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Monroe County commissioners approve claims, staffing changes and resolutions in consent votes
Summary
The Monroe County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 28, 2025 approved routine claims and several personnel and policy actions, including funding requests, court staffing changes and a resolution urging full state funding for the Michigan Choice risk pool.
Monroe County commissioners approved a series of routine claims, staffing requests and policy resolutions during their Aug. 28 meeting, voting unanimously on items that included a nearly $965,000 accounts-payable payment, a county foreclosure account report and staffing changes for the county courts.
The board approved: payment of $964,494.49 from the accounts-payable current claims report; a report adding $605,028.89 to the restricted property-foreclosure account after the 2023 auctions; non-claims check registers and routine consent items; a resolution urging state legislators to fully fund the Michigan Choice risk pool; and multiple personnel actions for the First District Court, among other motions.
Why it matters: These votes finalize routine county spending and implement short-term staffing and administrative changes that county departments said are necessary for operations. The resolution on the Michigan Choice program expresses the board's policy position to state lawmakers on Medicaid funding for home- and community-based services.
Most significant votes - Accounts-payable payment: The board approved the accounts-payable current claims report totaling $964,494.49 after a motion moved by Huffman and supported by Lamar. Roll call showed unanimous affirmation and the motion carried.
- Foreclosure restricted account report: Treasurer Jesse Stanford presented a report on the restricted account in the property foreclosure fund showing $605,028.89 after the 2023 auctions. The board approved the report following a motion by Lamar supported by Huffman; the motion carried.
- Michigan Choice program resolution: The board moved and approved a resolution from area agencies on aging urging state representatives and senators to adopt the 2025 funding request to fully fund the Michigan Choice risk pool. The motion was moved by Asper and supported by Swartout and passed on a roll-call vote.
- Court staffing and reclassification: The board approved adding a full-time attorney magistrate and an additional recorder/secretary position for the First District Court with an estimated general-fund allocation of $30,300 for 2025 and $187,950 annually thereafter (moved by Leavins, supported by Hoffman). Separately, the board approved consolidating three court coordinator positions into one full-time problem-solving court coordinator (grade 12) effective Oct. 1, 2025; Judge Michael Brown said the position is funded entirely by grant money and listed an annual salary figure in the packet of $70,006.02.
- Other routine items: The board approved a non-claims check register dated 08/22/2025 in the amount of $418,865.22, accepted the operations committee's appointments (including a materials-management committee appointment), and accepted the board performance-evaluation results for County Administrator/Chief Financial Officer Michael Bisonic.
What commissioners said: Commissioners used roll-call votes for each item and recorded unanimous support for the motions listed above. Several commissioners commented in other parts of the meeting about ongoing negotiations with DTE (Detroit Edison) over tax stipulations and praised county staff work on those matters.
What's next: The approved staffing changes take effect in October 2025 as packeted; the board directed follow-up and record keeping where required by county policy.
