MAC releases county priorities for FY27 state budget
An increase in revenue sharing funds and state assistance for counties dealing with reimbursements from tax foreclosure proceeds lead counties’ budget asks for Fiscal year 2027, the Michigan Association of Counties announced this week.
The Michigan Legislature will kick its budget work into high gear after it returns from its spring break on Tuesday, April 14. State law requires the Legislature to present spending bills to the governor on or before July 1 each year.
MAC’s full budget list includes:
- Properly Fund the State’s Promise on Revenue Sharing
- Deliver Assistance on Retroactive Tax Foreclosure Proceeds
- Address the Gap in Veteran Service Grants
- Even the Pay/Caseload Playing Field for Prosecutors and Defenders
- Increase Funding to County Jails for Services Provided to MDOC
- Continue to Fund Public Safety Revenue Sharing Grants
“According to the January Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference, state sales tax revenues are slated to increase by approximately 9.8 percent from FY 2026 to FY 2027,” said Deena Bosworth, MAC’s director of governmental affairs. “We are seeking an increase in statutory revenue sharing for counties at a rate equivalent to the state’s gains on sales taxes.”
On tax foreclosure assistance, Bosworth noted that state statute, not county actions, were at the center of litigation that is now requiring counties to issue reimbursements on proceeds from tax foreclosures. Therefore, she said, it is incumbent on the state to help counties with this liability.
For details on each of the budget priorities, view this printable summary document.
For questions on MAC’s budget advocacy, contact Deena Bosworth at bosworth@micounties.org.
NACo: PDFs are DOA as new web standards approach
Nearly one-third of all counties are rushing toward an April deadline to meet new standards for website and social media accessibility, the National Association of Counties reports in a new story.
The 973 counties with at least 50,000 residents have until April 24 to comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 Level AA, while the remaining 2,096 smaller counties have until April 26, 2027. The guidelines were set by the World Wide Web Consortium, and those deadlines were set two years ago, when the Department of Justice published a final rule for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Chesterfield County in Virginia combined the early deadline with the process of redesigning its website to rethink how its content is presented to residents.
“It was evident that it was a better experience,” said Chris Coleman, Chesterfield County’s eGovernment Services manager. “It’s a perfect example of a solution that was better for the organization and was just as good, if not better, for our end users, especially those with disabilities.
“The reality is, there is a significant portion of the population that has visual disabilities and hearing disabilities and cognitive disabilities that we need to provide services for, not create barriers to accessing those services.”
Throughout the last few years, accessibility compliance has dominated the DuPage County, Ill., IT department’s agenda, and Web Services Manager Debra Deacy said she hears the same from peers around the country.
“It’s a part of everything we’re doing,” she said. “It’s been that way for the last few years.”
The final rule has not been accompanied by any federal funding to help meet the $1 billion estimated cost of compliance by all counties. County IT departments are taking on the added tasks of updating their web content and often contracting with vendors to help meet those needs, all while managing their daily IT workload.
“What we’re hearing from our members is a lot of confusion and a lot of gray areas,” said Jennifer Chapman, president of the National Association of Government Web Professionals and senior communications manager for Johns Creek, Ga. “Governments are facing challenges with their staffing, their funding and some of our third-party providers.” …
LEARN MORE: Attendees of the 2026 Michigan Counties Legislative Conference will hear from representatives of the Michigan Treasury Department on Monday, April 27 on web compliance matters. To register for the conference, use the link in the item below.
‘Live’ Podcast 83 taping, video address from governor announced for 2026 Legislative Conference
A special episode of MAC’s Podcast 83 will be taped before a live audience at the 2026 Legislative Conference on April 28 in Lansing.
The same day, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will address attendees via a video statement, MAC announced this week.
Registration continues at the 2026 Michigan Counties Legislative Conference April 27-29 in Lansing. SPECIAL NOTE: The conference room block, with its discount pricing, will close TODAY (March 27). Please act now to secure your hotel space and conference registration.
This year’s event, held by MAC in conjunction with the Michigan County Medical Care Facilities Council, will again feature a format where all the presentations are plenary sessions – attendees will not miss out on any content!
Among the sessions planned are:
- A review of your county’s responsibilities to comply with federal law on digital access on your websites and documents
- A roundtable with key legislators on what to expect at the State Capitol in 2026
- A status report on opioid settlement funding and spending rules
- An analysis of the 2026 elections from the “Baldly Bipartisan” team of Adrian Hemond and John Sellek
Special events at the conference include:
- A buffet dinner on the opening night for mingling with colleagues and MAC’s Premier Corporate Partners
- A Legislative Reception on Tuesday evening to allow county leaders to mingle with their representatives and senators
- Presentation of certificates to members who earned “Year 1” certificates from 2025 in MAC’s County Commissioner Academy
Registration fees for the conference are $425 for a member attending the entire event. (All county officials and members of MAC Affiliates are eligible for the member rate.) The deadline for online conference registration is April 17.
Click here to begin your conference registration.
Once again, the DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Lansing will be the conference hub. The MAC room rate is $194 (plus taxes). Again, this special rate ends TODAY!
Click here to reserve a hotel room or call 833-904-2206. (If calling, reference the MAC conference with code “90R.”)
We look forward to seeing you in April.
Podcast 83 episode reviews MAC budget plans, election date legislation, future of dams owned by Consumers Energy
With the Legislature preparing for a two-week spring break, MAC’s Podcast 83 team reviewed activity in Lansing on election dates and the future of 13 Consumers Energy dams across Michigan and reviewed MAC’s state budget agenda for fiscal 2027.
Election legislation: “We’ve been talking about this for … seems like a month worth of podcasts now,” said Samantha Gibson. “Sen. Sam Singh (D-Ingham) and some bipartisan sponsors on a larger elections package that move the August primary up to May. There are some other bills in the package that are logistical changes that go along with it, but we were primarily tracking the primary election date change.
“MAC did not weigh in with a position on the bills, however, the county clerks’ association does support moving that primary up to May, and as we’ve talked about in previous weeks, it alleviates the burden that clerks face between that close August primary and November general.”
Dams: “There are 13 dams … most of them are up north,” said Deena Bosworth, “but these are those hydroelectric dams that need to have some significant improvements done to them. Consumers Energy has long talked about selling off those dams, and they now have a buyer.
“But the problem is the Department of Natural Resources is encouraging the Natural Resources Commission to oppose the sale of these dams. Which, you know, is kind of problematic. I mean, Consumers doesn’t want to do it. They don’t want to have to do all the improvements (federal regulators are) going to require. They want to be considerate to all those residents near and around those dams, because they’re used significantly for recreational opportunities for everyone,” Bosworth continued.
Budget: “We are expecting, post-spring break, a heavy dose of budget discussions to really get up and going and kind of take the air out of the room for the next few months, as we get closer to the July 1st deadline,” said Stephan Currie. “Let’s talk a little bit about some of our budget highlights … over the next couple months.”
“Revenue sharing is always at the top of the list,” replied Bosworth. “We’re concerned, because this would be another year of flat funding, at least according to what the governor has recommended. And we do know that the state budget is already hurting. They’re going to be looking for a significant number of cuts from what current budget looks like.”
For more details on MAC’s budget advocacy, watch the full episode, recorded on March 23, by clicking here or on the image above.
Apply by April 16 to expand recovery housing in your community
The Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) has released a Request for Proposals for the FY2026 Recovery Housing Investment Program (RHIP), funded through the state’s opioid settlement resources. Approximately $3.37 million will be awarded to expand recovery housing for individuals with opioid and substance use disorders. Recovery housing is a safe, healthy, family-like, substance-free living environment that supports individuals in recovery.
Eligible nonprofits, local governments, federally recognized tribes and certified recovery housing providers may apply for funds to purchase or lease properties, with awards supporting down payments, leasing costs, furnishings, operating expenses, and limited administrative costs.
Priority will be given to high-need counties identified by the state.
Proposals are due April 16, 2026, with awards announced May 15, 2026.
For more information or for technical assistance with applying, contact Dan Kelly at kelly@micounties.org.
NACo: EPA eyes new WOTUS definition coming soon
Lee Zeldin knew the five letters that would get a rise out of county officials — W-O-T-U-S.
When addressing the General Session audience Feb. 24 at the NACo Legislative Conference, Zeldin, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, announced that the agency was close to finalizing a definition for the Waters of the United States regulation of the Clean Water Act.
The Waters of the United States defines the scope of the waterways under federal jurisdiction, guided by a patchwork of rulemaking and court cases since 2015. That has affected county operations ranging from essential water infrastructure to roadside ditches, slowing and adding costs and doubt to various county projects over the years.
“We believe strongly that farmers, ranchers, landowners, local governments shouldn’t have to pay an attorney or a consultant to tell you whether or not there’s a water of the United States subject to federal jurisdiction on your land,” he said. “It should be simple for you to know on your own.”
Zeldin previously represented part of Long Island in New York’s congressional delegation prior to leading the EPA.
“We have a goal to have a simple, prescriptive definition that strictly follows the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Sackett,” he said, referring to Sackett v. EPA, a 2023 decision that significantly narrowed the scope of the act to permanent, standing or continuously flowing bodies of water that form geographical features.
Zeldin also opined on the EPA’s goals for permitting reform efforts that followed the same tenets at the WOTUS rule. …
Staff picks
- See which Michigan counties gained, lost residents last year (MLive)
- Where your power comes from: Electric Utilities 101 (University of Michigan Ford School)
- Michigan Gasoline Consumption and Fuel Economy (chart) (Senate Fiscal Agency)
- $6 million in medical debt eliminated for more than 6,000 Oakland County residents, county confirms (WXYZ-TV)