The Village of Ontonagon will be getting some state help with the $8.17 million dollar debt to the Michigan Employees Retirement System or MERS. According to the Daily Globe, the state budget has included $3.1 million dollars intended to help fund the MERS debt. The budget also has opportunities for the village to appy for grants to satisfy that debt. The MERS debt was included in the obligations the village assumed when the local hospital was sold to Aspirus.