Archive for July, 2024

Legislative Update 7-26-24

July 26, 2024Blog, Events, Legislative, MAC news, MACSC, Marketing, NACo

Governor signs FY 2025 budget

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed the FY 2025 budget into law, now designated as Public Act 121 of 2024. This budget brings a host of changes and allocations that impact Michigan counties. The most significant change comes in a $30 million increase in county revenue sharing. This increment is on top of the ongoing funding from FY 2024 and will be distributed to counties based on an inverse relationship to taxable value. The Department of Treasury has yet to finalize the distribution calculations, but updates will be provided as soon as they become available.

Justice System Funding

The County Jail Reimbursement Program receives a $5 per diem rate increase.

Michigan Indigent Defense Commission (MIDC)

A total of $37.4 million has been allocated to support grant distributions to district and circuit court funding units for the state’s share of the FY 2025 costs for MIDC standards.

The breakdown is as follows:

$24.6 million for standards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8
$12.9 million for standards 6 and 7

Kent and Macomb County Judgeships

The budget provides $305,500 for the partial year costs of two new judgeships—one in Kent County’s district court and another in Macomb County’s probate court.

Local Prosecutor Support Grants

To alleviate the workload on county prosecutors, $17 million has been set aside for grants to the 15 counties with the highest rates of violent crime per 1,000 residents. The funds will be distributed based on the population of each county, multiplied by $7.50.

Stormwater Management

The budget includes $10 million in ongoing funding for stormwater management planning grants and $300,200 in one-time funding.

Roads

While the budget does not allocate state dollars for a pilot project on mileage-based user fees, it does provide $74.5 million for 30 “Critical Infrastructure Projects.”

Elections

To support counties with the implementation costs associated with Proposals 1 and 2, and for financial disclosure investment grants, $1.5 million has been allocated.

Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs)

An investment of $161.8 million, including 12 full-time employees, is aimed at expanding CCBHCs into additional counties, along with conducting a study on the program.

Opioid Healing and Recovery Fund

$10 million has been designated on a one-time basis for regional community health entities, known as Prepaid Inpatient Health Plans (PIHPs).

Ground Emergency Medical Transport (GEMT)

A one-time fund of $500,000 will create a system for recording and accepting Medicaid reimbursement for emergency transport services.

Runaway and Homeless Youth Grants

The budget includes $5.3 million to support the expansion of runaway and homeless youth programs across various counties, including infrastructure and technology upgrades.

County Child Care Fund

An increase of $9.1 million was appropriated for the County Child Care Fund.

Foster Care Payments

The budget provides $16.9 million for foster care payments.

Housing

An appropriation of $5 million has been allocated for services to unhoused individuals in Genesee County, with an additional $10 million dedicated to affordable housing initiatives in the same region.

For more information on this issue, contact Deena Bosworth at bosworth@micounties.org.

Counties now can sign on to Kroger opioid settlement

In September 2023, a settlement with Kroger was reached. This settlement will pay around $1.2 billion to states and subdivisions nationally and payment will be made over an 11 year period. In Michigan, local governments have the opportunity to sign-on to receive these additional funds between mid-July and mid-August of 2024.

To see the estimated total amount of funds for your county, you can visit MAC’s Opioid Settlement Resource Center website.

For more detailed payment information, such as expected payments by settlement by year, visit the Michigan Department of Attorney General Opioid Settlement Payment Estimator tool.

For mor information or for technical assistance with opioid settlement planning and spending, contact Amy Dolinky at dolinky@micounties.org.

Michigan gets $130M in federal help for clean energy projects

Nearly $130 million in federal aid will be made available for clean energy projects in Michigan, part of which will be used for financial incentives for locals to welcome utility-scale wind and solar projects to their communities.

The investment will help Michigan meet its goal of 60 percent renewable energy by 2030, a plan that was approved by the Legislature late last year with Public Act 235. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allocated these funds to states that were aggressive in renewable energy policies. Governor Whitmer advocated for the clean energy package, as well as the renewable energy siting reform bills, in order to receive these funds.

The Renewables Ready Communities Award pilot will make available $30 million for local governments “that approve and host utility-scale renewable energy and energy storage through local processes.” Locals can be granted $5,000 per megawatt for projects with at least 50 megawatts of energy. The maximum amount a local can receive is $3 million for a single project.

The remainder of the $129.1 million will be used to incentivize developers to build renewable energy projects brownfield sites, technical support, workforce development and strategic planning.

For more information on this issue, contact Madeline Fata at fata@micounties.org.

Congressional committee advances changes to child welfare

Legislation to improve federal Title IV-B programs for child welfare and workforce recruitment and retention to serve families in poverty passed unanimously this week in the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means.

H.R. 9076 updates Title IV-B, set to expire on Dec. 31, 2024, which currently lacks significant funding. The improvements, if passed, include a $300 million increase in mandatory funding over four years. This increased funding would assist those suffering from substance use disorders, improve child welfare legal proceedings, and dedicated funding for tribes.

MAC and NACo support H.R. 9076, allowing counties to continue to provide quality services to at-risk children and their families involved in the child welfare system.

For more information on this issue, contact Samantha Gibson at gibson@micounties.org.

Legislative Update takes mid-summer hiatus

MAC’s weekly email blast to members, Legislative Update, will not be released on Friday, Aug. 2 or Friday, Aug. 9 due to staff attendance at MAC and regional events.

Legislative Update will return to its regular Friday releases on Friday, Aug. 16.

Staff picks

State budgets are downsizing (Pew Trusts)
New state funding not enough to solve shortage of prosecutors, counties say (Bridge Michigan)
What does an overdose prevention center look like? (OPCIinfo.org)
Michigan wildlife officials discuss changing state’s deer hunt regulations (Michigan Public Radio)

Legislative Update 7-19-24

July 19, 2024Blog, Events, Legislative, MAC news, MACSC, Marketing, NACo

Fifteen counties to receive local prosecutor grant funding in state budget

Fifteen of the 83 counties will receive some of a $17 million appropriation in the state’s FY25 budget for their prosecutor’s office to reduce the caseload per attorney. These grants are meant to address the severe prosecutor shortage plaguing every county in Michigan.

The $17 million will allow eligible counties to raise assistant prosecutor salaries and make prosecutor’s offices in those counties more competitive and attractive to prospective employees.

Eligible counties include Berrien, Calhoun, Crawford, Eaton, Genesee, Ingham, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kalkaska, Kent, Luce, Muskegon, Saginaw, Schoolcraft and Washtenaw.

MAC’s long-term goal is for the state to provide funding to all 83 counties for prosecutor offices and close the gap on the statewide prosecutor shortage.

For more information on this issue, contact Samantha Gibson at gibson@micounties.org.

Podcast 83 episode explores reality of financial hardship in Michigan

How county leaders can assist the growing number of Michigan households experiencing financial hardship is the focus of a special episode of Podcast 83.

Host Stephan Currie welcomed two special guests to discuss a recent report on financial hardships and an important informational tool for families to access help:

Kaitlynn Lamie, president and CEO of the Michigan Association of United Ways
Sarah Kile, director of community and partner engagement for Michigan 211

“ALICE is a study that stands for ‘Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed,’” explained Lamie. “We now have 10 years of ALICE data, and this is really looking at folks who are working, yet still struggling to make ends meet.

“The newest data (from May) showed that we have 100,000 new households in Michigan that fall below that ALICE threshold,” she added.

With these additions, 41 percent of Michigan households are below the threshold.

Those households, though, can connect for assistance via 211.

“Every county in Michigan is covered with a simple three-digit number when you’re looking for assistance,” said Kile. “So, you don’t have to figure it out on your own. We have trained, nationally accredited folks who ― 24 hours a day, seven days a week ― are waiting to find resources for individuals in your community. The most common are housing, food, utilities ― the basic needs.

“There are so many county commissioners, county leaders all over who’ve supported 211, whether it’s letters of support for funding or letters of support to get the service in their community,” she added.

To learn more about how the Association of United Ways can assist county leaders in understanding and responding to their local needs, view the full episode, recorded on June 3, by clicking here.

Previous episodes can be seen at MAC’s YouTube Channel.

And you always can find details about Podcast 83 on the MAC website.

AI report, elections highlight 2024 NACo Annual Conference

“The advent of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) worldwide presents unique opportunities and challenges for county governments,” states a new report from a National Association of Counties (NACo) committee that spent more than a year studying the issue.

Presentation of the report was one of just many activities at the NACo Annual Conference, held in Hillsborough County, Fla. MAC First Vice President Melissa Daub of Wayne led a Michigan delegation to the conference that included 27 commissioners from 13 counties.

Sonoma County, Calif., Supervisor James Gore was sworn in July 15 as NACo’s new president at the association’s Annual Business Meeting. At the same session, Michigan delegates participated in the election of George Dunlap of Mecklenburg County, N.C., as NACo second vice president.

“Four key themes emerged during our committee’s year-long exploration of generative artificial intelligence: Preparing the Workforce, Establishing an Ethical Framework, Promoting Policy Models and Enabling Responsible Applications. Each theme prompted our committee to study the impact of generative artificial intelligence deeply, specifically through the lens of county governance,” committee co-chairs Andy Brown of Travis County, Texas, and Gregg Weiss of Palm Beach County, Fla., wrote in the AI report.

“The goal of this report and toolkit is to enable county government to recognize low-risk versus high-risk implementations of artificial intelligence and generative artificial intelligence and address the challenges that both bring to local government,” they added.

NACo webinar to focus on federal rules on website accessibility

A national webinar on July 24 will focus on new federal requirements for county websites and mobile apps.

“The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently issued their final guidance to implement technical standards for counties to achieve web-based accessibility for county websites and mobile applications. Join NACo as we hear from the DOJ for an overview of the new guidance, ask questions regarding the guidance, and engage in a county panel to discuss implementation strategies, challenges, and opportunities for counties.”

The webinar will run from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern.

Click here to register.

If you have any registration questions, contact nacomeetings@naco.org.

MAC on the road in Wayne County

MAC’s Madeline Fata attended a session of the Wayne County Board. Commissioners on July 18, during which they board approved a contract to provide shuttle services for employees between an off-site parking lot and the county’s Criminal Justice Complex. After the meeting, Fata (center) met with Commissioner Melissa Daub (left) and Board Chair Alisha Bell.

Staff picks

Juvenile lifers can be ordered to pay restitution on resentencing, Mich. Supreme Court rules (Michigan Public Radio)|
Lifesaving drugs and police projects mark first use of opioid settlement cash in California (Kaiser Health News)
Kent Co. court specializing in domestic violence to launch soon (WZZM)
Gas taxes can’t pay for roads much longer, but Amazon deliveries might (RouteFifty)

Legislative Update 7-12-24

July 12, 2024Blog, Events, Legislative, MAC news, MACSC, Marketing, NACo

To-do list: Whitmer sign budget; Legislature pass revenue sharing reforms

It’s been two weeks since the Legislature passed the FY 2025 budget that includes a $30 million increase to county revenue sharing. However, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has yet to sign the legislation so it can be enacted.

MAC does not anticipate line-item vetoes affecting county revenue sharing, but the battle for proper sharing isn’t over.

While MAC is pleased with the FY25 increase, the budget bill falls short of securing county revenue sharing via a trust fund. MAC has been working on bills to carve out a portion of the state sales tax for statutory revenue sharing and secure it for use only as revenue sharing.

The goal is twofold:

Create a growing revenue source that tracks with the growth in state revenue
Protect the revenue from being allocated to other state priorities

Enacting these reforms will help insulate counties from the line-item veto and from the arbitrary increases and decreases in statutory revenue sharing enacted each year in annual budget bills.

County commissioners, please urge legislators (who are now back in their districts) to adopt the reforms bills, House Bills 4274-75, which passed by overwhelmingly in the House, but has been awaiting action by the Senate Finance Committee since November 2023.

For more information on this issue, contact Deena Bosworth at bosworth@micounties.org.

‘Ax Tax’ ballot drive fails to make November ballot

A ballot drive for the statewide elimination of property taxes will not be on the November 2024 ballot after proponents failed to gain the necessary signatures by a July 8 deadline.

The “Ax MI Tax” proposal aimed to eliminate all real and personal property taxes in Michigan, which would strip more than $17 billion in funding for schools and local governments and provide little in replacement revenue. Further, such replacement revenue proposed for local governments would have prohibited spending on county jails, senior programs, parks and recreation, trash collection and maintenance of any public grounds.

While MAC applauds the decisions of voters not to sign this devastating proposal, it does not mean proponents have given up.

MAC will continue to collaborate with the Michigan Municipal League, the Michigan Townships Association and the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments to inform members of the dangers of this concept. The efforts of county commissioners to brief their constituents of the need for services at the county level contributed to the ballot drive’s failure this year.

For more information on this issue, contact Deena Bosworth at bosworth@micounties.org.

MAC on the road: Washtenaw County

MAC’s director of governmental affairs, Deena Bosworth, was in Ann Arbor Thursday night for a session of the Washtenaw County Board, during which she presented a MAC “County Seals” poster to Washtenaw Chair Justin Hodge. Also in the meeting, the Board, by unanimous vote, authorized a millage for the November ballot for senior services. If it is approved by voters, Washtenaw would become the 81^st county to have a dedicated millage for senior services.

Since May 1, MAC has attended conferences or events in Wayne, Benzie, Mackinac, Branch, Grand Traverse, Menominee, Roscommon and Oceana counties. We may be in your county soon!

MACPAC is on record-setting pace for collections in 2024

MACPAC, the only political action committee committed to assisting advocates of county government in the Michigan Legislature, has raised nearly $10,000 at the halfway point of its fundraising year.

If MACPAC can maintain this pace of collections through the rest of 2024, it would set a single-year record, said Executive Director Stephan Currie.

“The contributions to date from dozens of county commissioners is much appreciated,” Currie said, “especially when you consider this is an election year and commissioners have their own campaigns to finance.

“I think this success reflects a growing understanding by our members that keeping allies in the Legislature is critical to county government,” he added.

Ionia, Newaygo and Branch counties are currently the top trio for cumulative donations in 2024.

Click here to see a full list of donors this year, as of July 1, 2024. Platinum members have given $500 or more. Gold members have given between $250 and $499. Silver members have given between $100 and $249.

It’s easy to make an electronic donation to MACPAC. Start that process by clicking here.

Utility panel seeks public views on Upper Peninsula Energy Study

The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) is holding a July 30 hearing in Marquette for public comment on the commission’s ongoing UP Energy Study. Public Act 235 of 2023 directs the MPSC to deliver a report by Dec. 31, 2024, detailing the unique conditions influencing electric generation, transmission, and demand in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

The hearing will run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern at Northern Michigan University’s Northern Center, 1401 Presque Isle Ave., and will be livestreamed over Microsoft Teams. The link will be provided on the Commission’s event page closer to the meeting date.

For those who are unable to attend, written comments can be mailed to: Executive Secretary, Michigan Public Service Commission, P.O. Box 30221, Lansing, Michigan 48909. Comments may also be submitted in electronic format via the commission’s E-Dockets website, or for those persons without an E-Dockets account, via email to mpscedockets@michigan.gov.

The Commission is soliciting public comment until 6 p.m. Eastern on Aug. 9. Additional information on the UP Energy Study is available here. Background information on the 2023 energy laws and the MPSC’s implementation efforts is available here.