Oakland County taxpayers could fund $1.5 million to keep the Planned Parenthood health center in Ferndale open for two more years, with a vote set for 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, at the commissioners' auditorium in Pontiac.
The no-bid, two-year contract would reimburse Planned Parenthood of Michigan for cancer screenings, STI testing, contraceptives, wellness exams and reproductive health counseling provided to county residents through August 2028. The money comes from the county's general fund.
Birmingham residents have a direct stake: Commission Chairman David T. Woodward, the Royal Oak Democrat who proposed the deal, represents District 1, which includes Birmingham. Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills fall in Districts 9 and 11, represented by commissioners Angela Powell and Marcia Gershenson, both Democrats. Powell supports the measure; Gershenson has not stated her position publicly.
"From a public-health perspective, it's absolutely something we need to be doing," Woodward told MLive. "It is a significant amount (of money)."
Democrats hold a majority on the 19-member board, making approval likely.
Why the contract exists
Planned Parenthood was the only Title X family planning recipient in Oakland County. After federal rule changes made the organization ineligible for that funding, the Ferndale Health Center developed a $1 million operating gap, CEO Paula Thornton Greear told the board's finance committee on Aug. 6. Three additional Planned Parenthood clinics in Lansing, Livonia and Warren announced permanent closures on July 30 after the organization lost $4.2 million in federal reimbursements. The Livonia and Warren locations had also served Oakland County patients.
Between June 30, 2025, and July 1, 2026, the Ferndale center provided more than 7,000 STI tests and 4,000 cycles of birth control to county residents, according to Thornton Greear.
Republican opposition
Commissioner Chris Long, a Republican from Wolverine Lake, opposes the contract. She cited a $50,000 campaign donation from Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan, the organization's lobbying arm, to Democrat Jocelyn Benson's gubernatorial campaign as a conflict of interest.
Long pressed for a full audit of how the $1.5 million would be spent. Powell, the District 9 Democrat whose territory includes parts of Bloomfield Township, said she would support that audit request for transparency.
Republican Caucus Chair Michael Spisz said his colleagues would oppose the funding unless the county also supports pregnancy centers, a position Woodward called "absolutely absurd," according to the Detroit News.
At the Aug. 6 finance committee hearing, Annette Longtine of Right to Life of Metro Detroit told commissioners the county was asking taxpayers to support one organization when 22 federally qualified health providers offer similar services.
Precedent
Oakland County approved a similar but smaller contract, $500,000, in 2019 to keep the same Ferndale center open. The current proposal is three times that amount. Washtenaw County commissioners unanimously approved $500,000 for Planned Parenthood services in July 2026; Oakland County is the only other Michigan county considering such funding.
The vote takes place at 1200 N. Telegraph Road in Pontiac. Residents can attend the 9:30 a.m. session or contact their district commissioner before Thursday.
