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Ontonagon County approves extra MERS payment, 3% pay increase and a bundle of routine grants, contracts and appointments
Summary
Across a July special budget session and the Nov. 18 regular meeting, the Ontonagon County Board authorized an extra MERS payment of $52,686.53, approved a 3% wage increase for county elected and non-union hourly staff effective Jan. 1, 2026, rejected a proposed drug dog for the sheriff, and approved multiple grants, contracts and appointments in unanimous votes.
The Ontonagon County Board of Commissioners approved a series of budget and personnel actions across meetings recorded in July and Nov. 2025.
At a July 17 special budget session the board authorized an extra payment to the Municipal Employees' Retirement System (MERS) of $52,686.53 (motion by Bourdeau, support Nousiainen; carried on a 4-0 roll call vote). The board also approved a 3% wage increase for elected officials, department heads and hourly non-union employees effective Jan. 1, 2026 (motion by Bourdeau, support Cane; carried 4-0). The minutes of that session record additional procedural motions including cancellation of two remaining special budget sessions and adjournment at 3:01 p.m.
During the Nov. 18, 2025 regular meeting, the board unanimously approved several routine items by 5-0 votes: formal approval of the Legal Deserts Problem Solving Project; a storage agreement for the Sheriff's Department with KPM Storage LLC; an Operating Drive grant; setting a special meeting to review insurance quotes; a decrease in Brownfield Authority membership from seven members to five; advertising for multiple board vacancies; overnight travel requests for County Clerk Stacy C. Preiss and Haley Rasmussen; and Resolution 2025-13 giving signature authority for airport sponsor contracts at Schuster Field to Lisa Linna.
The board also approved a 2025 employee Christmas bonus in the form of $50 gift certificates, the 2026 Indigent Defense grant agreement, and an agreement for MSU services; the minutes note the board asked that a board member serve on the MSU advisory committee. The minutes record approval of accounts payable (total $105,158.13), prepaid bills ($105,584.81) and payroll ($193,684.45) for specified funds and dates.
Notable decisions and vote summaries: - Extra MERS payment: approved, $52,686.53 (Jul. 17 special session); tally recorded as 4-0. - 3% wage increase for elected, department head and non-union hourly staff: approved, effective Jan. 1, 2026; tally recorded as 4-0. - Drug dog for Sheriff's Department: motion to not approve the drug dog passed 4-0 (Jul. 17 special session). - Storage agreement with KPM Storage LLC: approved 5-0 (Nov. 18 regular meeting). - Resolution 2025-13 (Schuster Field signature authority): approved 5-0 (Nov. 18 regular meeting).
Appointments: John Cane stepped aside for Brownfield Authority membership; Ron Store was named a new member and Rick Bourdeau was identified as the alternate in the Nov. 18 minutes.
The board adjourned the Nov. 18 meeting to the call of the Chair at 4:31 p.m.; the transcript also records the opening roll call for a Dec. 3, 2025 special meeting but no substantive actions for Dec. 3 are included in the text provided.
