LifeWays Board Hopes Voters Approve Building Bond as CEO Implements 2026 Budget Cuts

Earl Poleski: “I’ve advised the board to keep on doing as we’ve been doing until we can’t do it any longer."

“Lifeways always pays its bills. Through all the ups and downs, LifeWays pays its bills,” Bruce Caswell proclaimed at the July 16th meeting of LifeWays’ Board of Directors.

Though he didn’t elaborate, Caswell seemed to be responding to concerns raised by Citizens for Hillsdale County about the wisdom of a proposed bond to be issued by Hillsdale County for LifeWays’ proposed clinic.

These concerns led to a 3-2 vote by the Hillsdale County Board of Commissioners to put the proposal on the ballot in August 2026.

Questions remain about exactly how changes at the federal and state levels, including the One Big Beautiful Bill, will affect LifeWays.

CEO Maribeth Leonard acknowledged that the organization would have to wait for the dust to settle. She did express relief that features of the bill would “keep public systems public and not turn things over to private entities.”

Leonard’s CEO Report to the Board claimed that the legislation would reduce Michigan’s federal Medicaid funding by 13.6%.

As a result of state cuts, Leonard and the LifeWays Board instructed all departments “to reduce their expenditure by a minimum of 3%” in 2026.

Meanwhile, one of her most pressing concerns is to effectively communicate to the community what LifeWays does and how it benefits Hillsdale and Jackson counties.

Board chairman Earl Poleski commented on the uncertainty regarding LifeWays’ continued operations.

“I’ve advised the board to keep on doing as we’ve been doing until we can’t do it any longer,” he said.

During the member comments portion of the meeting, Bruce Caswell urged that the organization press forward and emphasized the benefits he believes the new clinic would bring to the community. These benefits include relieving pressure from the hospital and jail system.

According to Caswell’s sources, 90% of people entering jail have a mental disorder.

He praised the “good people of Hillsdale” for passing the millage for mental health in 2018 and committing to the care of the unwell.

“It’s called being humane,” he said.

He hopes that Hillsdale County voters will vote yes to support the bond in August 2026, despite acknowledged uncertainties about LifeWays' revenues moving forward.

Parker Hjelmberg⁩

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