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Kalkaska County flags $609,000 projected shortfall as 2026 budget review continues
Summary
County Administrator Patrick Whiteford told commissioners the proposed 2026 budget currently shows a $609,000 shortfall and asked the board to continue review at a November 13 workshop; the board authorized year-end financial flexibilities to mitigate overages.
County Administrator/CFO Patrick Whiteford told the Kalkaska County Board of Commissioners Committee of the Whole that the proposed 2026 budget shows a shortfall of $609,000 and that staff will continue review at a workshop scheduled for Nov. 13, 2025.
To provide interim flexibility, commissioners authorized by consensus the County Administrator/CFO to pay necessary bills before year-end and to make budget amendments through the end of 2025 aimed at mitigating overages. Both authorizations were supported by Commissioners David Comai and Robert Baldwin with no opposition.
The board also approved the county's FY-2026 MIDC Compliance Plan and Cost Analysis, a county obligation noted at $40,047.87 of a total $799,758.89 plan cost — an example of the near-term mandatory expenses that factor into the 2026 projection. Administrator Whiteford said additional procurement items and grant opportunities will be brought back for further review before finalizing the 2026 budget.
