Commissioners weigh cuts, millage outcome could force elimination of road patrol, county finance director warns

Finance director Melissa and county administrators presented early personnel projections for fiscal 2025–26 and told commissioners the board must decide whether to prepare a contingency plan if a proposed public-safety millage fails.

Melissa said the preliminary personnel and fringe-cost update does not include any across-the-board cost-of-living increase and covers detailed calculations for salary steps, health insurance and retirement. She said the county’s total personnel and fringe forecast rose in part because of routine step increases and updated benefit costs, and that retirement actuarial changes also affected projections.

"If we can fulfill essential services — safety, courts, your roads, your infrastructure — everything else is on the table to consider a cut or revision," the administrator told the board. Commissioners asked staff to produce a scenario that would show the impact of the millage failing, including what would happen if county-funded road patrol and the prosecuting attorney’s office were removed from the county budget. Administration said removing road-patrol costs would eliminate several million dollars from the county budget but would also shift responsibilities and contractual choices to municipalities currently under contract (Delta Township was called out as a large contract area).

Delta Township contract and local impacts. Commissioners and staff discussed the July–September 2025 contract timeline and told residents that contracted areas would need to determine alternative police arrangements if the county eliminates road patrol. Commissioners confirmed that any township or city could choose to fund its own coverage or contract elsewhere, and they acknowledged the county’s pension and legacy costs would remain. "If the millage doesn't pass, there would likely be changes to the Eaton County–Delta contract," a county communication piece posted to local outlets stated.

Vacancies, recruitment and grants. Human resources reported a 12.3% countywide vacancy rate with roughly 51 open positions. Commissioners discussed recruitment pipelines, MCOL (academy) grant caps for training deputy candidates, and the county’s practice of seeking federal and state grant funding for infrastructure and security projects. Melissa said staff could bring back a detailed cut list and modeled budgets at the March 28 meeting or at an April meeting to help the board determine acceptable reductions.

Public comment and MERS concerns. In limited public comment, a resident urged commissioners to raise the issue with state legislators because actuarial and retirement changes (Michigan Employees’ Retirement System) have played a role in the county budget pressure; resident Andy Shaver asked the county to engage all three state representatives on MERS-related issues.

What’s next. Administration offered to prepare a scenario-based budget showing specific program and personnel eliminations if the millage fails. "I can have that by the 28th," Melissa told commissioners. Board members requested that staff present a cut plan for review before final budget decisions.

Speakers

- Melissa, finance director (government) - Ben, county administration/controller (government) - Various commissioners (Holmes, Haskell, Mudry, Whitaker, Barber, Mott) - Andy Shaver, public commenter (citizen)

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Provenance

{"transcript_segments":[{"block_id":"8034.46","local_start":0,"local_end":850,"evidence_excerpt":"Okay. I'm gonna handle this... At this meeting... All you're seeing are the personnel costs that I have gone through and updated for every department... The total increase to the next year's budget project projection is $1,100,000, 1 point 0 8 9.","reason_code":"topicintro"},{"block_id":"9268.395","local_start":0,"local_end":600,"evidence_excerpt":"So my recommendations, I'm gonna tell you, are not going to be... But there will be we will eliminate non mandated services... The sheriff's department, what I call the road patrol o1... I believe that totaled to, 6,500,000 when I ran the budget numbers... There's 6,500,000 less the positions that the sheriff has to maintain.","reason_code":"topicfinish"}]}