Flint, MI–On Sept. 30, the day before the start of the new fiscal year for Genesee County, the board of commissioners approved a budget.
The commissioners were split with a vote of 6-3 on the $99.9 million budget.
The previous vote to approve the budget on Sept. 24, failed after multiple commissioners voiced concerns about big budget cuts to public safety.
Originally, the prosecutor’s office general fund was going to be cut by $777,000 and the sheriff’s department was going to be cut by $2.5 million.
Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton informed commissioners that a cut that size would mean layoffs for his office.
Commissioner Brenda Clack didn’t support the budget last week, citing concerns about the cuts to public safety.
“My community is suffering now with some of the most horrendous things…I cannot weaken the safety, the security of my community,” she said at last week’s meeting.
Addressing public safety concerns, the newly approved budget allocates $220,000 from the general fund balance to the prosecutor’s budget, bringing the total cut down to $550,000.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Clack changed her vote after the budget amendment was made, allowing the budget to pass.
But, for one commissioner, the allocation of more funds to the prosecutor’s office was a negative thing.
Commissioner Ted Henry, who also didn’t support the budget last week, called it a “sad day.”
“I think this board should have stuck to their guns and treated him just like every other department, and made him find the shortcuts that everybody else had to find,” Henry said. “I cannot support the budget treating him special over the rest of the county.”
Like last week, Commissioner Mark Young and Commissioner Shaun Shumaker did not support the budget.