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Mackinac County commissioners review 2026 budget, recommend salary increases and program cuts
Summary
At a Dec. 5 Committee of the Whole meeting in St. Ignace, Mackinac County commissioners reviewed the proposed 2026 budget, recommended specific salary adjustments for several elected offices, proposed a $500,000 building maintenance reserve and cut funding for the Mackinac Economic Alliance and MSU Extension office space.
ST. IGNACE, Mich. — Mackinac County commissioners met Dec. 5 to examine the proposed 2026 budget, weigh wage adjustments for elected officials and staff, and consider program cuts to reduce recurring shortfalls.
Commissioners John Kling and Daryl Schroeder, serving on the county’s Budget Committee, led the review and presented recommended salary adjustments for several elected positions after consulting comparable figures from the county wage study. The committee recommended a Sheriff salary of $93,600 (the sheriff had requested $93,000), County Clerk $75,778 (the clerk requested $72,000–$75,000), Register of Deeds $72,607 (the office requested a $3,000 increase above current pay), Treasurer $72,500 (the treasurer requested $12,000), and Prosecutor $110,400 (the prosecutor requested $129,000). The committee also recommended an Assistant Prosecutor salary of $75,307 and an Under Sheriff salary of $82,106.
Commissioner Kling said the county should rely on the wage study as its primary tool for setting pay and recommended conducting the next formal wage study in 2029 to keep salaries current. Kling and other commissioners noted that inflation and lagging taxable values have created recurring budget shortfalls; as a short-term measure they discussed using delinquent tax funds (described in the meeting as $516) to offset gaps while pursuing longer-term revenue options such as a millage or additional spending cuts.
The board also discussed establishing a building maintenance emergency fund with a recommended minimum balance of $500,000 to cover unforeseen facility repairs.
On labor issues, commissioners reported that union negotiators had reached a tentative agreement calling for a 4% wage increase in 2026 and 3% in 2027; the board said non-union court employees would receive the same increases. The discussion also included the possibility of removing step scales from the wage structure to simplify alignment with the wage study recommendations.
Commissioners praised the Health Care Committee for selecting a new health insurance plan that is expected to save the county a “substantial” but unspecified amount in 2026. They also said the county’s new Equalization Director identified changes in GIS parcel data that are projected to raise county revenue by approximately $130,000.
On program budgets, the Board reduced the MSU Extension allocation from $81,000 to $79,721 and said it will look for less costly office space because the current county-provided location has not been cost-effective. The meeting record shows the Budget Committee recommended eliminating the Mackinac Economic Alliance’s county funding after receiving no project updates or progress reports from the MEA for 2025; commissioners said they were dissatisfied with the organization’s communication.
In other items, Commissioner Judy St. Louis-Scott reported CLMCAA received a grant to build a new garage. Commissioners discussed a Brownfield Authority developer declining a housing site due to rocky soil testing; Commissioner Daryl Schroeder said he attended an October MSHDA meeting and is pursuing a $1.5 million Brownfield Authority letter of intent.
During public comment, District Court Administrator Christine Bawol asked whether non-union employees must submit a written letter to request wage increases; Commissioner Kling said a letter would be appropriate. Sheriff Ed Wilk and Register of Deeds Mary Jo Savard publicly thanked the commissioners for their work. Treasurer Tina Massey restated her view that county pay increases should be tied to taxable values rather than other formulas.
The meeting opened at 11:00 a.m. and adjourned at 12:43 p.m.; the agenda approval and the adjournment were moved and seconded by commissioners in attendance and carried by voice vote.
Next steps noted in the meeting record: the Budget Committee will finalize recommendations as part of the county’s 2026 budget process; no formal, binding salary increases or funding allocations were adopted during this meeting.
