Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel praised the county's economy and announced Wednesday night in his annual State of the County address that long-awaited improvements to Mound Road will be completed just before Christmas.
Macomb County is nearing the end of a project that will rebuild Mound Round from 11 Mile Road to M-59. Additional improvements will also be made to the road, including adding an additional northbound and southbound lane from 17 Mile to M-59 and adding updated traffic signals and signs.
Hackel, who has served as county executive since 2011, highlighted Macomb County's successes and noted important upcoming projects in his speech, which he delivered to about 1,000 people at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts.
Hackel pointed to elected officials in the audience, including Attorney General Dana Nessel, Oakland County Clerk David Coulter and Wayne County Clerk Warren Evans.
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He said the county uses several methods to measure its success, including population. He said the county's population has become more diverse. Nearly 25% of residents identify as minorities, and nearly 100,000 people in the county are foreign-born, Hackel said.
“People from across the region and around the world choose to make Macomb their home,” he said.
Hackel spoke about housing and jobs. He said the average home price in the county is now over $240,000 and about 2,400 homes have been built in the county in the past two years. He said Macomb County is home to more than 460,000 workers and the unemployment rate is 3.9%. The national rate was 3.9% in October, while the state rate was 4.1%.
Public safety, economic initiatives
Hackel said the county is working on public safety projects, including a plan for a new central intake center for county jail inmates that will focus on supporting and assessing those with mental health issues.
He praised the Sheriff Marine Division's new headquarters on Lake St. Clair, which opened this week. The county replaced its old naval headquarters, built in 1974, as part of a $10 million project.
Hackel said the county's economy was valued at $46 billion a year ago. He highlighted some of Macomb County's target industries, including defense and aerospace, healthcare, agriculture and advanced manufacturing. 1,700 manufacturers in the district employ hundreds of thousands of people, Hackel said.
“We are home to the greatest concentration of manufacturing and engineering talent than anywhere else in the country,” he said.
Hackel also said Macomb's “continued economic vitality” depends on its ability to attract and retain “the people who make it possible.” He said there are more than 48,000 jobs available in the county and that the county is investing in career and technical training programs “to bridge the gap between the classroom and the world of work.”
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He noted that the county recently launched a recruitment drive to attract engineering talent. It uses social media and digital marketing to introduce Macomb's career opportunities to people in other states, he said.
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