Van Buren County sets budget hearing, renews leases and agreements, and approves animal-control staffing change

Van Buren County commissioners on July 22 approved a set of administrative agreements, set a public hearing for the county’s proposed 2025–26 budget, and authorized making a part-time animal-control kennel position full time, among other routine actions.

The board set a public hearing on the draft fiscal 2025–26 budget for Aug. 12 at 12:50 p.m. and reviewed higher-level budget assumptions, including an anticipated 3% cost-of-living adjustment and an equalization office estimate of just over a 5% increase in taxable value for the coming year. Miss Grabermeier, the county finance director, told commissioners the draft is largely a “roll forward” of current budgets with targeted line-item updates after a year of detailed review.

The County also voted to renew a long-running lease with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for space on County Road 681 and approved related updates. County staff said the renewed lease would: remove janitorial services provided by the county, reduce the square footage calculation to reflect about 1,200 square feet previously given to Safe Harbor, and include a capital-improvement charge of roughly $90,000 for painting and wallpaper removal that will be paid and returned to the county’s CIP fund. The initial lease term is 10 years with two options for five-year renewals; the lease must then complete a state review process before execution.

Separately, the board approved a memorandum of understanding with Western Michigan University and an intergovernmental agreement with St. Joseph County to support a shared digital information department (DID) program. County staff described the arrangement as a collaboration that will allow the county to host interns and pursue joint research and grant opportunities; staff said Western Michigan University will have no authority over county operations and that there is no direct financial…