In his 12th State of the County address, Macomb Executive Mark Hackel stressed “the power of partnerships” and working together across partisan lines to get things done.

“It’s a time for partnerships not partisanship,” Hackel told a crowd of about 1,000 elected officials, business representatives, and community leaders at the Macomb Center for Performing Arts in Clinton Township.

The 62-year-old former sheriff said the Nov. 5 Presidential election “seemed to be more intense than any other I can recall.”

“Now that it’s over, can we set aside the blue and the red and the R’s and the D’s,” he said. “I’ve said it before, but I think it’s starting to catch on. It’s time to stop reaching across the aisle and time to get in the aisle and get things done on behalf of the people”

In his 45-minute annual review of Macomb’s key accomplishments over the last 12 months and his vision for the future, the executive delivered a smooth and well-rehearsed speech, demonstrating how comfortable he is speaking to a large crowd.

The audience included Macomb’s top elected officials and judges, along with Oakland County Executive David Coulter, St. Clair County Executive Jeff Bohm, Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison, Wayne County Sheriff Ray Washing

ton, and Wayne County Deputy Executive Assad Turfe.

Hackel, who was first elected county executive in 2011, also led the crowd in singing “Happy Birthday” to Leona Lisoski of Sterling Heights, a senior citizen who turns 102 this week.

“I am very honored to be a guest here tonight and to have my family with me,” Lisoski told the Macomb Daily prior to the address.

The event, which was presented by Velocity, covered a wide-range of topics, starting with community metrics.

“These numbers show that Macomb County continues to evolve into a community with a wide-range of diversity of people, places and perspectives,” he said.

-Population — The county’s foreign-born population is now over 100,000, illustrating “people from around the world are choosing to make Macomb this place we call home.”

-Housing — To meet increasing demand, 2,300 homes have been added to the county’s inventory, and median home values have risen to nearly $260,000.

-Jobs — Employment numbers are strong, with more than 460,000 residents in the workforce.

-Education — Residents are increasingly pursuing education. More than 61% of Macomb County’s population has some form of post-secondary education, degree or certification.

-Income — Median household income has hit a historically high level, and currently is near $79,000.

-Fiscal stability — For 14 consecutive years, the county has built a structurally balanced budget, creating a healthy fund balance of more than $120 million and resulting in a AA+ bond rating.

Hackel talked about partnerships, and the powerful impact they are having in Macomb County. “A lot of the good things happening in Macomb County are not the result of one person or one organization,” he said. “But they come about because of people working together.”

In economic development, Hackel cited how local municipalities work with the county and businesses to bring large projects to life.

Examples include the $1 billion redevelopment of Lakeside Mall that is scheduled to begin in 2025, plans for General Sports and Entertainment to construct a new $5 million headquarters next to Jimmy John’s Field in downtown Utica, and the $5 million revisioning of Cherry Street Mall in downtown Mount Clemens.

Mount Clemens Mayor Laura Kropp said county officials are helping the city negotiate to relocate City Hall from its present site to the Towne Square building on Main Street.

She also said she was on board with nonpartisan theme Hackel talked about.

“I love it,” Kropp said afterward. “I think we need to change the political narrative and change how we really look at thing, instead of are you an R (Republican) or a D (Democrat). We need to focus on what you want to achieve and how can we work together to make it happen.”

Likewise, Don Brown, the Republican chairman of the Board of Commissioners, said his philosophy is “one team, one mission,” adding that Hackel is part of the team.

“We are partners who work closely on so many things and initiatives to make all boats rise,” he said.

Hackel concluded by saying the reason things are getting done in Macomb is because of its values.

“We believe in doing things together, not going it alone,” he said. “We believe in bringing people in, not shutting them out. We believe in lending a hand, not pointing a finger.”

After the address, the movers and shakers attended the Taste of Macomb event at in the adjacent Lorenzo Cultural Center. Taste of Macomb featured food and desserts from approximately 27 of the area’s restaurants and bakeries, and allows the crowd a chance to socialize.Macomb