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Health officer asks Ogemaw County for 3% appropriation increase; board refers request to committee
Summary
District Health Department No. 2 presented its annual report, highlighted staffing and new services, and requested a 3% county appropriation increase for FY2026; commissioners asked for fund‑balance and budget analysis and referred the request to the Committee of the Whole.
Denise Bridal, health officer for District Health Department No. 2, presented the department's annual report to the Ogemaw County Board of Commissioners and requested a 3% appropriation increase for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1.
Bridal outlined services including environmental health, clinics, WIC and new oral‑health and harm‑reduction programs. She said the department has about 50 budgeted positions with 42 filled and holds "about $1,000,000 plus" in high‑yield accounts, while operating payroll represents roughly 70% of the budget. "Investing in public health, which is a mandated program that hasn't had to increase in 10 years, I think is reasonable," Bridal said.
Commissioners probed the county's fiscal capacity and asked the administrator and treasurer to provide a clearer fund‑balance and budget forecast. The administrator said budget conferences are ongoing and recommended the request be reviewed at the next Committee of the Whole before a final appropriation decision. A commissioner noted the department's requested 3% increase would amount to about $3,900 for Ogemaw County specifically and characterized the request as modest but requiring fiscal context.
No appropriation was approved at the meeting; the board agreed to consider the request in committee with fuller budget information before taking a vote.
