On a potential CMH transition

Over the last few months, the Board and staff have been evaluating a potential conversion of our Community Mental Health Department into a CMH Authority. A great deal of thoughtful work has gone into this analysis, and I deeply appreciate the time and effort invested by staff and stakeholders.

Much of the discussion has centered on uncertainty—and rightly so. These are uncertain times, and it’s appropriate for the Board to take potential risks seriously.

But it’s important to ask the question holistically: does this action actually reduce uncertainty—or does it create more than it potentially resolves?

In my view, this change introduces more uncertainty than it works to solve.

Let’s start with a few important givens.

First, we have a department model that has worked well for decades, across different leadership teams and economic conditions.

Second, the Board of Commissioners currently provides direct public accountability, serving as a clear and transparent link between residents and the services they rely on.

Now consider what we would be taking on:

• We would assume significant and undefined transition and startup costs for both the County and CMH itself.

• We would move to a new governance structure that places greater distance between CMH and the citizens it serves.

• We would lose direct operational accountability, including oversight of the CEO and key personnel policies. In practical terms, we would be removing the “emergency brake” the County currently holds if serious problems arise.

• Finally, we would set CMH, its staff and the residents they serve, off on their own, separated from the collective resources and stability of Ottawa County.

For these reasons, I believe the department model remains the best option for Ottawa County: it preserves accountability, avoids unnecessary costs, and allows us to manage risk through practical measures rather than structural upheaval. We can bolster our position by improving financial oversight and processes, tightening cost controls and working together with the LRE to fortify Fund Balances - steps that reduce uncertainty without dismantling a system that works, and without exposing the County to new and unnecessary risks.