Every year, the Board of Commissioners hosts high school students from across Oakland County for Youth in Government Day. This exciting program encourages students to learn about, engage with and participate in their local government – and maybe even consider a future career with Oakland County! Attendees interact with Oakland County elected officials and judges and learn more about their role in the democratic process.

Event History

The first Youth in Government Day was organized in the 1970s under the first County Executive, Daniel T. Murphy, with the goal of developing young adults into future leaders. For over nearly two decades, Youth in Government Day has been organized by the Oakland County Board of Commissioners, with the enthusiastic support of other county elected officials. The program continues to focus on connecting young people with local government, encouraging them to engage and explore the ways their participation can positively impact their lives and communities.

In 2024, nearly 80 students attended the event. If you are a high school educator in Oakland County and are interested in finding out more about Youth in Government Day, contact Sarah Moreau at moreaus@oakgov.com.

Launched in 2022, the Board’s Black Excellence Award honors Black residents of Oakland County for notable achievements and strides they have taken to improve their communities. Nominations are submitted by the public and evaluated by a panel of commissioners. Recipients are invited to attend a Board meeting during Black History Month in February to accept the recognition, and their names are added to a plaque memorializing all awardees in the east lobby outside the Commissioners Auditorium. 

2022 Winners (Presented February 24, 2022)

• Richard D. Bell, Pontiac
• Kristi Plain, Commerce Twp.
• Ber-Henda Williams, Southfield

2023 Winners (Presented February 16, 2023)

• Ebony Bagley, Novi
• Tiffany Cartwright, Bloomfield Hills
• Brigitte Hall, Ferndale
• Tameka Ramsey, Pontiac
• Tia Marie Sanders, Novi

2024 Winners (Presented February 29, 2024)

• Eisha Branner, Pontiac
• Myka Burley, Southfield
• Dr. Vivian Greenway, Southfield
• Damany Ali Head, Pontiac
• Christian J. Williams, West Bloomfield

Photos and more information on the 2023 and 2024 recipients can be found in the Oakland County Blog.

The Board of Commissioners has observed National Gun Violence Awareness Month and National Safety Month in June to promote safe firearm storage since 2014. Safely storing firearms helps to prevent suicide, tragic accidents and gun violence. Through gun lock giveaways, educational efforts related to gun safety and issuing proclamations and resolutions, the Board has demonstrated its commitment to this issue for many years. 

Firearm-related injuries are the number one cause of death for those aged 1 to 19. Nationally, two-thirds (67 percent) of unintentional firearm injury deaths among children and adolescents occurred when the shooter was playing with the firearm or showing the firearm to others, according to a 2023 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In February 2024, several new gun safety laws went into effect in Michigan. One of these, the Safe Storage (Child Access Prevention) Law, seeks to end injuries and death by preventing firearm access by minors. It requires individuals to keep stored or unattended weapons unloaded and locked if it is reasonably known that someone younger than 18 years old is, or is likely to be, present.

Residents are encouraged to contact their local police department for information on the availability of free trigger locks and to consider a gun safe. Customers at Keego Harbor’s Safes & Guns Unlimited can receive 15 percent off the purchase of a gun safe when mentioning the “Lock It Up Oakland” collaboration.

In addition to the safe storage law, Michigan’s firearm safety laws now in effect include:

• an extreme risk protection order (ERPO), or red-flag law – through a civil court order, an ERPO temporarily restricts people at risk of harming themselves or others from possessing or purchasing firearms.
• an updated background check law – background checks for all firearm purchases are required in order to prevent purchases by those prohibited from obtaining firearms.
• a domestic violence misdemeanor firearm possession ban – the updated criminal code now prevents those convicted of domestic violence misdemeanor(s) from possessing, using, transporting, selling, purchasing, carrying, shipping, receiving or distributing firearms or ammunition. 

For more information about these laws, visit bit.ly/MISafetyLaws. 

Gun Buyback Pilot Program

In September 2022, the Board of Commissioners established the Oakland County Gun Buyback Pilot Program and dedicated funding to expand law enforcement training opportunities, both in an effort to combat violence in local communities. 

Introduced by Commissioner Charlie Cavell (D-Ferndale), Board Vice Chair Marcia Gershenson (D-Bloomfield Township) and Commissioner Michael Spisz (R-Oxford), the pilot program provides funding to local law enforcement agencies to cover the costs of planning, hosting and administering gun buyback events in Oakland County. Voluntary gun buyback programs provide a safe, legal way for residents to dispose of unwanted firearms and can help reduce the number of weapons potentially accessible to children, youth and vulnerable individuals. 

On October 22, 2022, the Board hosted four gun buyback events in partnership with the police departments of Auburn Hills, Berkley, Bloomfield Township, Ferndale, Lathrup Village, Royal Oak and Southfield. From this event, 353 weapons, including five assault rifles, were collected.

In 2023, the Board voted unanimously to appropriate $10,000 from its Safer Communities Fund to support a countywide gun buyback event on Saturday, December 9 at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Southfield. The event collected more than 220 weapons.  

Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) Pilot Program

In August 2022, the Board of Commissioners unanimously approved $500,000 for the establishment of a new Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) Pilot Program. Crisis intervention training better equips law enforcement officers to assist individuals with mental health concerns and/or addictions. The pilot program will be administered in partnership with the Oakland Community Health Network (OCHN).

CIT provides a foundation to promote community solutions to assist individuals with a mental illness and/or addictions. The program aims to reduce the stigma of seeking mental health treatment and offer alternatives to the criminal justice system.

The $500,000 program included $320,000 to expand Oakland County's CIT program; $100,000 to fund a reimbursement grant for local law enforcement agencies that access training and education through the Oakland County CIT Pilot Program; and $80,000 to fund a reimbursement grant for County personnel and local law enforcement agencies to achieve the CIT Program professional certification through CIT International. 

Gun Locks

Since 2014, the Board of Commissioners has honored National Safety Month in June to promote safe firearm storage. Safely storing firearms helps to prevent suicide, tragic accidents and gun violence. Call your local police department to request a free trigger lock. Safe storage can save lives.

Oakland County is a part of Lean & Green Michigan^TM, one of America's first state-wide Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) initiatives - and Michigan's marketplace for energy efficiency and renewable energy financing. The Lean & Green MichiganTM PACE Plan provides economic development tools to entice reinvestment and redevelopment in our county while helping to green the community.

Public Act 270 of 2010 ("Act 270") authorizes local units of government to adopt PACE programs to promote the installation of energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy systems by owners of commercial or industrial property within a district designated by the local government. Act 270 provides for repayment to local governments through a voluntary property assessment. The property assessment remains with the property and has the same priority as other property tax and assessment liens in the event of foreclosure.

Questions? Email Lean & Green Michigan^TM at info@leanandgreenmi.com. For more information, visit the Advantage Oakland PACE Financing website.

Benefits

• Long-term financing up to 25 years or the useful life of the project
• No upfront cost - 100% financing
• Immediate positive cash flow
• Runs with the land, transferring to subsequent owner upon sale of the property
• Solves split incentive problem - payments can be passed easily to tenants
• Fixed interest rate (negotiated on each deal)

Whether a project starts with a "Property Owner" or a "Property Owner + PACE Contractor" or a "Property Owner + PACE Lender" does not really matter. Before any project can be finalized, all four (4) parties will be required:

1. Property Owner

2. PACE Contractor

3. PACE Lender

4. PACE Administrator

In Oakland County, the PACE Administrator - Lean & Green Michigan - will help bring the right players to the table to make a PACE project happen.

Related links:

• Oakland County PACE Financing Overview - Economic Development & Community Affairs (EDCA)
• Video: PACE Project at Michigan Agency for Energy
• Video: PACE Taking Off Across USA

Since December 2021, the Oakland County Invasive Spongy Moth Suppression Grant Program has provided matching grants to cities, villages and townships to support their efforts in mitigating the impacts of Lymantria dispar, an invasive moth species also known as spongy moth. Spongy moth, formerly known as gypsy moth, can be a destructive pest in residential, urban and rural areas as well as forests. Spongy moth caterpillars, in the immature larval stage, feed on the leaves of more than 300 species of trees, including oak, apple, birch and willow. This invasive pest, which is native to Europe, can heavily or even completely defoliate a tree.

The Oakland County Board of Commissioners renewed the Invasive Spongy Moth Suppression Grant Program in September 2022. The grant is administered in partnership with MSU Extension (MSUE) and will again provide funding to Oakland County communities to help them lessen the impacts of this invasive species.

The application deadline for the 2023 program has passed. The 2023 Application Guide provides complete details about the program.

MSUE maintains an informative website with educational resources about spongy moth and is available online here. The below resources from MSUE may also be helpful to residents and municipalities.

• New Name, Familiar Pest: Dealing with Outbreaks of Spongy Moth, Formerly Gypsy Moth - Questions and Answers
• Spongy Moth Life Cycle
• Surveying Spongy Moth Egg Masses to Forecast Next Year's Population
• USDA Forest Insect & Disease Leaflet 162: Spongy Moth
• Using Bands to Protect Shade Trees from Spongy Moth
• One Management Option for Spongy Moth: Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki HD-1 (BTK)

Homeowners who believe they have a spongy moth infestation can contact the MSU Extension office at 248-858-1639 for more information.

Oakland County Clean, Drain, Dry Dispose (CD3) Pilot Program

In the summer of 2020, the Oakland County Board of Commissioners established the Clean, Drain, Dry, Dispose (CD3) Pilot Program to raise awareness about the dangers of invasive aquatic species and to educate residents about how to help prevent the spread of these species in Oakland County waters. The CD3 Pilot Program utilizes mobile boat cleaning stations to empower local water enthusiasts to better protect Oakland County waterways. These stations help users to clean, drain and dry their watercraft, and to dispose of any living organisms (plant or animal) that may be clinging to the crafts. With support from Oakland County Parks and Recreation, the pilot program ran for the final weeks of the 2020 boating season and relaunched at the beginning of the 2021 season.

More resources:

• Oakland County launches "Clean, Drain, Dry Dispose" boat cleaning stations to prevent spread of invasive species (Press release, October 2020)
• CD3 Press Conference Video (October 2020)
• Board adopts Nelson resolutions creating two new invasive species prevention programs (Press release, June 2020)

In the summer of 2020, the Oakland County Board of Commissioners launched the Native Plant Initiative. The program is designed to educate residents about the ecological benefits of cultivating native plants. Native plants help prevent the spread of invasive species, which can crowd out other local species, contribute to erosion, promote the use of toxic pesticides and cause other problems for natural habitats.

Events hosted in the fall of 2020 and spring of 2021 have helped distribute 700 bundles, each containing dozens of native plants, to residents from many cities, villages and townships across Oakland County. Participants signed an environmental stewardship pledge and received kits with native flora along with information on how to plant and care for these beneficial species in their own gardens.

Following the Board's 2021 distribution event, Oakland County Parks and Recreation has continued to administer the native plant program. Visit the OCPR website for more information related to this initiative. 

Oakland County partners with the National Association of Counties (NACo) to offer the Live Healthy Discount Program, which provides county residents with the opportunity to save on prescriptions, dental care and other health services.

Please note that the Live Healthy Oakland Discount Program is NOT health insurance.

No-Cost Prescription Discount Program

This is a free program that includes discounts on prescription medications at over 66,000 participating pharmacies nationwide. Participants can save an average of 30% on the retail price of prescription medications (including pet prescriptions).

Learn More or Print Card

Dental Discount Program

This program provides discounts on check-ups, cleanings, fillings, crowns, x-rays, root canals and more. Fees are $5.95/month for individuals and $7.95/month for families OR $59.00/year for individuals and $69.00/year for families. Enrollees save 15% - 50% at participating providers.

Learn More or Enroll

Health Discount Program

This program can provide savings on vision services, hearing aids and screenings, diabetes supplies, prepaid lab work and more. Fees are $5.95/month for individuals and $7.95/month for families OR $59.00/year for individuals and $69.00/year for families. Enrollees save 15% - 75% at participating providers.

Learn More or Enroll

MinuteClinic® Discounts

This program provides discounted rates of 10% (up to $10) on medical walk-in clinic services inside select CVS Pharmacy® or Target stores. Vaccinations, screenings, physicals, flu shots and other wellness services are available.

Learn More

The Board of Commissioners recognizes the critical importance of creating physically and emotionally safe learning environments for all Oakland County students. This webpage is intended to serve as a resource for youth, parents, teachers, professionals and anyone interested in learning more about how to make school a safe place for every child. 

Youth Suicide Prevention

The Oakland County Health Division has a wealth of information and resources for youth suicide prevention.

• Oakland County Suicide Prevention Task Force
• Parent Toolkit
• Parent Toolkit (Spanish)
• Make Your Home Suicide Safe

• Suicide Warning Signs

For more information about Oakland County Health Division programs and resources, please contact Health Education at 800-848-5533 or by email at health@oakgov.com.

NEED HELP NOW?

• Call/Text 800-231-1127 Common Ground Resource & Crisis Helpline 
• Call 988 - National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 
• Text "Hello" to 741741 - Crisis Text Line 
• Chat with a crisis counselor online

Active Shooter Preparedness

The Oakland County Sheriff's Office provides or recommends a number of resource guides and trainings to help prepare for an active shooter situation in a school or another public space.

• Oakland County Sheriff's Office - Active Assailant Guide
• VIDEO: Oakland County Sheriff's Office - Active Shooter Training
• DHS Active Shooter - How to Respond Guide

For more information about active shooter preparedness or to request an Oakland County Sheriff's Office active shooter training, please contact Lt. Paul Workman at 248-858-5474.

Anti-Bullying Resources

Oakland Schools provides or recommends a number of key anti-bullying resources to help make school physically and emotionally safe for every Oakland County student.

• Cyber-bullying
• Official U.S. Government Anti-Bullying Website
• International Bullying Prevention Association (IBPA)

For more information about Oakland Schools anti-bullying resources and trainings, please contact Julie McDaniel, Student Safety and Well-Being Consultant, at 248-209-2346 or julie.mcdaniel@oakland.k12.mi.us.

Other Useful Resources

Violence Prevention

Veto Violence (CDC)

Veto Violence offers training, tips and tools designed specifically for prevention practitioners to help launch or enhance local prevention efforts.

OK2SAY

OKAY2SAY is a program designed to empower Michigan students, parents, school personnel, community mental health service programs and law enforcement to share and respond to student safety threats.

Keeping Our Students Safe: How to Prepare for and Prevent Violent Situations at School

This guide provides insight from school safety and mental health experts, as well as concrete and practical advice for educators, administrators, parents and students.

Gun Violence Prevention

Say Something Training (Sandy Hook Promise)

This education and awareness program provides tools and practices to recognize signs and signals of a potential threat, teach participants how to take action and raise awareness about the need to "Say Something."

Safety Assessment & Intervention

An evidence-based prevention program to evaluate and resolve threatening behaviors before they escalate into violence.

Dating Violence Prevention

Dating Matters

Better understand and prevent teen dating violence through this free online training.

Safe Dates

The Oakland County Health Division's Safe Dates curriculum is an engaging, evidence-based program that deals with attitudes and behaviors associated with dating abuse and violence.

Social Media Safety

• Oakland County Health Division Webpage
• Social Media Safety Factsheet for Parents & Caregivers
• Think Before You Share

Mental Health & Emotional Support Services

Affirmations

Affirmations provides a welcoming space where people of all sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and cultures can find support and unconditional acceptance, and where they can learn, grow, socialize and feel safe.

Common Ground

Common Ground provides a wide variety of trauma recovery and support services to help people move from crisis to hope.

Community Network Health

CNS provides comprehensive psychotherapy and psychiatry services for minors.

Easterseals Michigan - Children's Services

Easterseals Michigan offers a variety of services (autism, family behavioral health, children's development and more) depending on a child's individual needs.

Friendship Circle

Friendship Circle provides assistance and support to 3,000 individuals with special needs and their families by providing recreational, social, educational and vocational programming. Friendship Circle also provides support to individuals and families struggling with isolation, addiction and other family-related crises.

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Metro

NAMI Metro is a grass roots, all volunteer organization providing education, support and advocacy resources for individuals with mental illness and their families or caregivers in Oakland, Wayne and Macomb counties.

New Oakland Family Centers

New Oakland Family Centers provides quality, compassionate mental health services for children, teens, adults and families.

Oakland County Youth Assistance

Youth Assistance is a community-based program whose mission is to strengthen youth and families and to prevent and reduce delinquency, neglect, and abuse through community involvement. Youth Assistance initiatives are supported by a unique tri-sponsorship agreement between the Circuit Court, local school districts and local municipalities.

Oakland Family Services

Oakland Family Services is a private, nonprofit human service organization offering a continuum of prevention, education and treatment services, including child development programs, free preschool for at-risk youth and counseling services for people of all ages that are dealing with depression, anxiety, substance use issues and for youth dealing with severe emotional disturbance. Oakland Family Services has five locations across Oakland County.