HILLSDALE — The Hillsdale County Board of Commissioners approved two resolutions May 12 effectively ending the municipality’s involvement in the bond process for LifeWays, closing the chapter on a contentious issue that drew significant public attention in 2025 and 2026.
The resolutions rescinded earlier measures tied to the proposed bond for a new headquarters in Hillsdale.
Commissioner Brent Leininger introduced a vote to rescind a July 8, 2025, action that voiced an intention to place the county-backed bond on the ballot in August 2026. The motion was approved 3-2, with “no” votes from Commissioners Doug Ingles and Brad Benzing.
Leininger then introduced a second resolution to rescind a notice of intent to issue bonds in May 2025. The motion passed unanimously with little discussion.
The board’s actions follow a decision from LifeWays to abandon the request for financing assistance in the form of a $15.5 million county-backed bond.
The proposal was tied to broader facility pressures in Hillsdale County. LifeWays has long operated at the municipality-owned 25 Care Drive, but changes to that arrangement — including the growing need for a new home for the 2B District Court and the mental health organization’s desire for a modern, larger headquarters — accelerated plans for an updated building.
The request quickly generated opposition from residents, many of whom objected to issuing bonds without direct voter approval. Officials’ subsequent move to put the matter on the ballot in August 2026 delayed the project and extended uncertainty for the organization’s building timeline.
It wasn’t immediately clear how the decision affects LifeWays’ plans for a new headquarters, nor the agency’s future at 25 Care Drive.
— Contact reporter Corey Murray at cmurray@hillsdale.net or follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @cmurrayhdn.
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Hillsdale County is officially done with bond request from LifeWays
Reporting by Corey J. Murray, Hillsdale Daily News / Hillsdale Daily News
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