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Mackinac County budget committee recommends pay increases, warns of revenue shortfall
Summary
Budget Committee members John Kling and Daryl Schroeder presented recommended salary adjustments for elected officials and staff, urged another wage study in 2029, and flagged stagnant taxable values and inflation as drivers of recurring deficits; they proposed short-term use of delinquent tax funds and a $500,000 building maintenance reserve.
The Mackinac County Board of Commissioners’ Committee of the Whole met Dec. 5, 2025, to review the county’s proposed 2026 budget and to discuss pay and staffing recommendations from the Budget Committee.
Commissioner John Kling, a Budget Committee member, framed the meeting around the county’s last wage study and said the board should commission a new wage study in 2029 to keep pay scales current and fair. Kling said inflation and taxable values that have not kept pace with inflation are producing recurring budget shortfalls and that the county should consider raising revenue through a millage or reduce spending. As a short-term offset, Kling proposed using the county’s 516 delinquent tax funds to help close budget gaps. He also recommended establishing a building maintenance emergency fund of at least $500,000.
Kling reported the county’s unions were finalizing a tentative agreement that would raise wages 4% in 2026 and 3% in 2027; he said non‑union court employees would receive the same increases. Commissioners discussed eliminating steps in the wage scale to simplify pay administration and to better reflect wage‑study recommendations.
Budget Committee members Kling and Daryl Schroeder presented specific recommended salary levels in response to requests from elected officials. The committee’s recommendations were: Sheriff $93,600; Clerk $75,778; Register of Deeds $72,607; Treasurer $72,500; Prosecutor $110,400; Assistant Prosecutor $75,307; Under Sheriff $82,106. Elected officials’ original requests recorded in the meeting were: Sheriff $93,000; Clerk $72,000–75,000; Register of Deeds $3,000 over current salary; Treasurer $12,000 over current salary; Prosecutor $129,000.
Commissioners said two cost‑savings items could help offset wage increases: a new health plan identified by the Health Care Committee that will reduce county health expenditures in 2026 and actions by the Equalization Director expected to increase revenue by roughly $130,000 through better use of GIS parcel data.
The meeting record shows the committee made its recommendations for board consideration; no formal salary ordinance adoption was recorded at this meeting. The Committee of the Whole adjourned at 12:43 p.m.
