Board of Commissioners Rejects $15,000 for County Parks
Funding for Hillsdale County Parks has remained at $40,000 for the past 3 years
Hillsdale County Office Building — The Hillsdale County Board of Commissioners in a 2-3 vote rejected a request from the County Park Board to allocate $15,000 from the general fund for park operations in 2025.
District 1 Commissioner Doug Ingles and District 3 Commissioner Mark Wiley voted for “an increase of $15,000 in the County’s Allocation to the Parks.”
District 2 Commissioner Kevin Collins, District 4 Commissioner Brad Benzing, and District 5 Commissioner Brent Leininger voted against the resolution.
The Hillsdale County Park Commission Chairman Robert Godfrey sent a letter to the Board of Commissioners outlining the request.
Godfrey noted a “negative fund balance” of about $6,100 at the end of 2024 and a stagnant funding level of $40,000 over the past 3 years. In 2025, the County Park Commission requested $144,200, and the Board of Commissioners approved a $40,000 budget.
Hillsdale County owns four parks: Lewis Emery Park in Hillsdale, Kathe & Cali Memorial Park in Jerome, Bird Lake Park in Osseo, and Hemlock Beach Park in Reading.
Ingles read a statement from Parks Commissioner Kathleen Schmitt that explained the department’s difficulties, including deteriorating infrastructure, the inability to raise funds from parks fees, and funding levels that haven’t kept pace with inflation.
“We tried to increase the rental rates for the community building in 2025, and we’re not getting any reservations for 2025,” Ingles said. “The Parks Trustees rescinded the rate increases, but the rental reservations have not increased yet. The concern is that they will not have as much rental income in 2025 as 2024.”
The Parks Commission mentioned several upcoming expenses, including road repairs, parking lots repairs, reroofing the community center at Lewis Emery Park, and new tables and chairs at the community center.
“It has been noted that the parks’ allocation from 1998 was $35,000. That was 27 years ago. Our allocation for 2025 is $40,000,” Ingles said on behalf of the commission. “Based on how the cost of everything is increasing—to stay the same our allocation should probably be three times as much: $105,000.”
Given a 90% inflation rate during this period, the commissioners would have to allocate about $67,000 to the parks to match 1998 funding levels.
From 2003 to 2022, the Parks Commission had a small budget, according to Ingles. It was finally increased to $40,000 in 2023, but years of low funding let the parks fall into disrepair.
Ingles said the Hillsdale County Parks Manager Michael Wertz will try to get a grant from the Hillsdale County Community Foundation to buy the new tables and chairs at the community center.
“The $15,000 budget allocation increase for 2025 is absolutely needed to keep the parks moving in the right direction,” Ingles said.
The District 1 Commissioner also said the Parks Commission cut $12,495 this year, including operating, administrative, maintenance, and repairs expenses.
Leininger disputed the Parks Commission’s claim that it needs more money.
“The Parks budget as amended on December 23rd, 2024…shows a fund balance of $8,515 projected at the end of 2024,” he said.
“We have increased our allocations to the park significantly,” Leininger continued. “I understand when you own and maintain buildings, as they get older, it’s going to cost more money to repair. I’m dead set against funding anything additional to the parks.”
Ingles pointed out that the county has a 12.2% fund balance—meaning that it has 12.2% worth of a year’s total revenues in cash-on-hand. The county’s 2025 budget shows projected revenues of $15,675,662 with $1,920,654 in leftover cash.
If the commissioners spent $15,000 on the county parks from the fund balance, then it would fall from $1,920,654—or 12.25%—to $1,905,654—or 12.15%.
“The $15,000 that comes from the fund balance still leaves a fund balance of 12.2%,” Ingles said.
Joshua Paladino
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