Oakland County, Michigan

Wayne County Executive Warren Evans said at a Detroit Regional Chamber event that he isn't opposed to data centers broadly, but objects to deals he sees as lopsided, where companies receive large tax incentives while offering communities comparatively little in return. Evans recently vetoed tax incentives and a community benefits agreement for a proposed Google data center in Van Buren Township, citing a rushed process; county commissioners later overrode his veto.

Oakland County's Dave Coulter and Macomb County's Mark Hackel, appearing alongside Evans, said developers have failed to clearly communicate community benefits and often require nondisclosure agreements that limit public input. Coulter also warned of a potential saturation point leaving communities with vacant facilities. Clinton Township recently enacted a temporary moratorium on new data centers.

The Rochester Hills City Council unanimously approved a three-year, $183,000 contract with Flock Safety, despite vocal opposition from nearly 50 residents at the meeting. Councilmember Marvie Neubauer's amendment shifted oversight to the public safety and infrastructure technical review committee, requiring quarterly reviews of data usage. Supporters, including Oakland County Sheriff's Capt. Paul Workman, cited the cameras' role in solving two homicides and locating missing people, and noted deputies' searches are limited to template-based queries.

Critics raised Fourth Amendment concerns, data-sharing risks with ICE, and a pending investigation into a former deputy accused of leaking Flock data to immigration officials. The city currently operates 17 of a possible 20 Flock cameras. Elsewhere, scrutiny of Flock contracts continues: Fort Wayne and Bloomington, Indiana, have dropped the vendor, and Indianapolis is weighing a surveillance-regulation ordinance alongside debate over whether to cancel its own Flock contract.

A new Detroit News/WDIV poll of likely Michigan voters finds President Trump's job approval largely unchanged since late summer, with about 59% disapproving versus 39% approving—among the weakest pre-midterm numbers for a president in recent history, comparable to George W. Bush in 2006. Disapproval is even steeper on Trump's handling of the Iran War and U.S.-Canada relations. Pollster Richard Czuba says Trump's approval has become the central dividing line in Michigan's 2026 races, including the competitive U.S. Senate contest between Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, where Rogers currently trails. Analysts say the dynamic echoes the 2022 midterms, when abortion politics drove Democratic wins statewide.

Rochester Hills City Council is set to consider renewing a three-year, $183,000 contract with Flock Group, which supplies automated license plate readers used by the Oakland County Sheriff's Office for local policing. A sheriff's captain has recommended renewal, and the city has nearly two dozen Flock cameras in operation.

The technology, which logs vehicle details in a searchable database, has drawn criticism over Fourth Amendment concerns and documented misuse elsewhere in Oakland County, including unauthorized immigration-related searches. More than a dozen southeast Michigan communities have ended their Flock contracts amid similar pushback, while nearby Pontiac plans to decide after its November election.

The Oakland County Sheriff's Office in Michigan has opened an investigation into a former deputy accused of improperly accessing the Flock Safety camera system after leaving the department, with officials saying criminal charges are possible. The sheriff's office stressed that the individual was no longer employed by the county at the time of the unauthorized access, though details on what the person did with the data and the scope of the investigation have not been disclosed.

The disclosure drew sharp criticism from residents at a county Board of Commissioners' Public Safety and Health Committee meeting, with members of the advocacy group "I Am Oakland County" calling for an audit of technology access for all former county employees and renewed scrutiny of the Flock program. Critics said the incident undercuts assurances given at a prior meeting that governance, not the technology itself, ensures proper use. A retired police captain noted that such investigations typically involve reconstructing when and how the system was accessed. County officials have not said whether Flock use will be paused.

Some Michigan Republican officials and candidates are voicing concern about their party's prospects in the November election, citing surging gas and diesel prices linked to the war in Iran and signs of flagging GOP voter enthusiasm. Former state Rep. Pam Hornberger called the fight to keep the state House majority a "huge struggle" and said Republicans have little chance of flipping a key state Senate seat in suburban Detroit. A Marquette County GOP chairman described local volunteer enthusiasm as at "all time lows," and a former 5th District GOP chairman estimated a fifth of Trump's base may sit out the election or vote Democratic.

Republicans currently hold a narrow 58-52 state House majority, while Democrats control the state Senate 20-18. GOP Senate candidate Mike Rogers has proposed suspending fuel taxes to ease costs. Other Republicans, including Rep. Mark Tisdel and former Rep. Rocky Raczkowski, offered more mixed assessments, acknowledging a difficult political environment tied to affordability concerns and the desire among voters for checks on unified Republican control in Washington.

Oakland County, Michigan commissioners unanimously approved a roughly $1.2 billion Fiscal Year 2027 budget on Thursday night, following tense exchanges over whether the county should explicitly fund assistance for immigrants affected by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The budget, about $70 million more than the prior year's due to inflation and higher projected revenue, closely mirrors County Executive Dave Coulter's July proposal, with additions for homelessness, human trafficking prevention and crisis response.

Commissioner Charlie Cavell proposed amendments totaling up to $900,000 for legal aid and food assistance for immigrant families and contributions to the county's Rx Kids program; commissioners rejected the first two, drawing boos from audience members who accused the panel of discrimination. Finance chair Gwen Markham defended the process as open and collaborative, while Cavell and Commissioner Kristen Nelson, who don't caucus with Democrats, argued they were excluded from committee negotiations. The final budget includes funds for emergency winter housing, legal aid for families, maternal and mental health care, and human trafficking prevention, but no funding specifically designated for immigrant legal or food assistance.

Republican U.S. House candidate Michael Bouchard released his first general election video ad, "Jump," in which the former Army paratrooper leaps from a plane while pledging to fight socialism if elected to represent Michigan's 10th District. The Rochester Hills candidate's campaign says the ad is part of a seven-figure television and social media push, funded entirely with campaign money, in a race political handicappers rate as a toss-up.

Bouchard will face Democratic nominee Christina Hines, a former Wayne County special victims prosecutor, in November. The winner succeeds GOP Rep. John James, who is running for Michigan governor instead of seeking reelection. The 10th District covers southern Macomb County and Rochester/Rochester Hills in Oakland County.

The ad is set to air during major sports broadcasts and prime programming, with some slots costing tens of thousands of dollars. Bouchard holds an early fundraising edge, reporting roughly $960,000 on hand versus Hines's approximately $160,000, though her campaign has yet to release its first ad.