Mackinac County commissioners set June 3 for wage-study changes, authorize union agreements

The Mackinac County Board of Commissioners voted May 9 to implement changes from a county wage study with a June 3 start date for the next payroll cycle and authorized the vice chair to sign Letters of Agreement with the POLC and AFSCME unions.

The move, approved by roll call (YES: Corina Clark, Jodi Kaiser, Mike Patrick, Judy St. Louis-Scott; Absent: Dan Litzner), finalizes negotiations the board said were needed to enact adjusted pay rates. Commissioner Mike Patrick moved to implement the wage study and Commissioner Corina Clark seconded the motion.

Commissioners said the date aligns with payroll timing; the vice chair was authorized to sign the union agreements to implement the salary adjustments. During public comment, Tanner North, an animal shelter worker, said the wage study outcomes felt unfair to some lower-paid employees, a concern the board did not formally resolve during the meeting.

Board members said they would proceed with implementation but retained the authority to address specific concerns through staff or future agenda items. The board did not specify additional adjustments or supplemental funding at the May 9 meeting.