NEWSPAPERS n o i t i d E l a i c e Sp
MARCH 13, 2024 candgnews.com
Macomb County and Grosse Pointe papers
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Tuition rates at Macomb Community College will increase by 1.8 % next year.
MCC tuition rates to increase next year BY MARIA ALLARD allard@candgnews.com
According to the website usinflationcalculator.com, inflation was at 6.5% in 2022 and 3.4% in 2023. Alongi was among the panelists who spoke to business leaders, manufacturing employees and school officials at the 2024 Macomb County Economic Forecast, held Feb. 23 on the South Campus of Macomb Community College. The panel also included Ahmad Ezzeddine, vice president for Academic Student Affairs and Global Engagement at Wayne State University; Brian Parthum, an econo-
MACOMB COUNTY — Macomb Community College students will see a tuition increase next year. At its regular monthly meeting Feb. 21, the Macomb Community College Board of Trustees authorized a 1.8% increase in tuition rates for the upcoming academic year, which is fall 2024 through spring/summer 2025. The rate for residents will increase slightly from $111 per billable contact hour to $113. Even with the increase, college officials maintained that Macomb’s tuition rates are lower than average. Board members Roseanne DiMaria, Joan Flynn, Katherine Lorenzo, Shelley Vitale and Vincent Viviano voted in favor of the increase, while Frank Cusumano voted against it. When the roll call for the vote was taken, Kristi Dean voted “present.” Macomb President James O. Sawyer IV weighed in on the board’s decision. “Providing accessible, affordable and high-quality educational opportunities that connect to meaningful career pathways is one of our highest priorities,” he said in a prepared statement. “This modest increase in tuition upholds our commitment to affordability while ensuring we have the resources to support our students’ success, to innovate and
See ECONOMIC on page 7A
See MCC on page 9A
Photo by Patricia O’Blenes
From left, Vicky Rowinski, director of Macomb County’s Department of Planning & Economic Development; Brian Parthum, an economist with the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments; Thomas Alongi, a partner with the UHY accounting firm; and Ahmad Ezzeddine, vice president for Academic Student Affairs and Global Engagement at Wayne State University, discuss the current state of the economy.
Panelists meet to discuss Macomb County’s economic future BY MARIA ALLARD allard@candgnews.com
MACOMB COUNTY — Although inflation has decreased in recent months, “I don’t know if we’re out of the woods,” said Thomas Alongi, a partner with the UHY accounting firm, in Sterling Heights. “Everything you touch, everywhere you go, prices are up 10% or 20% on everything,” Alongi said. “It’s come down, but maybe the damage has been done. We’ll see if we are able to keep that in check with fiscal spending.”