COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The Branch County Board of Commissioners suspended board rules and passed a Michigan Association of Counties resolution during their work session on Thursday which opposes a State House budget that county officials claim will take a big bite out of state shared revenues.
Administrator Frank Walsh said Branch County was looking at a loss of $156,000 which “would poke a large hole in our general fund budget” if the House version of the budget was adopted.
The House version of the Fiscal Year 2026 budget has been sent to the State Senate but no action has been taken.
Republicans control the State House 58-52 while Democrats hold a 20-18 majority of seats in the State Senate.
The M.A.C. resolution says the House bill would cut $34-point-9 million in county statutory revenue sharing, which would leave counties around Michigan with just over $256 million in that kind of funding.
It goes on to say the Senate version would provide just over $320 million which would be an increase of over $29 million from the Fiscal Year 2025 budget.
The clock is ticking in Lansing as a new budget for the next fiscal year has to be passed by October 1, 2025 or else the state government will shut down.
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