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Commissioners press for clearer millage RFP processes and public messaging amid federal funding cuts
Summary
Washtenaw County commissioners and the Commission on Aging discussed millage-funded RFP reviews, confusion over final decision steps, and the limits of county capacity to backfill federal cuts; they urged clearer processes, messaging and the new Office on Aging to improve coordination.
Commission on Aging members spent a substantial portion of the meeting reviewing the county's early implementation of the senior-services millage, including recent RFP reviews and communications with the Board of Commissioners.
Several commission reviewers said the RFP review process for transportation grants worked in the initial scoring but became confusing during the final stages: follow-up questions to providers, how reviewer feedback was folded into the board package, and lack of closure on outcomes. "It got a little confusing at the end," said Juliet Ballard, urging clearer closure for reviewers so their input is reflected in final recommendations.
Annie Somerville and county staff emphasized that millage dollars are new, not a county reallocation of previously funded services. Somerville said the county has been using millage funds to plug urgent gaps caused by federal and state funding losses (food programs, transportation) but cautioned that the county cannot replace all lost federal funding. "People cannot expect the county ... to fill all the gaps from the federal and state funding losses," Somerville said, adding that the county is working on communications and expects the Office on Aging to improve transparency.
Commissioners recommended that future RFPs and award communications specifically indicate whether funds are intended to shore up existing services or to expand new services given current federal and state constraints. They also asked for clearer public messaging so voters understand how millage dollars are being used and what services remain outside county authority.
Annie Somerville reported that the director-of-aging recruitment is underway; commissioners expressed interest in having the director help coordinate millage implementation and communications once onboard.
Ending: Commissioners asked staff to improve the RFP process transparency, to provide closure to committee reviewers, and to expand public outreach about how millage dollars will be used; the commission awaits further reports from the Office on Aging once a director is in place.
