A heated meeting of the Hillsdale County Board of Commissioners ended quickly on Tuesday due to overcrowding in the board room.
A large group of area residents turned out to voice their opposition to the appointment of Commissioner Kevin Collins to the board of Lifeways Community Mental Health.
The proposed appointment comes after Collins recently signalled his support for moving forward with backing a bond for a new facility for Lifeways Community Mental Health. The move is a change from his vote in July 2025 to place the issue before voters.
Local contractor Elias McConnell pointed out, during Tuesday’s public comment, that the board room was over capacity by more than twenty people. There were also attendees standing in a hallway.
Several attendees voiced their concerns about why the meeting had not been moved to a larger venue to accommodate the high turnout.
Hillsdale City Councilman Matt Bentley was in attendance. He contacted authorities to report the occupancy violation. Bentley is connected to Citizens for Hillsdale County.
The group has opposed the County Commissioners in their support for the Lifeways bond without a vote of the people.
After a tense exchange between Chairman Wiley and members of the public, a motion was made by Commissioner Brad Benzing to adjourn. Commissioner Doug Ingles seconded the motion, which passed.
Following the adjournment, Wiley told WCSR News the Commissioners will meet again on March 24th. There’s no word yet on where the meeting will be held.