KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Kalamazoo County has put away some extra cash just in case cuts come down from Lansing thru cuts or a shutdown.
Administrator Kevin Catlin has just published his proposed budget for 2026 online.
But he told commissioners this week that it may need to be revised if the state can’t get a budget approved in the next two weeks, or if that budget calls for a drastic cut in county revenue sharing.
“We may only be able to weather that storm for so long.”
He says like other local units that rely on state funding, he has kept the county’s reserve fund at a higher level just in case, but it’s just a stopgap.
“We’ve been playing out some scenarios and I think time is of the essence and we can only support them for so long and I think that most of the you know the partners that I’ve been kind of talking to have been utilizing that fund balance.”
He calls it the “Golden Ratio,” keeping 25% of their annual revenue in reserve.
The board also approved a resolution opposing the budget passed by the state House Republicans that would cut county revenue sharing by 30%, something all counties are being asked to do by the Michigan Association of Counties.
They set October 7ths as the date for their budget public hearing.
A copy of the proposed budget can be found at several locations on the Kalamazoo County website, including under “news.”
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