Annual Conference draws more than 300 to Grand Traverse County for MAC elections, policy briefings
An Honor Guard from Grand Traverse County presented the colors during a ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks at the 2026 Annual Conference.
Newaygo County Commissioner Bryan Kolk, newly minted as the 118th president of the Michigan Association of Counties, urged colleagues to “remember a disagreement should not be life-altering” in his inaugural remarks at MAC’s 2026 Annual Conference last week.
Kolk’s swearing-in and speech were among the highlights of the event, which drew more than 300 county leaders and others to the Grand Traverse Resort, Sept. 9-11.
Among conference activities, attendees:
- Listened to addresses from Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Congressman John James on their respective bids for governor in November.
- Participated in a memorial ceremony on the morning of Sept. 11 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.
- Elected new directors to the Michigan Association of Counties (MAC) Board and approved policy platforms for the coming year.
“It seems the responsibilities of counties never stop growing,” said Stephan W. Currie, MAC’s executive director. “Just look at the spirited discussion we had at the conference on data centers, as one example. It’s a testament to the spirit of public service of our members that they take on each new challenge with determination and, most importantly, open minds.”
During caucus elections on Sept. 10, members re-elected Dwight Washington of Clinton County (Region 4) and Joe Derocha of Marquette County (Region 1) to the MAC Board of Directors. Newly elected to the MAC Board are Gary Sauer of Benzie County (At-large), Jeff Dontz of Manistee County (Region 2) and Josh Brugger of Ottawa County (Region 3).
As the conference closed, the MAC Board confirmed officers for the 2026-27 term. Joining Kolk are William Miller of Oakland County (first vice president) and Dwight Washington (second vice president). Antoinette Wallace of Macomb County moves to immediate past president.
Materials from the conference will be added to this page in coming weeks, so please check regularly.
Allegan County hits 100% attendance at annual conference
Congratulations to Allegan County for achieving 100% attendance at this year’s Michigan Association of Counties Annual Conference! MAC is proud to recognize county boards that go the extra mile to participate, engage, and make the most of the opportunities the conference provides. Thank you to the Allegan County Board of Commissioners for your strong commitment to MAC and to serving your community.
Treasury to host next ‘Fiscally Ready’ webinar on Sept. 21
Join the Michigan Department of Treasury and Michigan State University Extension for their next Fiscally Ready Communities webinar. The topic for this training session will be Communicating Fiscal Risk and Prudent Decision Making.
This session will be on Sept. 21 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Eastern.
This session will explore ways local government can communicate about their financial position, evaluate the risks they face, and establish processes to help with hard decisions and engage the public and decision-makers throughout the process.
‘Live’ episode of Podcast 83 reviews legislative landscape for fall
County commissioners attending the 2026 Annual Conference were urged to contact their legislators regarding key court funding in a special “live” episode of Podcast 83 taped on Sept. 11, 2026.
The MAC team of Executive Director Stephan Currie, Governmental Affairs director Deena Bosworth and governmental affairs staffers Davis Grimm and Maci Main reviewed House Bill 5452, which would extend the court-fee funding sunset through Dec. 31, 2028.
Without action, fee authority expires Dec. 31 of this year, creating a $50 million funding cliff.
Other issues covered in the Legislative Update included:
- HB 6105, which would correct a legislative error on lake level assessment payments from the state to counties.
- Senate Bill 947 and HB 5485, which would increase dam rehabilitation costs and reporting requirements for approximately 113 county-owned dams. While MAC secured $20 million for publicly owned high-risk dams, further funding may be required.
- SB 1136, a potential fix to the Public Employee Health Care Act (Public Act 152) that now contains outdated inflationary mechanisms for hard cap limits on health insurance premium payments.
- SB 81, enacted in August, which expands Michigan Indigent Defense Commission responsibilities to indigent youth on Oct. 1, 2027.
To watch the full episode, click here or on the image above.
MDHHS discusses Rural Health Transformation funding in MAC webinar
In late August, MAC hosted Beth Nagel of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) to discuss how counties can participate in the Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program. The $50 billion grant program runs from fiscal year 2026 through FY 2030, with $10 billion allocated per year across 50 states. The goal is to increase access to rural health providers while improving outcomes for individuals living in rural communities.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) was awarded $173,128,201 for Budget Period 1 (BP1; Dec. 31, 2025-Oct. 30, 2026) by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) under the RHT Program.
In the session, Nagel discussed the status of implementation and outlined how counties can engage with and benefit from RHTP.
Round Two of Health Insurance Contribution Bill
On September 10, the Michigan Senate passed legislation that would make significant changes to the state’s Publicly Funded Health Insurance Contribution Act, commonly known as Public Act 152.
SB 1136, sponsored by Sen. Kevin Hertel (D-Macomb), passed the Senate by a vote of 20-15 and has been referred to the House Committee on Government Operations. The bill is a reintroduction of legislation passed during the 2023-24 legislative session but vetoed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer earlier this year following a lengthy legal dispute over the previous House leadership’s failure to present the bill to the governor.
Public Act 152 currently limits the amount a public employer may contribute toward employee medical benefit plans through annual “hard caps.” Alternatively, a public employer may elect to use an 80/20 cost-sharing model.
MAC agrees that the existing hard caps have not kept pace with the actual growth in health care costs and supports increasing those caps. However, MAC remains opposed to SB 1136 in its current form because of two significant provisions that would limit local control and potentially increase costs for counties.
First, the legislation would change the mechanism used to determine future annual increases in the hard caps. MAC believes the inflationary mechanism contained in the bill does not provide an appropriate or reliable measure of the actual change in employer health care costs. An adjustment mechanism should accurately reflect changes in the cost of providing employee health benefits so counties are not again faced with a statutory cap that becomes disconnected from real-world health insurance costs.
Second, SB 1136 would fundamentally change the 80/20 option by establishing an 80% minimum employer contribution. Under current law, the 80/20 provision functions as a limit on the employer contribution. Requiring employers that select this option to pay at least 80% removes flexibility from counties and could interfere with locally negotiated compensation and benefit packages.
MAC supports the underlying goal of updating PA 152. The hard caps should be increased, and future adjustments should be tied to an appropriate inflationary mechanism that better reflects changes in health care costs. Those changes can be made without imposing a mandatory minimum employer contribution or unnecessarily restricting the ability of counties and their employees to negotiate benefit arrangements that work for their communities.
MAC will continue working with legislators and stakeholders on revisions that address these concerns.
With the bill now before the Republican-controlled House, MAC does not expect SB 1136 to advance through the House during the remainder of the 2026 legislative session. However, the issue is unlikely to go away. MAC expects legislation addressing PA 152 to be reintroduced when the new legislative session begins in January 2027 and will continue advocating for an increase in the hard caps coupled with a more appropriate inflationary adjustment while preserving local flexibility. For more information, please contact Deena Bosworth at bosworth@micounties.org
Save the Date: Michigan Mental Health Diversion Council 2026 Summit
Join the Michigan Mental Health Diversion Council (MMHDC) and the Center for Behavioral Health and Justice (CBHJ) for A Decade of Progress: Advancing Diversion and Crisis Response in Michigan Counties on Thursday, September 24, 9 am – 12 pm ET.
The 2026 MMHDC Summit will be held virtually, offering a statewide opportunity to highlight Michigan’s Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) diversion initiatives and strengthen collaboration among local and state partners. This year’s summit will also feature insights from the 10-year report, reflecting on the evolution of the SIM framework from its origins within MMHDC to its current statewide impact.
Across Intercepts 0–5, state and local leaders will share strategies, successes, and lessons learned in advancing diversion, expanding treatment access, and improving system coordination. The virtual format makes it possible for partners across Michigan to engage in meaningful dialogue and shared learning.
RSVP here or above to reserve your spot.
Staff picks
- Local government considerations in hyperscale data center development (Citizens Research Council of Michigan
- Pennsylvania lawmakers regret $1.8B data center tax break. But they won’t kill it. (Governing)
- New York governor signs nation’s first moratorium on large data centers (RouteFifty)
- Many localities have tried data center moratoriums, tracker finds (RouteFifty)