County Executive L. Brooks Patterson Administration

• Retail sales in Oakland County totaled $22.5 billion in 2002, surpassing total retail sales in 14 separate states and the District of Columbia.
• Oakland County was the fastest growing labor market in Michigan between 1991 and 2003 with employment increasing 90 percent faster than the state and 33 percent faster than the nation.
• Oakland County was Michigan's number one county for business development between 1997 and 2003, with more than 10,000 new expansion projects.
• More than $220 million has been invested in Oakland County's 10 Main Street communities over the past four years.
• Manpower's Employment Outlook Survey ranks Oakland County as one of the top 10 growth markets in the U.S.
• Successful trade missions to Mexico, Canada, China and Germany have generated millions of dollars in new business for local companies.

• Oakland County CLEMIS (Courts and Law Enforcement Management Information System) signed a data sharing agreement with the Michigan State Police that will make 1.5 million mug shots available statewide along with an extensive fingerprint database.
• The 31-year old CLEMIS has been technologically improved to allow officers to access a wide array of data from their patrol cars.
• OakVideo, Oakland County's new multipoint video arraignment system, will link all district and circuit courts, as well as the prosecutor's office, jails, booking facilities and law enforcement agencies in Oakland County.
• A new radio communications system is in place that will allow police and fire agencies for the first time to communicate across boundary lines.
• The $17 million COPSMORE grant presented to Oakland County by the U.S. Justice Department is the largest multi-jurisdictional grant ever approved in the history of the program.

• The Oakland County Prescription Savings Program is saving participants between 15-40 percent on their prescription purchases. The $7 Prescription Relief Program, targeting low-income individuals, is saving participants an average of $2,400 each on prescription purchases.
• More than 29,000 third and fourth grade students participated in the County Executive's Count Your Steps pedometer walking program targeting childhood obesity in 2004.
• Between 2002 and 2003 the black infant mortality rate in Pontiac dropped from 21.4 per 1,000 live births to 9.8.
• Oakland County Health Division has successfully dealt with two Hepatitis A outbreaks, an outbreak of Legionnaires Disease and the West Nile Virus.

• The new Great Lakes National Cemetery, located in Holly, is Michigan's second National Veteran's Cemetery.

• Four out of five businesses and homes in Oakland County have access to a high speed Internet connection, which is higher than the national average.
• CIO Magazine, a national publication focusing on Information Technology, selected Oakland County as the only county in America among its 100 award recipients for 2004.
• The 530-member Automation Alley consortium ranks as one of America's premier technology clusters with more than 19,000 high tech companies and a technology workforce of 568,000.
• Automation Alley's new technology center in Troy is expected to contribute $15 million to the region's economy while creating some 100 new jobs.
• Implementation of OAKNet, a 380-mile fiber optic network connecting hundreds of locations, allows local units of government to exchange large amounts of data more efficiently and cost-effectively.
• Oakland County was the first government unit in the nation to successfully develop and implement an enhanced access program called Access Oakland, which offers 30 online services and generated revenue of $2 million in 2004.

• According to a recent survey, Oakland County delivers government services at the lowest cost based on personal income of the 50 largest counties in America.
• More than 80 percent of all Business Roundtable recommendations have been implemented since 1993 including the establishment of a One Stop Shop for business development; a new focus on downtowns and older commercial areas; the Export Assistance Center; and a countywide Workforce Development Board to consolidate all job-training programs.
• Since 1998, Oakland County has maintained a AAA Bond rating because of its sound business practices, escalating tax base, exploding business growth and spiraling commercial, residential and industrial development. Oakland County is one of 34 counties nationwide to have achieved this highest rating out of more than 3,000 counties.
• Oakland County's 4.19 county millage rate is among the lowest in the State of Michigan.
• The Employees' Suggestion Program has saved more than $3.5 million since 1993.
• The Casual Day Fund has distributed nearly $400,000 to local charities since being established in 1993.
• Privatization efforts have saved the County $2 million annually since 1993.

• Arts, Beats & Eats Festival attracts more than a million people over the Labor Day Weekend to downtown Pontiac. It is widely recognized as one of America's top 20 premiere summertime events.