The Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) will present its proposed Fiscal Year 2022 budget at a public hearing Thursday, Aug. 19, at 6:30 p.m. at the Oakland County Board of Commissioners Auditorium, 1200 N. Telegraph in Pontiac.

The public is invited to attend the hearing and offer input on the proposed budget. RCOC’s fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30. Adoption of the budget is expected to take place at the regular RCOC Board meeting on Sept. 23.

The proposed 2022 budget includes nearly $62.3 million in annual contributions toward road-improvement projects planned to be under construction in 2022 and future years (this is not the total cost for these projects — some costs were included in the current year’s budget or will be included in the 2023 budget where projects are carried over from last year or expected to be carried over into 2023); $38.3 million for road maintenance efforts such as pothole patching, gravel road grading and salting and plowing in the winter; and $18.1 million for maintaining traffic signs, signals, pavement markings and guardrails among other activities.

The remainder of the budget is dedicated to operating expenses including customer services, vehicle maintenance, staff wages, buildings and grounds and administration. — M.K.