Kalamazoo County’s proposed 2027 budget returns for a public hearing and possible adoption October 20.
Kalamazoo County commissioners moved the 2027 budget closer to a final vote at two meetings on Tuesday, October 6.
What the updated recommendation includes
At a Committee of the Whole work session earlier that day, Interim Administrator Terrell Cole presented an updated budget recommendation. He said it reflects added revenue and a small update to expenditures since the board’s earlier discussions.
The changes include reductions to strategic initiatives and to the transfer from fund balance, along with higher investment revenue. They also include smaller reductions in the board’s own budget, administrative training, legal services and HR contractual services. Cole said additional revenue came from the health department and the Register of Deeds. He described the guiding approach as maintaining services while protecting the county’s long-term stability.
Cole also pointed to upcoming capital needs the budget has to account for. These include planning for a household hazardous waste facility, possible courtroom expansion, work on the county garage and a possible remodel of the juvenile home.
Employee pay
Commissioners discussed whether to add a one-time stipend for employees alongside scheduled step increases. Administration said a one-time payment would not add to ongoing wage costs. Commissioners discussed dividing a stipend equally among employees rather than by pay level, and the board could choose when to pay it, such as around the holidays or in installments.
What happens next
The board’s Finance and Administration Committee will review department expenditures and policies before the October 20 meeting. Community grants are being handled separately, and Cole said the board will continue to look at how it uses its priority dollars.
At the October 6 business meeting, commissioners also approved the resolution to levy taxes. Counsel said that is customary at the first meeting in October, before the budget resolution.
The proposed 2027 budget is available online through the county’s transparency page, where residents can view expenditures by fund.
Watch the full budget presentation and discussion in the October 6, 2026 Committee of the Whole Meeting. The October 6, 2026 Business Meeting includes the hearing opening, the levy approval and the Oct. 20 motions.
