The only Planned Parenthood clinic left in Oakland County could stay open for two more years under a $1.5 million county contract headed for a vote Thursday, Aug. 13.

Commission Chairman David T. Woodward, a Royal Oak Democrat, introduced the no-bid, two-year deal on July 24 to keep the Ferndale Health Center running through August 2028. The contract would reimburse Planned Parenthood of Michigan for cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, contraceptives, annual wellness exams and telehealth visits provided to Oakland County residents.

The Ferndale clinic is the only Planned Parenthood in Oakland County after the Livonia location permanently closed July 30. That closure, along with shutdowns in Lansing and Warren the same day, followed a $4.2 million cut in federal family planning reimbursements that left Planned Parenthood ineligible for Title X funds. The organization was Oakland County's only Title X recipient.

"From a public-health perspective, it's absolutely something we need to be doing," Woodward told MLive. "It is a significant amount (of money)."

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 Oakland County residents, according to Planned Parenthood of Michigan CEO Paula Thornton Greear's testimony at the county's Aug. 6 finance committee hearing. Thornton Greear said the clinic faces a $1 million operating gap and called the federal funding loss a "calculated ongoing assault," not a temporary shortfall.

Democrats hold a majority on the 19-member board, and the vote is expected to pass along party lines. Finance Committee Chair Gwen Markham supports the plan, citing thousands of residents who have "no other option for healthcare."

Not everyone agrees. Commissioner Chris Long, a Wolverine Lake Republican, pressed for a full audit at the Aug. 6 hearing, pointing to a $50,000 donation that Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan made to Democrat Joselyn Benson's gubernatorial campaign. Long called the contract a conflict of interest and said she would never vote for it on philosophical grounds.

Commissioner Angela Powell, a Pontiac Democrat, said she supports both the contract and Long's audit request "for the sake of transparency and accountability."

Annette Longtine, a Rose Township resident active with Right to Life of Metro Detroit, told the finance committee she had identified 22 federally qualified health providers offering similar services without abortions. Right to Life of Michigan called the plan "an infusion of cash under the guise of healthcare."

Oakland County approved a smaller $500,000 contract for the same clinic in 2019. Washtenaw County commissioners unanimously approved their own $500,000 Planned Parenthood allocation in July 2026.

The full board meets at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, at 1200 N. Telegraph Road in Pontiac. The public may attend, and residents can reach the board at 248-858-0100 or [email protected].