Ontonagon County adopts 2025–26 budget, sets millage rates

The Ontonagon County Board of Commissioners adopted the 2025–2026 General Appropriations Act (Resolution No. 2025-08) on Sept. 16, approving the county’s operating budget and levying property taxes to fund multiple county services.

The board voted 4-0 (Commissioners Bourdeau, Store, Nousiainen and Chair Carl Nykanen; Commissioner Cane absent) to adopt the resolution after a brief special public hearing held at 3:45 p.m. No members of the public spoke during the hearing, which the board opened and closed by recorded motions.

The resolution sets the following levies: 6.5200 mills for the General Fund; 5.0000 mills for the County Road Fund (snow removal and road construction); 2.0000 mills for SONCO Ambulance; 1.0000 mills for Public Transit Fund operating; 0.5000 mills for the Commission on Aging (Senior Citizen Fund); 0.3000 mills for the Gogebic-Ontonagon Community Action Agency; and 0.1500 mills for the Ontonagon County Animal Protection (OCAP) fund.

The General Fund budget lists total revenue and other sources of $4,745,686. Major appropriation totals include Judicial ($870,832), General Government ($1,726,001), Public Safety ($1,552,032), Public Works ($101,160) and Health & Welfare ($209,379). The resolution text provides department-level line items and totals that sum to the stated appropriation total.

The appropriations act also details numerous special funds, including the Road Commission Fund (total expenditures $11,000,000; ending fund balance $4,603,080), Public Transit Fund (beginning fund balance $1,578,885; revenues $962,273; total expenditures $962,273), the Foreclosure Fund (ending balance $1,642,966), and SONCO Ambulance (ending balance $729,909), among others. Fund-by-fund beginning balances, revenues, transfers and proposed expenditures are listed in the adopted resolution.

The resolution contains administrative provisions: the county fiscal year runs Oct. 1, 2025–Sept. 30, 2026; the County Clerk (Stacy C. Preiss) is designated fiscal officer and chief administrative officer under Act 621, P.A. 1978; departments must follow a budget policy statement when preparing next year’s estimates; purchasing guidance calls for obtaining three quotes when practical for purchases over $500; obligations and payments may not exceed available unencumbered balances; and statutory procedures must be followed to amend the appropriations act.

Procedurally, the board also approved several routine motions connected to the budget process in earlier proceedings: approval of overnight travel for County Clerk Stacy C. Preiss to attend the UP County Clerk’s quarterly meeting (cost $246.50); setting the public budget hearing for 3:45 p.m. on Sept. 16, 2025; cancellation of a previously scheduled Sept. 9 special budget session; and a motion at the regular meeting to allow all commissioners to attend the fall UPACC conference. Those earlier motions were carried by recorded votes (most recorded as 5-0 where all commissioners were present).

The board declared Resolution No. 2025-08 adopted and adjourned the special session to the call of the chair at 3:47 p.m.; the regular meeting convened at 4:00 p.m., where minutes were approved and the conference attendance motion was carried.

The adopted resolution and its fund schedules serve as the county’s appropriation limits for fiscal year 2025–2026; the board’s policy statement clarifies that appropriations limit spending but do not mandate expenditures and that departments must demonstrate any restricted fund-balance claims to the board.