesday night, and they plan on focusing their attention on fewer priorities this year.
Their biggest priority will be a deep dive into the budget and stepped up efforts to score state and federal grants to generate new sources of revenue to fund some of their ambition says Board Commissioner Chair John Taylor.
Other priorities selected by the board include affordable housing, improving mental health & substance abuse services and gun violence prevention. Taylor says an ad hoc committee has been picked to set clear goals to curb the killings.
One big priority for the last few years had been fighting racism, but Taylor says they now have a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Director to coordinate that effort.
Taylor says the County has been ending each year for the past decade with millions in leftover funding, and feels they should be doing a better job of getting that money out to the community.
The board also agreed to immediately add an assistant Corporate Counsel to their staff, and to fund psychology services to help Sheriff’s deputies cope with the pressure and trauma caused by their jobs.
reporting from John McNeill
Comments