Tuscola County’s road commission dispute is heading into its second and final required public hearing Tuesday night, and after the turnout at the first session, there is every reason to expect another packed room.
The Tuscola County Board of Commissioners will hold the public meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7th at the Peoples Building, 171 North State Street in Caro — across the alley from the Purdy Building. The hearing is open to the public, and for those who cannot attend in person, it can be viewed live through the county’s website at tuscolacounty.org.
What Happened at the First Hearing
The April 2nd hearing drew more than 150 participants either in person or virtually, with 34 people stepping up to speak. That level of engagement for a county government hearing on road commission governance is remarkable — it reflects how much frustration has been building in the community over the road board’s conduct and how seriously residents are taking the opportunity to have their voices heard before commissioners act.
The issues that brought people through the door were not abstract. The road commission’s alleged inaction on safety improvements at six intersections — the same intersections at the center of the Putman family’s planned lawsuit after three family members were killed in a crash — drew anger from speakers who feel the board has failed in its most basic responsibility to protect residents. Complaints about the road commission not responding to residents’ emails and phone calls, and accounts of rudeness toward community members, added to the picture of a board that has lost the community’s trust.
What Commission Chair Vaughan Said
At the first hearing, Commission Chair Kim Vaughan indicated the board is now considering expanding the road commission from five to seven members as one possible path forward. That is a notable shift from her earlier proposals, which had included transferring road commission powers to the county board, replacing current road commission members entirely, and changing how those members are selected.
The expansion idea raised eyebrows in the room. Adding two seats to the road board does not obviously address the core complaints — inaction on safety, unresponsiveness to residents, and alleged rudeness. No explanation was provided at the April 2nd hearing for how a larger board would change those behaviors or improve the accountability problems that have defined the dispute.
That gap between the proposal and the problem is exactly what Tuesday’s hearing gives residents another opportunity to address directly. If expanding the board from five to seven members is where the commissioners are leaning, the public deserves a clear explanation of why that approach would fix what is actually broken — and Tuesday night is the forum to demand that explanation.
The Tuscola County commissioners had already scheduled both hearings knowing that two sessions were legally required before any formal action could be taken. Completing the second hearing on April 7th clears that requirement and opens the door for the board to move forward with whatever course of action it ultimately chooses.
What Comes After Tuesday
With both hearings completed, commissioners will be in a legal position to act. Whether that action looks like board expansion, a transfer of powers, member replacement, or some combination approach remains to be decided. The public comment gathered across both hearings will inform that decision — and with 34 speakers at the first session alone, commissioners will have heard a substantial volume of community perspective before they vote.
For Tuscola County residents who still want to be heard, Tuesday night is the last formal opportunity to do so before the board moves from public input to decision. Showing up matters. Written comments can also still be submitted to Interim Administrator Mike Miller at mmiller@tuscolacounty.org for those who cannot attend in person or watch virtually.
The stakes of whatever comes next are real. The road commission manages infrastructure that affects every resident in the county — road maintenance, safety improvements, drainage work, and the operational decisions that determine whether roads stay safe and functional year-round. Getting the governance structure right is not a procedural exercise. It is a public safety question.
For those wanting to understand what Michigan law allows county commissioners to do once the hearing requirement is satisfied, the Michigan Association of Counties provides resources on county road commission governance and the legal options available to county boards navigating disputes with their road commissions. And for residents who want to review the full statutory framework governing road commission structure and the transfer of road commission powers in Michigan, the Michigan Legislature’s compiled laws outline the specific statutes that apply to county road commission governance statewide.
