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JANUARY 14, 2026 Vol. 23, No. 1
West Bloomfield budgets for higher spending in 2026 BY GENA JOHNSON gjohnson@candgnews.com
WEST BLOOMFIELD — Township trustees unanimously approved the 2026 budget for West Bloomfield Dec. 15 — a budget marked by increased spending due to capital needs. The $165 million proposal was approved 5-0. The trustees present included Debbie Binder, Michael Patton, Diane Rosenfeld Swimmer, Teri Weingarden and Jonathan Warshay. Binder also serves as the township clerk, while Weingarden is the treasurer and Warshay is the supervisor. Trustees Jim Manna and Vincent Kirkwood were not present. According to Binder, Kirkwood was sick and recuperating. The budget’s approval was Screen capture from meeting broadcast the culmination of many meet- Allison Broihier, West Bloomfield’s ings led by West Bloomfield’s budget and pension manager, gives budget and pension manager, Al- a brief presentation of the 2026 anlison Broihier. There were seven nual budget during the Dec. 15 meetmeetings with the capital invest- ing of the Board of Trustees. ment planning committee, three workshops throughout the fall, a hearing Dec. 1 and more. Broihier described the budget as “more complex” because
File photo by Patricia O’Blenes
As the new Community Connect Center moves forward in the building process, the former location on Walnut Lake Road has recently closed. All customer service activities are now at the Connect Senior Center at Simsbury located at 33230 W. 14 Mile Road in West Bloomfield.
New community center makes headway BY GENA JOHNSON
gjohnson@candgnews.com
WEST BLOOMFIELD — At the Dec. 15 meeting of the West Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees, Kelly Hyer, executive director of West Bloomfield Parks, gave an update on the progress of the new Community Connection Center, a multigenerational facility backed by a $25 million voter-approved bond. The center is being built on Walnut Lake Road,
See BUDGET on page 14A
near the original location. In the meantime, its offerings will continue at Connect Senior Center at Simsbury, 33230 W. 14 Mile Road. For the new building, the architectural design has been completed. There have been modifications to the brick so that the center’s sign will stand out. “We’re trying to hide the building and (have it) blend into nature,” Hyer said. A bluish gray color was chosen for the bricks, See CENTER on page 10A
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