[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6521568,"mediaKeyId","5090275-54dcbe13d5886687941eac19d2031ad8","parentId",5090275,"title","Clerk, treasurer, courts and prosecutor urge commissioners to limit cuts to staffing and core services","audioSeconds",3187,"startMs",757000,"endMs",3944000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5090275-54dcbe13d5886687941eac19d2031ad8&start=757&end=3944","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5090275-54dcbe13d5886687941eac19d2031ad8/thumbnail_757000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6521568/Eaton-County/Michigan/Clerk-treasurer-courts-and-prosecutor-urge-commissioners-to-limit-cuts-to-staffing-and-core-services","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6521568-21f8a6bebf897af3866bc13b89d677f1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156657&Signature=SngO0VaIrahdEUHqUN9ZJEwE9QbGHa7jCOdDh6lD2KY3ZQmQz2cQ72dPIGuHI6F0vnga4QLrl1kWvnO827rdj4xEGkYL5O19DQnNXmE2flnfLut41OO~LXF38yMpkB3KPShVHK8-5tBbyHhAS5V2lABzzG976zXw99DnSw7Y0Y6ABfraqNDVgW9tQsQCDjs1HkPKvnxqTzsW6kEwYNfw7JTH-4~R3CxvDEOcRZuDqV819ZVdXVO9WuG2SoZ5Q5S2zwUhj1~phcjhz3exIZM0fSqFM72uAXgKazlGnbYyCZUkg8Vep80F2TeyJ~~BJi45ltiwAT6Gng~ReL7bltYhtw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Eaton County","date","2025-06-27T18:40:21Z","article","Eaton County's constitutional officers and the trial courts used a special budget meeting to spell out how recommended spending cuts would affect statutory duties and frontline services.

County Clerk and Register Diane Bosworth told commissioners her office had been operating with reduced staff for years and announced an immediate consolidation of the clerk and register offices to cross-train staff. She said the county's election workload has increased dramatically since Proposal 2 (2022) and warned that \"our election department consists of only 1 person,\" arguing the county needs a dedicated election director. Bosworth proposed raising certified-copy fees from $15 to $20 for the first copy (additional copies $10) and increasing election programming charges from $125 to $200 per ballot style to bring in modest additional revenue.

Treasurer Darris Raynett described the treasurer's mandated duties, including tax settlement, foreclosure administration and delinquent-tax revolving fund management. Raynett said foreclosure services are funded from the foreclosure fund and that his office works with Capital Area Community Services and Housing Services of Mid Michigan to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. He told commissioners that losing staff could delay tax settlements and jeopardize payments to local units of government.

Judge Ted Cunningham and other trial-court leaders asked the board to recognize that some positions listed for cuts were not actually vacant and that several roles are statutory or court-mandated. Cunningham said the court system had submitted templates showing seven interdependent units (circuit, probate, district, friend of the court, probation, juvenile, community corrections), and he urged the board to adopt a budget that would leave some positions unfilled only where safe. He said courts had requested to leave 4.5 full-time equivalent positions vacant to yield roughly $347,012 in savings while still preserving needed staff; the judiciary also noted an approximately $320,000 reimbursement from a change in childcare fund reimbursement should reduce county share.

Prosecutor Doug Lloyd, Deputy Chief Adam Strong and Chief Assistant Chris Anderson described recruitment and retention difficulties. They said the office is \"below the level of adequate staffing\" and that attorney departures have led to a loss of institutional experience; Anderson said the office has lost 11 attorneys since 2021 and that \"the work demands and lagging compensation has also led to a tremendous turnover.\" The prosecutor's office requested funding to maintain two vacant APA (assistant prosecuting attorney) positions and one legal assistant position at a minimum.

Sheriff Robert Wright described departmental reductions of roughly $2.0 million (about 21 positions) already identified by his office, including cuts to road deputies, sergeants and other positions. Wright said those cuts were deeper than the board's preliminary recommendation but intended to preserve a limited county road-patrol footprint; he warned that some townships would otherwise be left without patrol coverage and suggested the county consider a future public-safety millage to restore patrol capacity.

Community corrections and treatment courts were highlighted by a public commenter, Steve Segrist, who said such programs reduce recidivism, relieve jail and court burdens and save money. Judge Cunningham and court staff also emphasized that community corrections and treatment courts leverage grant dollars: \"for FY24-25, our grants brought in $598,000 to Eaton County,\" Cunningham said, and the courts have sought grant support to cover the director's cost and reduce county contributions.

No final budget votes were taken during the session; commissioners will continue deliberations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","6-27-2025 Board of Commissioners Special Budget Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Eaton County's constitutional officers and the trial courts used a special budget meeting to spell out how recommended spending cuts would affect statutory duties and frontline services.","taxTitle","Eaton County, Michigan","taxId",53092,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6521558,"Community mental health, United Way, MSU Extension and veteran services warn cuts would limit services countywide",518,10787000,11305000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5090275-54dcbe13d5886687941eac19d2031ad8&start=10787&end=11305","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5090275-54dcbe13d5886687941eac19d2031ad8/thumbnail_10787000.jpg","/articles/6521558/Eaton-County/Michigan/Community-mental-health-United-Way-MSU-Extension-and-veteran-services-warn-cuts-would-limit-services-countywide","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6521558-a94452b88329426847db2d1040c63090/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156657&Signature=hInZ7EIoszaFQ8lJDm~B-jn9Pwi0qoSAKIOI-AsvZwHMZXUUfUTCuKmt67D1dE~-IjlZwU19hUGkrNZ92cCgph~o35JBm-zqRMd8F9We0BEJ8-IjGK1liiKMjnqCaecbzlBUMmWauqjJQWmyBPLPl0JxvFjdSGA6hzxks3tKp3kb5v7MvwA6RVBpA5IYUgKzBsByL09MeTWYn4zivgfwzNTCuSs6b95ubrG6scb3aoCyoHpLAH~ibAs2Akb1khIWAerLzMpUPhdDQetQlY11EbGIu8Z7OThOsopW51ndBsNnfdvuRZjYOZD-2T20aC4qW2QT0rYd-WVd4C1hYFvF8Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Several external agencies and county programs presented at the special budget session to explain the community impacts of proposed reductions.

Community Mental Health Authority (CMHA) CEO Sarah Lurie said the board's 30% cut to the allocation her agency requested would force reductions in jail-based behavioral-health services (cutting psychiatric and jail-therapy coverage from five to three days per week), curtail outpatient support at the Eaton Counseling Center and pause a planned partnership to expand services in Eaton Rapids. Lurie emphasized the allocation funds uninsured, underinsured and \"spend-down\" clients and said reductions could reduce access for people with serious mental illness.

United Way of South Central Michigan asked the county to fund two services: 2-1-1 (a 24/7 referral line) and VITA tax-preparation services. United Way said VITA returned about $140,000 to about 1,300 Eaton County residents last tax season and asked for $7,000 to support a mobile VITA unit that would bring free tax-preparation stations into rural areas. United Way also described 2-1-1 as a crucial referral network that connects callers to utilities assistance, mental-health services and VITA scheduling.

MSU Extension Director (district) Bill (last name not stated in transcript) described a requested county allocation used to maintain local extension staffing, provide office support and bring statewide subject-matter educators into Eaton County programs. He said proposed reductions would force the local office to reduce a full-time support position to part time or cut office hours, though he said direct 4-H programming would be preserved if at all possible.

Public Defender Timothy Havas said the county's public-defender office was successful in obtaining a state grant for FY26 but cautioned that reductions in other county departments (sheriff, courts, specialty courts) would ripple into defense services because defense attorneys depend on jail visitation, court schedules, and specialty courts as alternatives to incarceration.

Veteran service officer Tom Lewis outlined a low-budget county program that leverages state and grant funds to provide dental assistance, transportation to VA appointments (volunteer drivers) and small emergency grocery-card grants. Lewis noted $78.3 million in VA payments flowed to Eaton County veterans last year and said the county's local veteran services office remains a cost-effective channel to help veterans secure federal benefits.

Emergency Management Director Ryan Wilkinson said losing the county's emergency-management specialist position (a second full-time equivalent in a two-person office) would be a 50% cut to emergency-management capacity; he described the office's role in disaster planning, coordination and public information during events such as the August 2023 storms that later yielded a presidential disaster declaration and federal assistance.

Planning & zoning director Brandy said she is preparing contracts that would allow 11 townships to pay 100% for county-provided planning and zoning services; the draft contract is under review by the controller's office and county counsel. Equalization director Tim (last name in transcript) outlined a requested reduction of one vacant position and cautioned that assessor training and recruitment remain statewide challenges.

None of the external providers reported a final loss of services in the meeting, but several said proposed reductions would pause planned expansions, reduce clinic or office hours, or reduce jail-based psychiatric coverage. Commissioners asked questions about specific staffing and program implications and asked staff to continue reviewing grant offsets and other revenue sources.","Community mental-health officials, United Way, MSU Extension, veteran services and emergency management told commissioners proposed cuts would reduce jail-based treatment, mobile tax services, local extension support and veteran assistance.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6521563,"Drain commissioner proposes contracting assessments; residents voice alarm over large assessments",3408,7672000,11080000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5090275-54dcbe13d5886687941eac19d2031ad8&start=7672&end=11080","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5090275-54dcbe13d5886687941eac19d2031ad8/thumbnail_7672000.jpg","/articles/6521563/Eaton-County/Michigan/Drain-commissioner-proposes-contracting-assessments-residents-voice-alarm-over-large-assessments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6521563-c9cdead19a70c98943feb579898247b2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156657&Signature=MWnSJeKqXDF9YOJTO-WC2OxWz9f2pXEzEvTtzKS-C5clvoPtY4mj8qi1i8kyBxZWCk1nSh15nVA-GYpPjx4v5iasgWHJoA~RVVGrheRTVe7EywFTu5HBxuAvpa77gBzrMBJDqHqm9L~6hfXVXqsYFWffMX64k0aH1V4TCcOCWcguWj7YHTKKdHV-bBbGdjyRn1BzKxrd2fbWcG38JqYMLgLfVlMrfDSAoReEi~iyq6ABuNWejJrNaSDuCVsktjTbgOhHkaMAtRuWufpZh-F2t7b1zRRI53~54c7GxqciwIcCtQusKpxe5PErhTvqXAlnl9FnMp1RKdDkCLPaL8Kdmg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Richard Wagner, Eaton County Drain Commissioner, told commissioners the drain office must trim costs and proposed contracting out assessing duties to a firm that would bill landowners directly. Wagner said the contract would shift the cost of assessing to landowners and estimated the per-parcel charge would be a \"couple dollars\" (\"a 2 to $3 fee per parcel, depending on parcel size and land use,\" Wagner said in discussion).

Wagner described the drain commission's workload: roughly 650 drains and 1,200\u001a1,500 miles of drain system across the county. He told the board his office is already operating with a small staff and that a contracted assessor would reduce salary obligations. He said his office remains responsible for mandated state duties and for overseeing projects such as the Bank Intercounty Drain (Hobart/Lee/Hedrick projects were cited).

During public comment later in the meeting, resident Jim Billig said he was actively contacting state officials to press for relief after receiving a large drain assessment and urged the board to change state rules. Billig said many residents face \"$50,000 and higher\" assessments and called the situation \"life changing,\" pledging continued public pressure.

Commissioners asked Wagner questions about response time and staffing; Wagner said the office maintains a call log and that the contracted assessor would charge a small per-parcel fee to cover costs. No vote was taken on the contracting plan; commissioners directed staff to review the draft contract with county legal counsel and the controller's office as part of the ongoing budget and program review.","Drain Commissioner Richard Wagner proposed outsourcing drain assessment work to a contractor paid by landowners to meet mandated workload. The plan includes a small per-parcel assessment to cover costs; some residents said large individual assessments remain a crisis and vowed to press state officials.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6521572,"Eaton County holds special budget meeting as department leaders outline cuts and impacts",11136,194000,11330000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5090275-54dcbe13d5886687941eac19d2031ad8&start=194&end=11330","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5090275-54dcbe13d5886687941eac19d2031ad8/thumbnail_194000.jpg","/articles/6521572/Eaton-County/Michigan/Eaton-County-holds-special-budget-meeting-as-department-leaders-outline-cuts-and-impacts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6521572-d487306f8ddec1d708f0071e5ecd3eb3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156657&Signature=UEDOouLAhKcAYRdRx7lC4L6cwQYvPVDMIj~6b3Pv8xDJhivrvdawHFtgFV0w454qkBgTnLaFSjlUrrv7yD3QQ~HP-PwQZ--iZrgSTCUHYXzlc0xVHo9iG0ixu28-FZp4~5ncHBo1KhBZq98EDFMfegCjQFYpF4J4CWJZydjQb9g3o81-FqimCFxIeuMneinFOTPKM480XpzUTM8hTPaDksnz~kuF-4mlrK2g9geWQU1votCGef2qmK0FntrRmqUzucRFmjLVumbLVWZgmaWsKCloe3wsBon5E2hQg7R1j2vzTGs3t7zm5dyXd~puYVV-4gkCvmxBzKsHDKdy2w0ytw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Eaton County commissioners met in a special budget session to hear presentations from elected officials, department directors and external partners about the impacts of the board's preliminary budget-reduction recommendations.

Chairman Ted Mott opened the meeting with procedural guidelines and asked departments to keep presentations focused and brief. The board adopted a procedural motion to proceed with the agenda; the motion was recorded as carrying. Limited public comment followed, including a lengthy statement from Steve Segrist urging continued county support for community corrections and treatment courts.

The meeting was organized as a series of short briefings. County Clerk Diane Bosworth described consolidation steps in her office and proposed modest fee increases; Treasurer Darris Raynett warned that losing staff could delay tax settlements and foreclosures and described partnerships with local nonprofits to assist homeowners. Judge Ted Cunningham, chief judge of the trial courts, said a preliminary recommendation to cut court positions included roles that were not vacant and that would jeopardize court operations. Prosecutor Doug Lloyd and his deputies said the prosecutor's office is understaffed and losing experienced attorneys; they urged the board not to cut attorney or support positions further. Sheriff Robert Wright described more than $2 million in planned departmental reductions and the elimination of two dozen positions but said the office had restructured to preserve a reduced countywide patrol presence.

Outside partners and county programs also presented: Community Mental Health Authority CEO Sarah Lurie described how a 30% reduction to their requested allocation would reduce jail-based services and outpatient capacity; United Way of South Central Michigan requested support to expand Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) mobile services and continued 2-1-1 access; MSU Extension explained that deeper cuts would reduce local office hours and support staff; and Tom Lewis, Eaton County veteran service officer, outlined small, grant-funded veteran programs and the county's statutory obligations.

Public testimony included a plea from a longtime corrections director that the county's treatment courts reduce recidivism and the jail population and save taxpayer money, and comments from a resident urging the board to address increasingly large drain assessments.

No final budget vote occurred at the session; commissioners closed after hearing the presentations and public comment. The board did record one procedural motion (to proceed with the agenda) as approved during the meeting.","Elected officials, department heads and outside partners spoke at a special Eaton County budget meeting about proposed cuts, describing staff reductions and service losses if the board adopts preliminary recommendations. Commissioners adopted a procedural motion and heard public comment urging retention of treatment courts and other programs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Clerk, treasurer, courts and prosecutor urge commissioners to limit cuts to staffing and core services

Community mental health, United Way, MSU Extension and veteran services warn cuts would limit services countywide

Drain commissioner proposes contracting assessments; residents voice alarm over large assessments

Eaton County holds special budget meeting as department leaders outline cuts and impacts