Macomb County commissioners – current and former – continue to stew over County Executive Mark Hackel’s criticism of the 2011 budget they compiled, especially when the executive labeled the spending plan a “disaster.”
Hackel said recently that the budget approved by the 2009-10 Board of Commissioners needed several fixes and was out of balance, on day one, by a whopping $13.5 million.
Ex-commissioners say that’s a disingenuous ploy by the executive. As the budget was being wrapped up last fall, the board agreed to use an unexpected $8 million surplus from 2009 and expected savings produced in 2010-11 to plug the remaining hole in the budget. In particular, the commissioners counted on $2.4 million in gains that are “to be determined.”
It was assumed that the consolidation within the county charter would allow enough streamlining and restructuring to produce considerable savings. But pro-Hackel commissioners insisted that the use of the surplus and the determination of what reforms could produce the necessary $2.4 million should be left to the executive.
Supposedly, Hackel also indicated privately to commissioners late last year that he didn’t want his hands tied by 11th-hour budget decisions or a transition team created by the board.
In addition, commissioners complain that Hackel is being petty in his bid to take away some of the board’s support staff and add those workers to the executive office.
While most current and former commissioners are not willing to criticize Hackel publicly, Commissioner David Flynn, a Sterling Heights Democrat, has said that “either he was playing politics with this issue or (he) wasn’t paying attention.”
