Oakland County’s road commission agreed to delay a $43 million new administration building. But the decision, made last month, has caused some controversy.

The three-member board made the sudden shift after Dave Woodward, D-Royal Oak and county commission chairman, asked them to reconsider the project. Road commissioners approved the delay in a 2-1 vote despite objections from their attorney, Jennifer Henderson. She cited concerns about the risk of lawsuits, according to a draft version of the Feb. 20 meeting minutes.

The commission’s new building would bring together employees now split between Waterford offices and the current administration building at 31001 Lahser Road in Beverly Hills.

Conversations about reuniting employees have occurred since the Beverly Hills building was purchased in 1975, said Craig Bryson, road commission spokesman.

The Waterford and Beverly Hills buildings have leaking roofs and basements prone to floods, according to Dennis Kolar, commission’s managing director.

Without the recent delay, the new administration building at 2420 Pontiac Lake Road in Waterford Township would have been completed in 2026.Other county commissioners are unhappy that Woodward didn’t bring the issue before the full board for a vote before approaching the road commission with the delay request. That’s because many were unaware of the request for nearly two weeks.

They’re also upset because the road commission is a stand-alone agency with its own funding and board. They see Woodward’s request as interference.

County commissioners Bob Hoffman, Karen Joliat and Kristen Nelson said they only learned of Woodward’s request after a Waterford Township official asked Joliat about the delay. In 2022, Woodward started a subcommittee to study making the road commission a county department, but said the report won’t be released until later this year.

He maintains the road commission should work more closely with county officials on projects and commissioners should consider using existing county buildings that will be empty once 700 county employees move to the Ottawa Towers in downtown Pontiac.

Woodward also said the way the new building is paid for should change, issuing bonds instead of using nearly $37.1 million in cash saved over the last 20 years for the project. Some bills have already been paid using a $5 million federal grant.

During the county commission’s March 6 meeting, three road commission employees including Mary Gillis, the road commission’s director of central operations, expressed their concerns.

Gillis said halting construction could cost the road commission at least $10 million and jeopardize the $5 million federal grant and future grants.

The road commission hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking in October and contractors were preparing for spring construction. Woodward was not among county commissioners who attended.

He said he won’t apologize for suggesting the last-minute delay because it needed to happen before construction started.

The road commission’s next meeting is 9 a.m. Thursday, March 20, at the administration office. The agenda will be online at rcocweb.org/AgendaCenter.