Eaton County commissioners have approved a new budget that cuts $8.4 million from staff and services for the 2025–26 fiscal year.
The $40.6 million general fund plan eliminates county funding for sheriff’s road patrols, reduces animal control, and removes more than $1 million in support for outside agencies, including the Barry-Eaton Health Department, Clinton-Eaton-Ingham Community Mental Health, and MSU Extension. The latter could end the county’s 4-H program, which serves more than 700 youth and has been in place for more than a century.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Vice Chairperson Brian Droscha said the plan keeps the county financially stable in the short term but acknowledged the challenges ahead.
"We have a budget that is operable for the next fiscal year, and hopefully we'll see a revenue increase. I don't think we'll expect it from the state. I don't know where it's going to come from, but I'm optimistic that we'll see a revenue increase some way, somehow, that we can start bringing programs back into the county," Droscha said.
The new budget and winter tax rates take effect October 1.
