Hillsdale, Mich. (WKHM) — On the morning of Tuesday, July 8, the Hillsdale County Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 in favor of putting the $15.5 million LifeWays bond in front of voters on the ballot for the 2026 August election.

The Board was originally set to make a final vote themselves on whether or not the bond would be put in place before a motion was introduced by District 4 Commissioner Brad Benzing putting the matter in front of Hillsdale County voters.

The bond has been met with pushback from citizens, including a petition drive made in an attempt to force a public vote. While the petition fell short in the total number needed to require a ballot measure, that level of citizen outcry was a major part of why Commissioner Benzing made the motion that would eventually be approved.

District 1 Commissioner Doug Ingles voted in support of the motion along with Commissioner Benzing and District 2 Commissioner Kevin Collins. The audio featured below is Commissioner Ingles giving his thoughts on the matter, citing concerns with Hillsdale County being on the hook for the bond should LifeWays be unable to pay it back.

District 3 Commissioner Mark Wiley and District 5 Commissioner Brent Leininger were in the minority in voting against the motion, attempting to leave the final vote to the Board.

In a statement, LifeWays’ Acting CEO David Lowe says the decision delays the construction of the Hillsdale building to “an unreasonable timeframe for the residents of Hillsdale County.”

As a result of the County’s decision, LifeWays says they have had internal discussions about “practical and responsible” alternative solutions moving forward.