Kent County finance committee approves FY2026 budget, multiple grant appropriations and program allocations

The Kent County Board of Commissioners finance committee on Thursday approved the county's FY2026 General Appropriations Act and a slate of grant acceptances and supplemental appropriations that county staff said will fund services including a diaper bank, community development projects, adult mental health court operations and senior services.

The finance committee approved the FY2026 budget as the county's official budget for the year and accepted proposed totals of $254,805,056 for the General Fund and $250,425,054 for special revenue funds, for combined appropriations of $505,230,110. The committee also approved asking the full board in September 2025 to authorize 1.9432 mills for voter-approved dedicated millages and to request a general property tax levy in May 2026 to support county operations. The budget request includes the addition of 16 positions (15.7 full-time equivalents) as recommended by the operations and policy committee.

Why this matters: The General Appropriations Act sets county operating and capital spending levels and frames tax and staffing decisions for the coming year.

In the meeting the committee also approved these grant- and program-level actions:

- Diaper bank (Kent County Community Action): The committee accepted and appropriated an additional $40,366 from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, bringing the total award to $80,732 for the Diaper Bank Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. County staff said the grant will support direct delivery of diapers and diapering supplies to Kent County households with children under age 8 at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. To date in FY2025, 291 children have been enrolled and staff reported 450 packs of diapers and 425 packs of wipes distributed; with the additional funds KCCA's target is to assist an estimated 125 households (about 320 children). A KCCA representative said the program is delivered in partnership with the Kent County Health Department and that households can receive diaper supplies only up to a program limit per year.

- Community Development (CDBG) program income: The committee appropriated $37,850.18 in program income from home-rehabilitation loan payments back into the Community Development Federal Project Fund to be used for CDBG-eligible activities, chiefly housing and infrastructure projects and home repair programs.

- Adult Mental Health Court (17th Circuit Court): The committee accepted and appropriated an additional $55,604 from the Michigan State Court Administrative Office (SCALE), increasing the FY2025 award to $256,009. Court staff said the additional funds will primarily cover contractual services, increased drug-testing costs, grant coordinator hours and transitional housing support tied to a rising number of participants.

- Regional Community Collaborative (RCC) year 2: The committee accepted and appropriated an additional $25,000 from the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity for RCC year 2 programming to support the "Maximize Economic Potential" summit planned for summer 2025. The grant period is 05/01/2025 through 09/30/2025.

- Senior millage allocations (FY2026): The committee approved allocations recommended by the Area Agency on Aging of West Michigan totaling $17,993,511 for program categories (priority, supportive, access, general and miscellaneous) and $803,129 for administration. County staff said the recommended allocation requires a modest additional appropriation to the FY2026 senior millage fund balance (amount in record noted as not specified in the committee summary). Staff provided FY2024 service figures: the senior millage served 20,439 unduplicated clients in FY2024, about 6,000 low-income clients, more than 5,000 clients living alone and more than 1,600 veterans. Representatives from the senior millage review committee and AAA of West Michigan described transportation costs as a continuing pressure: higher unit rates to cover driver wages have in some cases held ride volumes flat even as funding increases, prompting discussion of more contract-based, on-demand trips to reduce per-ride costs.

Several items were approved by voice vote with no roll-call tally presented in the meeting record. Corporate counsel or assistant corporate counsel will review grant and contract documents before signature as required.

Quotes from meeting participants captured in the transcript include a KCCA representative describing the diaper-bank partnership with the health department: "we actually partnered with the health department"; Gustav, a community development staff member, explaining program income rules: "there is a timeline to spend down certain program income"; and a court staff member stating about funding sufficiency for the mental health court: "We believe so." These quotes are verbatim from the meeting transcript.

Votes at a glance (action outcomes recorded in the meeting): - Accept FY2025 grants for budgets beginning 10/01/2025 and authorize execution/administration actions (mover: Commissioner McLeod; supporter: Commissioner Oliver King) — approved by voice vote. - Approve FY2026 General Appropriations Act (mover: Commissioner Greene; supporter: Commissioner Oliver King) — approved by voice vote. - Accept and appropriate $40,366 for Diaper Bank (mover: Commissioner Oliver King; supporter: Commissioner Sparks) — approved by voice vote. - Appropriate $37,850.18 in CDBG program income for FY2025 (mover: Vice Chair McLeod; supporter: Commissioner Oliver King) — approved by voice vote. - Accept and appropriate $55,604 (SCALE) for Adult Mental Health Court (mover: Commissioner Sparks; supporter: Commissioner Steck) — approved by voice vote. - Accept and appropriate $25,000 (LEO) for RCC year 2 programming (mover: Vice Chair McLeod; supporter: Commissioner Oliver King) — approved by voice vote. - Approve FY2026 senior millage funding allocations and administrative agreement with AAA of West Michigan (mover: Commissioner Sparks; supporter: Commissioner Halstead) — approved by voice vote.

Ending: The committee adjourned after miscellaneous items and recessed next steps will follow formal board processes for some approvals (for example, millage authorization and final contract signatures).