Rochester Hills is running a $245 million budget with zero debt, Mayor Bryan Barnett told a full auditorium at his annual state of the city address.
Barnett declared Rochester Hills the first city in Michigan to be completely debt free during the Sept. 17 event at Stoney Creek High School, first reported by C&G Newspapers. The city of 78,000 residents carries no debt obligations while spending more than $40 million on capital projects in 2026, according to Barnett. In 2025, Barnett described the city as the first "of its size" in Michigan to be debt-free; the 2026 address dropped that qualifier.
"Our city runs a $245 million budget with zero debt," Barnett said. "The city of Rochester Hills and its 78,000 residents have not a single debt obligation."
Rochester Hills also has the third-lowest millage rate in Oakland County among the 21 cities with at least 5,000 residents, Barnett said.
Voters backed fire and pathway millages
About 71% of Rochester Hills voters approved a charter amendment on Aug. 4 to increase the city's fire millage to 3.5 mills. That half-mill increase over the previously authorized 3 mills will fund 12 new firefighter/paramedics and staff an additional ambulance and fire engine around the clock, according to Barnett. The Detroit Free Press reported the increase would raise an estimated $5 million in its first year. Fire call volumes in Rochester Hills have risen nearly 40% over the past decade, according to MLive's pre-election reporting.
Separately, about 74% of voters renewed an existing 0.1715-mill pathway millage for a new 10-year period. That levy supports 100 miles of pathways the city maintains and builds.
U.S. News ranking climbs to No. 7
U.S. News & World Report ranked Rochester Hills No. 7 nationally in its 2026–2027 Best Places to Live list, up from No. 9 the prior year. Rochester Hills held the No. 1 spot in Michigan for the second straight year, based on the 2025 and 2026 rankings. Barnett said the city did not apply or pay a fee to appear on the list.
Park visits hit 1.8 million
Nearly 1.8 million people visited Rochester Hills parks in 2025, Barnett said. Park pass sales have climbed from 1,474 in 2024 to 2,250 in 2025 to a record 3,200 in 2026.
The city opened Brooklands Plaza in 2026 at 1585 E. Auburn Road, featuring the city's first public mural, a playground and a water feature. It also rebuilt the Spencer Park fishing pier to be larger and ADA-accessible and added a public kayak launch.
Crews are transforming 40 acres at Nowicki Park into trails, boardwalks, a community building, a playground and the city's first dog park. Barnett said the northern part of the city had never had a developed park before. A new playground at Avondale Park was expected to open in late September or early October, Barnett said at the Sept. 17 address, and the city plans to spend more than $1.4 million on Bloomer Park playgrounds in 2027.
Business and community highlights
More than 40 businesses opened in Rochester Hills in 2026, roughly one every nine days, according to Barnett. The commercial vacancy rate sits at 6.7%.
The Rochester Avon Recreation Authority (RARA) received the 2026 Community Excellence Award at the address. Executive Director Dave Word accepted the honor. RARA serves more than 12,000 participants a year and runs more than 720 programs annually, compared with a national median of about 490, Barnett said.
In the city's most recent public survey, 94% of residents said they would recommend Rochester Hills to others. Barnett called it the highest score the national survey group has recorded for any city in any year.
The full 2026 state of the city address is available to watch at the city's YouTube channel, Rochester Hills TV.
