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Children’s advocacy center asks Oscoda County to consider 0.05 millage after funding shortfall
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Summary
The Northern Michigan Children’s Advocacy Center told the Oscoda County Board it faces a roughly 30% budget shortfall and proposed a 0.05 county millage (about $26,989 annually) to sustain services; the board said the millage language must be legally reviewed by May 11 for potential inclusion on the August ballot.
Rebecca Yunker, executive director of the Northern Michigan Children’s Advocacy Center, told the Oscoda County Board of Commissioners on March 24 that the center faces a significant funding gap after a $100,000 federal grant reduction and an anticipated 14% cut in 2027.
Yunker said the center now confronts an approximately 30% budget shortfall and proposed a 0.05 millage for Oscoda County that would generate about $26,989 annually. She said the NMCAC serves six counties and that Otsego County has already agreed to the millage language while other counties provide smaller $10,000 annual appropriations.
The center provides law-enforcement partnership services, abuse-prevention education in schools and digital-safety training, and Yunker estimated the cost per child served at about $2,500–$3,000. The board noted any millage language must be reviewed by an attorney by May 11, 2026, to be eligible for the August ballot.
Commissioner Charles E. Varner, Jr. said Oscoda County has historically supported millages but emphasized the need for a strict legal review before placement on the ballot. No formal vote or county commitment was taken at the meeting; the board directed that the millage language undergo legal review.
The board will consider next steps after legal review and any intercounty agreements are clarified.