St. Clair County commissioners adopted the county's 2026 general fund budget on Nov. 20 after a public hearing and a round of public comments focused on recent clinic closures and a school dental program. The board also approved a long list of contracts, grants and renewals, and removed the Smiles on Wheels agenda item at the health department's request so advisory members can finish work on opt-in language.

During an initial public hearing on the proposed budget, resident Vicky Blackburn asked the board to explain a $180,000 line item and questioned whether the board was "earning their salary with being okay forfeiting a $180,000." Later in public comment Kathleen Granton said the county had "let our community lose out on our share of $180,000 in health care services for children due to a completely preventable series of events." Those remarks framed several speakers' concerns that a small Yale teen clinic and related services had been disrupted.

Commissioner David Rushing described deliberations at the health advisory board and said the advisory board voted 6-to-1 in favor of an opt-in approach to the Smiles on Wheels school dental program; he summarized recent data, saying last year there were 423 kindergarten and first-grade students countywide and that 51% required follow-up dental care after the oral exams. Rushing said the Smiles on Wheels item was tabled because the vendor and the health department were still resolving questions about opt-in versus opt-out enrollment.

Multiple residents urged the board to preserve teen health services and to avoid politicizing the county's public-health work. Virginia Corey, who attended the health committee, criticized remarks by a medical provider and said, "He wanted us to take on the state. That's not a medical stance. That's a political stance. I would ask that you direct him to act like a doctor, and not a politician." Shelley O'Brien, a Yale council member and business owner, argued the health department's role is to "facilitate health care" and warned that losing the clinic would reduce access for vulnerable teens.

Votes at a glance

- Adopt 2026 general fund budget (Resolution 25-30): passed on roll call.
- October 2025 county disbursements of $71,577,009.39: approved on roll call.
- Removed Smiles on Wheels (item 12b) from tonight's agenda at staff request: motion carried.
- Library contract increase with Clyde Innovation: $125,000 increase approved on roll call.
- Westlaw (Thomson Reuters) subscription for library: $21,942 approved on roll call.
- Cochereville Township police services contract (01/01/2026–12/31/2028): approved on roll call (amount cited in meeting record).
- Multiple residential substance-abuse treatment letters of agreement (Region 10, Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Center, Impact, Blue Water DRP and others): approved for the terms and amounts cited in the agenda.
- Several grant awards and program agreements (Michigan Mental Health Court grant, Michigan drug court grant program, public-safety grant applications, and other program grants): approved as presented.
- Capital Improvement Plan 2026's (2026'2030): approved as presented.
- Pension and retiree health contributions for 2026 (employer pension contribution and 9% retiree health care contribution): approved on roll call.
- One full-time deputy added to the sheriff's staffing table: approved.
- Interim employment agreement for Thomas Hall (interim administrator/controller): approved.
- Per-diem resolution for boards and commissions (Resolution 25-35) and other administrative resolutions: approved.

Why it matters: The budget adoption finalizes county spending priorities for 2026 and advances several county programs, contracts and grants. The removal of the Smiles on Wheels item and extended public concern about the Yale teen clinic indicate ongoing policy disputes within the county health apparatus about service models, vendor terms and the role of health leadership.

What comes next: The board tabled the Smiles on Wheels agreement while the health advisory board and department staff continue work on opt-in language and await vendor/state responses. The adopted budget and approved contracts become county policy and will be implemented according to the terms approved by the board.