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St. Clair County adopts resolution to challenge state metropolitan designation, seeks rural health funding
Summary
After debate and a written amendment directing legal and legislative follow-up, the board adopted Resolution 26-18 requesting reconsideration of the county’s metropolitan classification to allow access to rural health transformation funding.
The St. Clair County Board of Commissioners debated and adopted an amended resolution opposing the county’s classification as a metropolitan area for the state Rural Health Transformation Program, saying the current designation could prevent access to certain rural health funds.
Speakers during the meeting cited a June 11 memorandum (prepared by the county’s medical director) that argued reclassification could open roughly $5,000,000 in funding opportunities for county health services; one commissioner described that figure as approximately $80 per rural resident and cited an estimated 60,000 rural residents in the county.
The board amended the draft resolution to direct corporation counsel to provide legal support to the county administrator and to "immediately initiate any and all legal and legislative means to challenge and rectify" the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services designation. Commissioners said the change was intended to add "teeth" beyond a symbolic resolution.
The amended resolution was adopted by voice vote. Several commissioners and public speakers said the effort should be nonpartisan and that a rapid response is necessary because grant application windows are short.
