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May 28, 2014Events

0314 MI Assoc Counties Regional Mtg Ad Vert

Call to Action on Revenue Sharing

May 15, 2014Legislative

Projected revenues for FY 2014 – 2015 are anticipated to be $253.2 million less revenue than originally anticipated. This projection is what the legislature and administration will use to determine target numbers for the various budgets for the coming year. As most of you are aware, the governor, along with the House and Senate have recommended full funding for county revenue sharing. It is critical that you contact your representative and senators and ask them to keep full funding for counties when determining appropriation line items for the upcoming budget. Attached are talking points for your use. Please contact MAC is you have any questions and if you are successful in contacting your legislators.

Revenue Sharing TP.FY15 [pdf]

You can also find these on the MAC website: micounties.org

Michigan Citizens for Strong and Safe Communities Letters to the Editor

May 9, 2014Legislative

Writing a letter to the local newspaper is an excellent way to show your support for Michigan Citizens for Strong and Safe Communities. Letters to the editor attract a significant reading audience, particularly if the letters are timely and informative. Letters can be submitted to the editor via email or by using your local newspaper’s online submission form. Writing a letter to the editor Generally, letters to the editor should not exceed 150 words. Given the brevity of a letter to the editor, it’s wise to keep it tightly focused. Letters should be written to reach a broad cross-section of the community. Be emphatic in making your point – but be civil! How to submit a letter

Pick up a copy of your local newspaper or go to your local newspaper’s website and look for the “Opinion” or “Op-Ed” section, where letters are typically printed.
Look for other letters to the editor – typically, there will be an email address (in the print edition) or a link to an online form (on a newspaper website) to submit a letter to the editor. Make sure to look for any special guidelines the newspaper you’re submitting to might have (e.g. a special word count).
If you have any questions, call your local newspaper and ask for the opinion editor – or contact the campaign communications team at Truscott Rossman at info@strongandsafecommunities.com.

NOTE: Please make sure to include a working phone number (preferably a cell phone) with your submitted letter. Most newspapers will call you just to confirm you actually submitted a letter prior to publication. Here are a few sample letters for your use: Sample Letters to the Editor

events

BUILDING MICHIGAN’S MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH P3S

May 8, 2014Events

http://www.ncppp.org/events/p3-insights-building-michigans-municipal-infrastructure-through-p3s/ Municipalities in Michigan and across the country are faced with a growing portfolio of municipal infrastructure, such as courthouses, schools, hospitals, parking garages and streetlights, that need to be built or renovated. Last year, for example, it was estimated that Michigan had $8.9 billion in unmet school construction needs. Unfortunately, most municipalities have competing priorities and cannot always address these needs. Enter public-private partnerships. Michigan has a unique legislative and regulatory framework that has been used for some P3s but has not been widely used for buildings or other municipal needs. P3s are a valuable tool for communities and states to obtain necessary infrastructure improvements, while maintaining public ownership of the building or structure. The National Council for Public-Private Partnerships’ P3 Insights Forum: Building Michigan’s Municipal Infrastructure Through P3s, on June 12, 2014 in Southfield, MI, will offer an advanced and in-depth look at how P3s can be more widely used in Michigan, with an emphasis on buildings, and other municipal infrastructure, also known as social infrastructure. Event Partners:

DBIA Michigan

In conjunction with:

Why You Should Attend:

One-day session, organized by the nation’s leading organization on P3s
Nationally recognized and local experts discussing P3s
In-depth and advanced look at all aspects of P3s for social infrastructure

What You Will Learn:

The current state of P3s in Michigan
The structure of P3s to support buildings and other infrastructure needs such as street lights, parking garages, dormitories and water facilities
Financing of projects
Risks and mitigation
Case studies of successful P3s for buildings
Hands-on charette to develop a P3 project in a Michigan community

Who Should Attend:

Municipal and Township managers, elected officials, township officials and planners
P3 and municipal consultants
Construction firms
Operators
Concessionaires
Architecture and engineering firms
Financial leaders
Legal experts
Subcontractors and suppliers

Locals Would Only Follow State Mandates That Come With Money-From MIRS

May 1, 2014Legislative

Local governments and school districts would not be required to follow any state-imposed mandate until state dollars are put toward covering the cost of that mandate, under a legislative package that received its first hearing today in a Senate committee.

County officials told the Senate Local Government and Elections Committee today that

SB 0495,

SB 0496,

SB 0497 and

SB 0498 end years of unfunded mandates passed down from the state on a “go forward basis.” It would not apply to the many past unfunded mandates locals and school districts feel they’ve been hit with through the years that they don’t have the money to fight in court. Ottawa County Administrator Alan VANDERBERG called the legislation a “great compromise” in the sense that the state has imposed $1 billion in new mandates on county governments since the Headlee Amendment allegedly ended the practice in 1978. The legislation would end the new mandates, which on its own is a “huge win for local governments,” he said. The Michigan Association of Counties (MAC) has been leading the charge on a bill package that follows a 2009 recommendation from the Legislative Commission on Statutory Mandates on ways to end unfunded mandates from the state to local governments. A 2010 report from this group found that local governments are on the hook for up to $2.6 billion in unfunded mandates for that year alone (See “Report: Locals Slapped With $2.6B In Unfunded Mandates,” 2/24/10). http://www.mirsnews.com/capsule.php?gid=3269#22841 “We believe that unfunded mandates are just as inappropriate when the federal government does it to the state as when the state does it to local government,” said Sen. Tom CASPERSON (R-Escanaba), the sponsor of the lead bill in the package,

SB 0495. Marquette County Administrator Scott ERBISCH spoke of the hardships of declining state dollars at a time when a majority of their revenues go to services — like the courts, health and the jail — continue to go up. In 2011, 22 percent of the county’s general fund came from state sources. In 2013, that was down to 13 percent. From 2001 to 2013, the direct cost to operate the courts rose 23 percent while state funding to operate the courts has decreased by 20 percent. “We ask for your consideration. We support them. We’re looking forward and not backwards.” The unfunded mandates can be as small as an EMS bill that requires further training for those personnel who deal with opiate overdoses or that counties only purchase U.S. flags that are made in the United States, said Deena BOSWORTH of the Michigan Association of Counties. They can also be as large as the increase in costs for public health department to implement a “fantastic public policy” change as the smoking ban. Alger County is a small county that is struggling to get by with its population of less than 10,000 people, said Alger County Commissioner Jerry DOUCETTE. The state is forcing their inmates on the counties for longer periods of time. Meanwhile townships are running so many millages, it’s not advantage for the county to try one its own. “Remember, our state is made up of a lot of small counties,” Doucette said.

-From MIRS Capitol Capsule, Wednesday, April 30,2014 http://www.mirsnews.com/capsule.php?gid=4322#39316