Thirty-seven: That’s how many responses the Leelanau County Board of Commissioners got to a request for proposals (RFP) issued earlier this year for the county’s first-ever strategic planning process. Commissioners discussed those proposals during Tuesday’s executive board session, with most board members expressing shock and discomfort with the “excessive” cost estimates for the service.

Board Chair Steve Yoder suggested the county commission “engage a consultant and/or firm for strategic planning” during the very first board meeting of 2026, noting that “there’s never been a full-blown strategic plan set forth for the county here.” Local governments often utilize strategic planning processes to sketch out a vision and a roadmap to get there. A strategic plan usually spans multiple years and identifies goals, priorities, and strategies leaders can then use to guide decisions and overall governance.

Commissioners voted in February to issue an RFP for a consultant to lead a five-year strategic planning process.

In a memo dated May 8, County Administrator Jim Dyer said the county had received a whopping 37 “submissions from prospective consultants.” 36 of those proposals are under consideration; the 37th arrived after the RFP’s Thursday, April 23 deadline.

Per Dyer’s memo, the proposals “reflect a broad range of experience, methodology, and cost,” with fees ranging from $35,000 to $209,806.

“Although the submissions vary in scope and presentation, the majority propose a generally similar strategic planning process that includes organizational assessment, facilitation services, stakeholder engagement, and preparation of a final strategic planning document,” Dyer wrote. “Many proposals also include optional implementation assistance or post-plan support services.”

Dyer told commissioners Tuesday he was “shocked” at the number of proposals the RFP had generated. “These proposals come from all over the country,” he said. “There were a number of them from the east coast, west coast, and everywhere in between.”

Board members were also shocked by the results of the RFP – but not because of the quantity of responses.

“I must be the most naïve person here when it comes to the cost of these things, because, frankly, I had no anticipation that $30,000 would be considered cheap for one of these,” said commissioner Alan Campbell, suggesting the county “pare down what we’re expecting” to avoid overspending. “It’s hard for me to justify $30,000 for this process,” he added.

Reactions to the cost of the proposals were consistent, regardless of political party. Republican Will Bunek made a motion that the board only consider proposals that fall below a $50,000 spending limit, noting: “I really think that’s a lot more than I ever anticipated this would be.” Democrat Gwenne Allgaier concurred, saying she was “uncomfortable” with the apparent expense of strategic planning and asking: “Can we afford this?”

As Campbell pointed out at Tuesday’s meeting, the board did not specifically allocate money for strategic planning in this year’s budget. “Your numbers of $50,000 are a little over my numbers for an unbudgeted expense for this type of planning,” he told the board. “My number is more like $8,000 or $10,000.”

Despite the sticker shock, some commissioners insisted the strategic planning process was a necessary investment.

“I think it’s critical that we have a strategic plan for the county,” said Democrat Ty Wessell. “I don’t think it has to be something really fancy… I think the primary thing is for us, as a Board of Commissioners, to agree on what our long-term strategies, goals, and priorities are.”

“If we’re serious about doing it, then we have to be serious about paying for it,” agreed Vice-Chair Mark Walter. “[The cost] seems excessive, but out of that $50,000, we should be able to save hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years by addressing issues and planning more efficiently.”

While the board made no formal decision on the RFP, the general consensus from commissioners was to have Dyer focus on lower-priced proposals, parse out what each one is offering, and potentially negotiate with those consultants on cheaper, “pared down” proposals.

All told, 12 of the bids fall beneath the $50,000 margin. Contenders still in the running span the entire country, from Portland, Oregon (Rede Group), to Detroit (Effective Solutions Consulting, Guidehouse Inc.), to Silver Spring, Maryland (Project 986 Consulting). Dyer said having the narrower pool of bids to review in detail would be helpful, noting: “I started taking them one by one, but I decided I really needed some direction before I spent 30 hours reviewing 36 proposals.” 

Dyer also told commissioners he would not be ready to give an update on his RFP review at next week’s regular board meeting – likely pushing further discussion of the strategic planning process to June.