The Oakland County Board of Commissioners voted 11-6 on Thursday, Aug. 13, to approve a $1.5 million contract keeping the Ferndale Planned Parenthood clinic open through August 2028.

The decision locks in county funding for the only remaining Planned Parenthood location in Oakland County, two weeks after the Livonia clinic nearest to Farmington and Farmington Hills permanently closed.

Farmington-area residents who used the Livonia location must now travel approximately 20 miles to Ferndale for in-person reproductive health services. The county will reimburse Planned Parenthood $206 per eligible visit for Oakland County residents, up to the $1.5 million cap, according to WXYZ.

The vote followed nearly three hours of public comment from residents who traveled from across the county to weigh in.

Finance Committee Chair Gwen Markham, the District 15 commissioner representing Farmington Hills and Novi, told MLive ahead of the Aug. 13 vote that the funding serves thousands of residents including young people, senior citizens and "a lot of folks who have no other option for healthcare." District 16 Commissioner William Miller represents Farmington and Farmington Hills; his individual vote was not recorded in public reporting, though all 11 Democratic commissioners voted yes.

Commissioner Charlie Cavell, whose District 19 includes Ferndale, explained the contract's structure after the vote: "We're giving up to 1.5 million to Planned Parenthood in $206 increments because we'll be reimbursing for care provided to Planned Parenthood for Oakland County residents."

Six Republicans voted no. Commissioner Christine Long of District 12 said she opposed using taxpayer funding and that constituents in her district overwhelmingly called to urge a no vote. Before the full board vote, Commissioner Michael Spisz moved to postpone, arguing the board lacked detailed financials for the Ferndale location. That motion failed 6-11, according to ClickOnDetroit.

Board Chair Dave Woodward, who introduced the proposal, said the contract ensures residents can access healthcare in a responsible way.

Covered services include cancer screenings, annual wellness exams, STI testing and treatment, contraceptives and reproductive health counseling. Oakland County residents made roughly 6,000 visits to Planned Parenthood locations between July 2025 and June 2026, according to Planned Parenthood data. The Ferndale center provided more than 7,000 STI tests and 4,000 cycles of birth control in that period.

The county entered a similar but smaller agreement in 2019, approving $500,000 to keep the Ferndale clinic open. The new contract is three times that amount, reflecting the loss of federal Title X family planning funding that opened a nearly $1 million operating gap at the Ferndale center alone, according to Planned Parenthood of Michigan CEO Paula Thornton Greear.

As we reported August 3, the Livonia clinic closed July 30 along with locations in Warren and Lansing after Planned Parenthood of Michigan cited $4.2 million in lost funding statewide. Michigan's Planned Parenthood network has shrunk from 14 brick-and-mortar clinics to seven.

The two-year contract runs through Aug. 31, 2028. Farmington-area residents can contact their county commissioners: Gwen Markham (District 15) or William Miller (District 16) at the Oakland County Board of Commissioners, 1200 N. Telegraph Road, Pontiac, MI 48341, or by calling 248-858-0100.