Northern Michigan Counties Association
Board meeting
Monday, June 16
Roscommon County Municipal Building
Meeting Report
Provided by Alan Campbell
NMCA member representing Leelanau County
This meeting held most months for our region of the Michigan Association of Counties (MAC) offers insights into the struggles and successes of our mentor counties, but its most valuable asset is often a look inside the politics of Lansing and how they affect us.
MAC government affairs associate Jimmy Johnson provided that insight to the 20 or so commissioners at the June meeting. Per his report as well as input from commissioners:
• The partisan split between the Legislature’s bicameral bodies is not abating with deadlines nearing to approve a state budget. I noted Johnson’s frank take on the issue considering that only four bills have been signed into law.: “They are trying to get messages out. They are having a press release war.”
Of note in a budget bill approved in the Democratically controlled state Senate is a $29 million increase in revenue sharing (albeit through a new formula giving more funds to urban areas) and $60 million earmarked for “public safety” that could be rolled into county sheriff’s departments. However, Senate budget expenditures are short $300,000, according to the latest revenue projections.
• Concerns over the future of community mental health, which have been brought to our commissioner meetings, are echoing across the state. While their basis lie in rewriting Medicaid law on the federal level — including the implementation of work requirements — there is also a state of Michigan dynamic already playing out. The effort already underway by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to privatize community mental health programs was criticized. One commissioner said, “It really feels that (MDHHS director Elizabeth Hertel) is the one driving this.”
One positive development in the Legislature: Republicans and Democrats have found a common enemy, which gives them at least one issue of commonality. Neither party likes what they are hearing from Washington. Republicans don’t like the prospect of losing local control, while Democrats oppose offering lucrative contracts to big corporations.
• The federal government has taken down a list of sanctuary counties, possibly because of ambiguity over the threshold for compliance. At one time I heard that Leelanau was listed as a sanctuary county, although that is not true. So accuracy may have been compromised, too.
• Many northern Michigan counties are facing financial hardship due to the cost of jail operation. Antrim County is in the midst of deciding whether to try again for a millage to build a new jail. A citizen group successfully stopped a bond election for $33.5 million in November; the project has since been whittled down to $27 million. Discussions were held on how some counties are renting space from others. Combining 911 services was also discussed.
• A year ago Leelanau was discussing partnering with Grand Traverse to build a regional juvenile detention facility. Although that effort went nowhere, counties in northern Michigan are hoping the state will take up the problem and create a detention facility to serve all of northern Michigan. A Manistee commissioner stated that her county has sent young offenders as far away as Indiana.
• The bulk of the meeting was spent discussing the future of 13 Consumers Energy dams and an associated 16,000 acres now open for public recreation. Although Rich Castle, Consumers’ director of community affairs, shared openly the process for decommissioning dams and their possible sale to a third party, decisions on their future seem months if not years away. While Leelanau has more than its share of beautiful lakes, we lack a sizable river system.
Written June 27
Alan Campbell
Leelanau County Commissioner
District No. 5
