Gratiot County Board of Commissioners

What our reports have found

Under the General Property Tax Act the board decides each year how much money is to be raised for county purposes and apportions it. This year's annual report is covered in County Apportionment Report Puts $16.9 Million in County Taxes on 2026 Bills.

In September the board adopted the 2027 budget and an 8.3922-mill levy (County Adopts 2027 Budget and 8.3922-Mill Levy; Sets Elected Officials’ Pay), tabled a $2.4 million tax-capture plan after a resident handed commissioners 20 written questions (County Board Tables $2.4 Million Tax-Capture Plan for 19 Homes at Lakeside Estates), and denied a records requester's fee appeal 5-0 (County Board Denies Records Requester’s Appeal Over GIS Data Fee).

The board's own Rules of Organization (as amended April 21, 2026) say what a meeting packet contains and when a quorum exists; both are in the glossary terms below.

Meetings

Read from the official calendar on Nov. 2, 2026. Dates can change; call the office if unsure. Agendas link to the official document, not to our summary.

Coming up

• Tue. Nov. 3, 2026, 4:30 p.m. · Gratiot County Courthouse, 214 E. Center St., Ithaca, Mich. 48847
  Agenda posted. Details on our meetings page · Official agenda

Recent

• Tue. Oct. 20, 2026, 4:30 p.m. · Gratiot County Courthouse, 214 E. Center St., Ithaca, Mich. 48847
  Agenda posted. Official agenda · Official minutes

How to speak

You may attend any meeting; Michigan's Open Meetings Act requires meetings of a public body to be open. The Board's Rules of Organization (section 5.8.4(a), as amended April 21, 2026) say speakers must identify themselves and allow three minutes unless the chairperson grants more (county rules, official PDF). See also how to speak at any meeting we list.

Our latest reports

• Oct. 25, 2026Opioid Settlement Money: What Gratiot Has Received, Who Decides, and What’s NextA follow-up to our Sept. 18 report on the county’s request for proposals. Round-one grants run through Dec. 31; the posted records do not list who received them.
• Oct. 23, 2026Board Funds Conservation District at Up to $90,000 on a 3–2 Vote After the $134,187 Version Did Not PassThe district asked for $134,187.04 for a watershed position, a part-time outreach job and matching funds. The board tabled it Oct. 6, rejected it 2–3 on Oct. 20, then approved a version of up to $90,000, 3–2.
• Oct. 23, 2026Correction Oct. 25: An earlier version of this report said the administrator expected commissioners to discuss his evaluation…Administrator Will Miss Nov. 3 Meeting, Says Performance Evaluation Is Planned for Nov. 17In his Oct. 20 report the administrator said his contract calls for an evaluation “usually in November.” He said the board could do the performance review Nov. 17, after a meeting he will not attend.
• Oct. 23, 2026County Packet: Courts Say Monthly Reports Mean More Work, Four Labor Units Are in Talks, Benefits Move to MESSA in JanuaryDocuments posted for the Oct. 20 meeting show the courts saying monthly reports would take “a large amount of additional work,” four bargaining units in negotiations, a code enforcement position being planned and $35.6 million across county funds.
• Oct. 21, 2026Update Oct. 23: No request for comment on this report was sent to Administrator DolehantyGratiot County Administrator’s Record: Resignations After Board Concerns, Contract Delays, and a Current Refusal to Answer QuestionsPublic records from the three counties where Administrator Timothy Dolehanty held the same job show resignations or contract questions that followed board concerns. In Gratiot, he has said in writing he will not answer questions from anonymous persons.
• Oct. 20, 2026Update Oct. 21: The October 20 meeting took place as scheduled, and the county posted a recording of it to its YouTube…October 20 Board of Commissioners Meeting Was Not LivestreamedThe meeting that began at 4:30 p.m. was not streamed on the county’s YouTube channel, though its Virtual Meetings page says meetings will be live-streamed. The Open Meetings Act does not require it. The report includes a section labeled as our opinion.
• Oct. 2, 2026Tuesday, Oct. 6: Two Public Meetings, and Your Chance to Be HeardThe county board meets at 4:30 p.m. and the St. Louis City Council at 6:00 p.m. Both agendas are posted and both set aside time for public comment. One closed-session item is on the county agenda; the rest of that meeting is open.
• Oct. 2, 2026County Apportionment Report Puts $16.9 Million in County Taxes on 2026 BillsCommissioners are scheduled to approve the annual report Tuesday. It lists every millage the county’s townships, cities, schools and authorities will levy this year.

All 58 reports, by topic

Requests for comment and records involving this body

• Gratiot County, sent Sept. 19, 2026: No reply yet. Asked whether Animal Control employees may answer questions from this publication directly, or whether all questions about county departments must go through the administrator’s office.

Every request, reply and outcome is on the Requests for comment log.

Terms you will hear

Closed session

A public body may meet in closed session only for purposes the law lists. Entering one generally takes a 2/3 roll call vote, with exceptions for some purposes. The roll call vote and the purpose are entered into the minutes.

Source: Michigan Open Meetings Act, MCL 15.267(1); MCL 15.268

Consent agenda

The Gratiot County Board's rules call it a consent calendar: matters the Board has determined to be routine and commonly concurs on, listed under that heading on the agenda.

Source: Gratiot County Board of Commissioners Rules of Organization (as amended Apr. 21, 2026), Section 5.7

Fiscal year

A county's fiscal year is the calendar year ending Dec. 31, unless its board of commissioners chooses another period the law allows.

Source: Michigan Compiled Laws, counties, MCL 45.201

General fund

In Michigan Treasury's uniform chart of accounts, the general fund accounts for and reports all of a local government's financial resources that are not accounted for in another fund.

Source: Michigan Department of Treasury, Uniform Chart of Accounts, description of governmental funds

Millage, mill

A mill equals one one-thousandth of a dollar: $1 of tax for each $1,000 of taxable value. Millage is a tax rate stated in mills.

Source: Michigan Legislature, Taxpayer's Guide, Property tax section

New business

A standing item on the order of business of a regular Gratiot County Board meeting, listed after commissioners' reports and before unfinished business. The rules do not define it further.

Source: Gratiot County Board of Commissioners Rules of Organization (as amended Apr. 21, 2026), Section 5.2, item 12

Packet

In the Gratiot County Board's rules, the meeting packet includes at least the agenda, the previous meeting's minutes, correspondence to be received, written committee reports and other documents to be presented or acted on.

Source: Gratiot County Board of Commissioners Rules of Organization (as amended Apr. 21, 2026), Section 5.3

Public comment

Michigan's Open Meetings Act says a person must be permitted to address a meeting of a public body under rules the body establishes and records.

Source: Michigan Open Meetings Act, MCL 15.263(5)

Quorum

For the Gratiot County Board, a majority of commissioners elected or appointed and serving is a quorum for ordinary business. With no quorum, no business is considered.

Source: Gratiot County Board of Commissioners Rules of Organization (as amended Apr. 21, 2026), Section 5.1

Apportionment

Under the General Property Tax Act, the county board of commissioners determines the amount of money to be raised for county purposes and apportions it.

Source: Michigan Compiled Laws, General Property Tax Act, MCL 211.37

Questions residents ask

• How do I speak at a Gratiot County commissioners meeting?
• Where does my Gratiot County property tax go?
• How do I file a public-records request in Gratiot County?