Ottawa County CMH board approves FY2026 operating budget and forwards it to county commissioners

The Ottawa County Community Mental Health Board approved its proposed fiscal-year 2026 operating budget Friday and forwarded the recommendation to the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners for final adoption.

Finance staff presented the proposed budget and calendar: the board approved the recommended budget at the July 25 meeting, the County Board of Commissioners will receive a preliminary presentation on Aug. 5, a public hearing is scheduled for Sept. 2, and formal county adoption is expected on Sept. 23. Staff said a final regional payment schedule and state rate confirmations are expected by November, at which point some budget line assignments may be adjusted.

Board members pressed finance staff on several assumptions underpinning the recommended budget, including whether the budget reflects the $2.59 million in Medicaid funding Dr. Brashears said the legislature had restored to the system and whether Medicaid enrollment churn tied to federal and state policy changes could reduce revenues going forward. Finance staff said the recommended budget incorporates revenue adjustments made during 2025 (including CCBHC and autism-related changes) and that some line-item assignments may shift when the November regional PPS and state figures are finalized.

The recommended budget included assumptions about expenditures: a three‑year trend analysis for operating expenses, projected client increases in community living supports and specialized residential (staff used a 10% projection for those services), and a 5% increase in autism-related costs. The budget proposal also contained seven proposed new full-time positions, application of a 3% cost-of-living assumption and health‑insurance increases applied at the county level. Board members asked for more detail on salary and vacancy trends; staff agreed to provide an itemized reconciliation to the finance committee.

Motion and vote: A board member moved to approve the FY2026 operating budget as presented and forward it to the County Board of Commissioners. A roll-call vote followed: Director Juritzma — yes; Director Fackler — yes; Director Roddy — yes; Director Davis — yes; Director Vandersweig — yes; Director Wenzel — yes; Director Savage — yes; Director Bunce — no; Chair Bird — yes. The motion carried.

Why it matters: The budget funds daily operations, staffing and contracted services, and board members linked budget assumptions to the residential-cost findings and the restored Medicaid funding. Several members cautioned that further federal or state policy changes affecting Medicaid enrollment or eligibility could alter revenue projections and require midyear adjustments.

Next steps: Staff will forward the approved recommended budget to the county administration and provide the finance committee with the detailed salary and position reconciliation requested by board members. The board’s budget schedule provides opportunities for public comment at the county-level hearing in September.