L. Brooks Patterson draws hard line in sand about regional transit in State of the County Address

Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson said he can’t do it and he won’t do it.

Patterson made it very clear during his State of the County Address Wednesday night at the Flagstar Strand Theater in downtown Pontiac that he will not support a regional transit tax that other regional leaders are trying to get on the ballot in November.

“They’re asking me to betray my constituents, violate my oath of office, and overnight become a regional taxing icon,” said Patterson. “I will never betray the public that I respect and represent.”

In 2016, a Regional Transit Authority ballot proposal was shot down by voters in Oakland and Macomb County but approved in Wayne and Washtenaw County.

Patterson said Wednesday night there were communities in northern and western Oakland County that chose to opt-out of a 1995 transit plan. Since 1996, the county’s “opt-in” communities have paid $352 million in taxes to support regional transit.

He said a new plan is being floated for the 2018 November ballot that amounts to a 1.56 mill property tax and that he proposed the 24 opt-in communities were taxed, and not the others.

“The Wayne, Detroit, and Washtenaw advocates said my potential tax area would be inadequate to fund the upscale RTA plan some have proposed on the 2018 ballot,” said Patterson. “A request was made that I force opt-out communities into the plan.”

The communities mentioned were Novi, Waterford, Lake Angelus, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Keego Harbor, Sylvan Lake, Orchard Lake and Bloomfield Hills.

Patterson said he has been criticized for not forcing those communities, that long ago opted out of a regional transit plan, into the 2018 proposal.

“They argue that would be a mark of leadership to bring in those communities to obtain additional revenue whether they like it or not,”said Patterson. “They call it leadership. I call it betrayal. I will not betray them and slip some, or all of them, into a tax machine from which they can expect little or no return on their investment.”

RECORD INVESTMENT

In 2017, the county broke a record for new investment in a single year with 62 companies investing $1.2 billion. That investment created 9,500 jobs and helped retain 8,400.

Patterson began his address speaking to that experienced economic growth, specifically investment from international companies. He expects significant investment to continue in 2018.

Last year, twenty-seven international companies from 13 countries invested $305 million in new operations or expanded facilities within the county. Patterson said there are at least 270 Japanese companies with a presence in the county. RELATED: Japanese-style garden coming to Novi

“All of this foreign direct investment helps create incredible pockets of foreign culture in Oakland County,” said Patterson. “Countries such as Brazil, China, Germany, India, Israel, Japan, and South Korea invested in Oakland County. That’s a big exclamation point since these countries represent some of the largest economies in the world who chose to invest with us.”

Three companies were highlighted by Patterson as having contributed to this $1.2 billion investment record including:

Japan-based DENSO International America, a supplier of advanced automotive technology systems and components: Investing $75 million into its North American regional headquarters in Southfield

Sweden-based Autoliv, manufacturer of automotive safety systems such as radar and night vision,: Investing around $22 million to consolidate its operations into a new 180,000-square-foot facility in Southfield

South Korea-based LG Electronics, an electronics company working in the electric vehicle and renewable battery market: Investing $25 million by building a 250,000-square-foot assembly plant in Hazel Park and enlarging its engineering and design center in Troy

According to Patterson, another positive economic indicator is the reemergence of “spec” building on vacant industrial property. This is when developers build commercial buildings without having any tenants lined up to lease space.

Examples include the Tri-County Commerce Center, a 575,000-square-foot light-manufacturing and distribution facility on 10 Mile Road in Hazel Park and a 109,000-square-foot light industrial facility being built along Opdyke Road in Auburn Hills.

Patterson said developers know the county’s economic conditions are strong and don’t anticipate having any difficulty in finding commercial tenants for their buildings.

GROWTH OF TECH INDUSTRY

The technology industry, the county’s second largest sector, is showing the greatest amount of growth in including advances in augmented reality, which combines the real and virtual world to enhance training and experiences as well as robotics.

“We have a number of augmented reality companies prospering here in Oakland County which are serving a variety of sectors from the military to private industry, helping them to train better and improve processes,” said Patterson.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: Oakland County named second most digitally advanced county in the country

TECH GROWTH: “Huge growth opportunity” for tech industry in Oakland County

Patterson added that southeast Michigan has the highest number of robots in commercial use in the World. He said this kind of market has created a demand for robot manufacturing companies to locate to the county.

A few of the robotics companies with locations in the county include: Italy-based Comau in Southfield, Royal Oak and Novi; Fanuc Robotics America in Rochester Hills; and Kawasaki Robotics in Wixom.

Oakland County is the robotics hub of Michigan,” said Patterson. “We are home to the “Oakland County Competitive Robotics Association, whose mission is to increase the number of high school students involved in competitive robotics.”

Among the 62 companies that located or expanded into the county during 2017, 28 fall under the advanced electronics and information technology and communications umbrella.

“Oakland County’s greatest growth is in the technology sector, especially in advanced electronics with a focus on information technology and communications which we have branded Tech248,” said Patterson. “Technology is our second largest and fastest growing economic sector with more than 2,000 information technology and communication companies in Oakland County.’

Tech248 helps technology companies collaborate and attract, develop and retain talent while promoting the county as a global technology hub. The Emerging Sectors program attracts 21st Century jobs in the knowledge-based economy including information technology, aerospace, healthcare, automotive, robotics and automation as well as alternative energy and power generation.

SKILLED TRADES TRAINING

In December, the county received more than $2 million in state Skilled Trades Training Funds to help 86 businesses hire and train new employees as well as develop apprenticeship programs.

The funding will allow employers to train staff and give them the opportunity to receive industry-recognized credentials in advanced manufacturing, software programming, construction trades and robotic operations.

In order to fill the county’s workforce pipeline with people that have in-demand talent, Patterson said the four Oakland Schools technical campuses continue to offer hands-on training and innovative approaches in the technical skilled trades. .

“Students are receiving real-life training from instructors who actually work in their respective fields with state-of-the-art equipment that is currently in use in their industries,” said Patterson. The students gain a competitive advantage by acquiring both technical skills and required academic credits for graduating from high school.”

APPRENTICESHIP GUIDE: Oakland County’s 2017-2019 Apprenticeships Guide reveals 19 new occupations

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT: Oakland Community College’s new scholarship an opportunity for students with in-demand skill-sets

MANUFACTURING DAY: Local students’ eyes open to new opportunities during National Manufacturing Day

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CONCERNS

According to Patterson, nearly 40 percent of the country’s workforce could be unemployable over time due to the emergence of artificial intelligence (A-I) in the workplace, although it may help some perform their jobs better.

He said some of his top administrative officials have begun having broader discussions with industry experts in order to ask questions surrounding its impact on future jobs.

“There is no question that A-I is a controversial concept – not a concept any longer, it’s reality,” said Patterson. “There are jobs, for instance, that A-I could totally eliminate in the coming decades, especially jobs that have repetitive tasks.

The county has yet to develop policies or initiatives that can be weaved into its business and educational practices in order to prepare for what’s to come, but Patterson said these early conversations.highlight the county’s willingness to take a look over the horizon to determine our best course of action.

“There is no doubt that we will lead the way to a solution,” said Patterson.

OPIOID EPIDEMIC

In October, the county joined forces with Wayne County in filing a lawsuit against 12 pharmaceutical companies over the Big Tobacco-style marketing of prescription drugs, specifically opioids.

Confirmed opioid-related deaths in the county increased 267 percent from nine deaths in 2009 to 33 deaths in 2015, said Patterson.

“During this period of an exponential rise in opioid addictions and deaths - which is ongoing by the way - opioid manufacturers and distributors have conducted a marketing campaign to the medical community and patients,’ said Patterson. “The understatement of the night: We’ve got an opiate problem.”

Over the past few years, the county has been focused on educating medical professionals about these highly-addictive and possibly deadly drugs. Patterson said that focus has now shifted to the community at-large.

“Our goal is to get doctors to consider opioid prescriptions only to assist in immediate recovery after surgery or a catastrophic accident,” said Patterson. ‘Further, we will try to get patients to be part of that pain management decision-making paradigm that makes opioid prescriptions an extreme last resort. On that point, we believe we can have a long-term impact on reducing opioid abuse in Oakland County.”

SHERIFF’S OFFICE DEPUTIES HONORED

In addition to the county-specific topics, two sheriff’s office deputies were honored including Eric Overall, who died after being run over along M-15 in Brandon Township while working a vehicle chase.

The Overall Family was in attendance Wednesday night.

“Deputy Overall died protecting all of us – you, me, and for that matter, everyone who lives in Oakland County, from a dangerous felon,” said Patterson. “My intention is not to depress you with a story about his untimely death in the line of duty. Rather, I want you to be inspired by how Deputy Eric Overall lived his life.’

David Hack, who was critically injured after being struck by a vehicle outside Rochester Adams High School last month, was also honored.

“We wish a complete recovery for Deputy Hack,” said Patterson.