Sanilac County commissioners honor two K‑9 retirements, approve budget amendments and ratify Corrections union contract

The Sanilac County Board of Commissioners met on March 3, 2026, in Sandusky and unanimously adopted a pair of resolutions honoring the retirements of two county law‑enforcement dogs and approved a series of budget and operational measures, including ratification of a Corrections unit collective bargaining agreement.

In formal votes, the board honored K‑9 Phoenix with a resolution noting the dog was acquired through the Sanilac County Drug Task Force millage and would be "granted an honorable retirement effective March 3, 2026" due to health reasons. Commissioner Roger Ballard moved the Phoenix resolution; Commissioner Gary Heberling seconded it. The roll call vote was recorded as yes from Ballard, Heberling, Lee, Moody, Block and Sarkella; Commissioner Evans Ehardt was absent.

The board also adopted a resolution honoring K‑9 Zuzana, who entered service in August 2019 and will retire effective April 1, 2026 to the care of Sergeant James Anderson. That resolution passed by roll call with the same six members voting yes and one absent.

Why it matters: The resolutions formalize retirement and transfer‑of‑ownership arrangements that move the animals out of active duty and, in the case of Zuzana, into the handler’s custody. The approvals also reflect the use of a voter‑approved millage and departmental budgets to fund K‑9 capabilities.

Beyond the K‑9 items, the board approved payment of current claims for the general bank account totaling $217,951.89 (motion by Commissioner Bill Sarkella; seconded by Commissioner Christine Lee). The meeting record also shows approval of a package of 2026 budget amendments that reallocated multiple line items (service revenues for solar project inspections were increased by individual amounts ranging from $132.50 to $993.00, contingency and wages lines were adjusted, temporary wages and overtime lines were altered) and established a new advertising account (632‑267‑901.000). The motion to adopt the budget amendments carried.

Operational and procurement approvals included: - Awarding a flooring replacement contract for the Health Department clinic area to Flooring Edge, Inc., not to exceed $16,250, funded from the Building and Grounds budget. - Approving a memorandum of understanding with the TPOAM general bargaining union to establish a four‑day, 32‑hour work week for accounting specialist Gail McConnachie. - Authorizing transfer-of‑ownership agreements that will allow two county canines to be transferred to their handlers (the agreements authorizes the board chair to sign). - Authorizing a one‑year subscription to THISGEN 911, a training tool for dispatchers, not to exceed $5,000 with funding from the 911 millage. - Authorizing the Veterans Affairs director to purchase 40 gross flags and 362 markers from National Flag & Display Co., Inc. and New England Flag Mfg. Co., totaling $7,875.10 from the Veterans Affairs millage.

The board accepted the Sanilac County Drug Task Force 2025 annual report, presented earlier in the meeting by Lieutenant Mike Moore; the minutes record acceptance but do not provide detail on the report’s findings or statistics.

The board voted to go into closed session for the purpose of negotiations at 1:58 p.m. (yes: Block, Ballard, Heberling, Sarkella, Lee, Moody; absent: Ehardt) and returned to open session at 2:09 p.m. After the closed session the board amended the agenda to add ratification of the Police Officers Labor Council (POLC) Corrections unit collective bargaining agreement and then ratified the agreement for 2026–2028, effective the first full pay period following ratification (March 8, 2026). The board authorized the chairman to sign the contract.

The meeting concluded with adjournment at 2:13 p.m.

What the record does not show: The minutes record motions and outcomes but contain little narrative detail about the Drug Task Force annual report, negotiation subjects discussed in closed session, or substantive debate over the budget amendments and procurement items. Where the minutes list line‑item changes, the action text records specific account numbers and dollar adjustments; the minutes do not include supporting staff presentations or background memos in the text.