Michigan Health Official Fights for $4M Settlement Amid Resignation

Adeline Hambley seeks court enforcement of a disputed settlement following conflict with Ottawa County's conservative leaders.

Adeline Hambley, the top health official in Ottawa County, Michigan, is asking a judge to uphold a $4 million settlement in exchange for her resignation, following months of conflict with local conservative leaders.
The county's board of commissioners, who took majority control in January, had attempted to fire Hambley but offered her the settlement when they found they couldn't.
The board later backed off the offer, claiming it was only a 'tentative settlement agreement', but Hambley's lawyer has filed a motion to enforce the settlement.
The settlement is equivalent to a quarter of the health department's 2024 budget, and the board had previously voted to cut the department's upcoming budget by nearly $4 million.
Nathaniel Kelly, a safety manager at an HVAC company with no public health experience, is in line to take over the county health department.