Keep Informed About Wayne County Government With New Citizen's Guide

When residents of Dearborn and Allen Park said they didn’t know what the commission does or what services they get from the county, Wayne County Commission Chairman and Dearborn resident Gary Woronchak took it upon himself to educate them.

A booklet explaining what Wayne County government is, what it does and how it works is now available, the commission announced Monday.

“A Citizen’s Guide to Wayne County Government” is available now at various locations and through county commissioners, as well as online.

The Citizen’s Guide is 24 pages of information ranging from how the county was formed, to the structure of Wayne County government and a sampling of the services the county provides. It includes a section on how county government is financed, including a breakdown of property taxes collected by the county. It also has a complete listing of all Wayne County elected officials and their contact information.

Woronchak, a former longtime newspaper editor, wrote much of the booklet along with the commission’s public information staff.

“County government provides many important services that people are aware of, but might not realize they are part of the county,” said Woronchak, D-Dearborn. “Last year, I asked residents in a survey I mail to my district whether they knew how county government works and what it does for them. Many responded that they either were unaware or wanted to know more.

“In response to residents of my districts, I wanted to produce something that gave a basic, easy-to-follow explanation of county government, what the commission does in relation to the county executive, and the responsibilities outlined in our county charter,” Woronchak added. “The result was this Citizen’s Guide.”

In addition to copies residents can pick up or have mailed to them, the Citizen’s Guide is available for download online. It can be found under the “News & Resources” menu on the commission’s home page at waynecounty.com/commission.

Woronchak said residents in his district can contact him directly to have a copy mailed to them. His email is gworonch@co.wayne.mi.us and his office phone number is 313-224-0934.

Residents elsewhere in the county can request that their county commissioner mail them a copy. They can locate their individual commissioner on the interactive map on the commission’s home page, or by calling the commission’s general information number: 313-224-2383.