The Michigan Association of Counties (MAC)

Legislative Update 7-26-24

Blog, 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.

 

Legislative Update 7-19-24

Blog, 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

Legislative Update 7-12-24

Blog, 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 81st 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.

 

Staff picks

Legislative Update 6-28-24

Blog, Events, Legislative, MAC news, Marketing, NACo

FY25 budget includes $30 million boost in revenue sharing; MAC to continue push in fall for dedicated trust fund

In the wee hours of Thursday morning, the Legislature adopted a fiscal 2025 budget that includes a $30 million increase in county revenue sharing.

This would bring overall county revenue sharing to $291 million, up from the $261 million enacted for fiscal 2024.

“We appreciate the $30 million, which will be on top of what counties received in 2024, though distributed differently,” said Stephan Currie, MAC executive director. “Also beneficial is the elimination of the County Incentive Program, which required counties to comply with reporting requirements for part of their revenue sharing. The process now is streamlined.

“Nevertheless,” Currie added, “counties still need the certainty of a Revenue Sharing Trust Fund, which we will be working to secure the passage of later this year.”

For many months, MAC has been working in concert with cities, villages and townships on a plan to establish a dedicated state account filled by a percentage of the state sales tax. Different versions of that plan had advanced in both legislative chambers, with the Senate version representing the best possible result for counties.

“We need to ensure the state properly shares revenue with locals, providing a growth factor and stability to local governments that count on these funds,” explained Deena Bosworth, director of governmental affairs. “The good news is we expect consideration of this policy reform to resume in the fall.”

For questions about MAC’s advocacy on the state budget, contact Deena Bosworth at bosworth@micounties.org.

 

Podcast 83 team reviews budget: New $30 million boost in revenue sharing comes with new distribution system

A $30 million boost to county revenue sharing highlights the fiscal 2025 state budget. But this 11.5 percent increase to the revenue sharing total of $291 million will not mean every county will get 11.5 percent more, MAC’s Deena Bosworth explained in a special budget episode of Podcast 83.

The increase of $30 million will be distributed differently than traditional statutory revenue sharing payments. Those payments will be calculated based on an inverse relationship to the taxable value of your county, as compared to the rest of the state

“We don’t have the numbers broken out by county yet, or what that percentage increase is going to be for each county. But as soon as the Department of Treasury puts that together, we will make sure that all of you have it so you know what to anticipate,” Bosworth said.

“So, overall, a very healthy increase. It’s not one-time monies … it is ongoing, the way that it’s written,” Bosworth added.

On other budget fronts affecting counties:

Samantha Gibson noted a new $17 million for county prosecutors to address their hiring and staff retention crisis. “The distribution will go to 15 counties with the highest rates of violent crime per 1,000 residents,” Gibson said. “At this time, I do not have what that list of 15 counties is, but I’m sure we’ll have that very soon here.”

“There is $74.5 million in the transportation budget for 30 individual critical infrastructure projects,” said Madeline Fata, “so some of you might have been lucky enough to be on that list and have some projects coming to your communities.”

Fata also noted two absences from the budget:

  • There are no state dollars for a pilot project on “mileage-based user fees” for road funding; instead, the state will pursue federal aid for that pilot.
  • And the huge increase in tipping fees for solid waste that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had sought was not adopted in the budget.

View the full episode, recorded on June 27, 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.

 

What’s in the FY25 state budget for counties?

MAC’s advocacy team identified the following line items by service area affecting counties in the fiscal 2025 state budget.

Judiciary/Public Safety

  • County Jail Reimbursement Program
    • Requires MDOC to administer county jail reimbursement program, which offers counties per diem payments for housing certain offenders in jails; $5 rate increase to each per diem rate
  • MIDC
    • $37.4 million to support grant distributions to district and circuit court funding units for the state’s share of the FY25 costs for MIDC standards 1-8
      • $24.6 million for standards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8
      • $12.9 million for standards 6 and 7
  • Kent and Macomb County Judgeships
      • $305,500 for partial year costs of two new judgeships – Kent County district court judge and Macomb County probate court judge
  • Local Prosecutor Support Grants
    • $17 million for grants to offices of county prosecutors to reduce the average caseload per attorney
      • Will be distributed to 15 counties with highest rates of violent crime per 1,000 residents
      • Funding will be population of county multiplied by $7.50
  • Medicaid Coverage for Incarcerated Individuals
    • NOT included
  • Operation Drive
    • $1 million ($500,000 for Oakland County, $500,000 for district courts statewide) for a program to assist individuals with regaining driving privileges by providing guidance on how to address underlying issues that led to driver license suspension, guidance on how to maintain responsibility and guidance on how to address traffic tickets, warrants, court appearances and payment of fees and fines
  • Juvenile Justice
    • $10.4 million, 16 FTEs, in part used to support staffing at the two state residential facilities (Bay Pines and Shawono Center) to help relieve the bed shortage crisis. If additional state beds become available, county juvenile facilities can place their youth with the state and have open beds at the local level

Infrastructure

  • Stormwater
    • $10 million fin on-going funding for stormwater management planning grants and $300,200 in one-time funding
    • All local governments are eligible for these grants
  • Roads
    • No state dollars for pilot project on mileage-based user fees
    • $74.5 million for 30 “Critical Infrastructure Projects”

Environment

  • No Increase in Landfill Tipping Fees
  • EV Charging Infrastructure
    • $25 million for Clean Fuel and Charging Infrastructure
      • 40 percent for “environmental justice communities”
      • Can be used for public transit
    • $5 million for Renewable Energy and Electrification Infrastructure Enhancement and Development
      • Grants to businesses, nonprofits and local governments for planning, developing, designing, acquiring or constructing renewable energy and electrification infrastructure projects

Elections

  • $1.5 million to support counties with implementation costs associated with Proposals 1 and 2 and for financial disclosure investment grants

Health and Human Services

  • Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs)
    • $161.8 million, 12 FTEs to expand into additional counties (includes a study)
  • Opioid Healing and Recovery Fund
    • $10 million on a one-time basis for regional community health entities (PIPHs)
  • Ground Emergency Medical Transport (GEMT)
    • $500,000 (one-time funds) to create a system of recording and accepting Medicaid reimbursement for emergency transport services
  • Medicaid Coverage for Incarcerated Individuals
    • NOT included
  • Runaway and Homeless Youth Grants
    • $5.3 million to support program expansion ($3.2 million to 18 counties that are currently unserved by a runaway and homeless youth program, $1.1 million to 19 counties for infrastructure expansion, $1.1 million to 19 counties to upgrade technology and facilities)
  • County Child Care Fund
    • $9.1 million increase
  • Foster Care Payments
    • $16.9 million
  • Housing
    • $5 million for services to unhoused individuals in Genesee County
    • $10 million for affordable housing in Genesee County

 

State agency releases energy siting guidance document

Developers are encouraged to work with local governments in new recommendations made by the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) on siting for renewable energy facilities. This week, the MPSC released its comprehensive recommendations for implementing Public Act 233, providing guidance on public meeting requirements, Compatible Renewable Energy Ordinances (CREO), site plans and more.

Overall, the recommendations reflect much of the feedback provided by MAC during the drafting phase.

The MPSC clarified that only the affected local governments with zoning authority will need to adopt a renewable energy ordinance. It is urging developers to work directly with the local government, regardless of whether the government has adopted a CREO or a “workable ordinance.” A workable ordinance is an ordinance that is considered reasonable but does not match the standards prescribed by the new law.

There were some additions made by the MPSC that are not explicit in PA 233. For example, prior to breaking ground on a project, the developer must consult with local first responders and road commissioners, and they must agree to repair or replace any drainage systems or county roads damaged during construction.

The biggest discrepancy between the MPSC recommendations and MAC’s feedback pertains to intervenor grant funds. If a project is approved by the MPSC rather than a local government, each affected local will receive up to $75,000, but not more than $150,000 in total, to contest a case. MAC asked that any unexpended funds remain with the local government, as that is how grants traditionally operate. However, the MPSC recommends that funds not utilized be refunded to the applicant.

The MSPC is seeking one last round of feedback on these recommendations, due by July 17. It will be hosting a virtual public meeting on July 10 to discuss this proposal ahead of the feedback deadline. Next, MPSC staff will review the public comments and submit final guidance on Aug. 9. The new law will then take effect in November. (See the latest edition of Michigan Counties for expert advice on compliance with the new law.)

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

 

Staff investments coming from budget for medical care facilities

Investments in staff and training highlight the fiscal 2025 state budget items affecting the membership of the Michigan County Medical Care Facilities Council:

  • $1.9 million GF/GP and authorization for 12 FTE positions to hire additional staff to offset increased workloads associated with health and long-term care facilities and to conduct surveys and investigations of nursing homes. The increased staffing would assist with federal performance measure compliance.
  • $1.1 million of state restricted funding authorization from the Nurse Aide and Medication Aide Registration Fund and authorization for 7 FTE positions to hire additional staff to administer medication aide training and certification requirements created by Public Act 273 of 2023. Funding would also be used to develop and implement a medication aide training curriculum, testing requirements, and to improve regulatory compliance.
  • $9.2 million GF/GP, on a one-time basis, to provide student loan repayment for eligible nurses employed by public and private health facilities in the state.
  • $49 million for long-term care direct care wages ($14 million from federal dollars, $35 million from GF/GP).
  • $10.4 million to cover increased costs associated with utilizing contracted nursing staff.
  • $28.7 million to provide a 20-cent per hour direct care wage increase.

 

MAC holiday information released

MAC’s Lansing offices will be closed July 4-5 to observe the Independence Day holiday. Normal office hours will resume at 8 a.m. on Monday, July 8.

There will not be a Legislative Update email blast on July 5. The next Legislative Update email will be released on Friday, July 12.

To see the complete text of the Declaration of Independence, click here.

 

Legislative Update 6-21-24

Blog, Events, Legislative, MAC news, MACSC, Marketing, NACo

Filing period opens for MAC Board elections at Annual Conference

County commissioners interested in serving on the MAC Board of Directors have until Aug. 23, 2024, to file for elections to fill five seats on the Board at the 2024 Michigan Counties Annual Conference.

The elections will be held on Sept. 25 at the conference at the Grand Traverse Resort. To be an official candidate, commissioners must file official notice of their intent to run. Applications are due by 4 p.m. on Aug. 23, 2024.

Four seats available represent regions, so will be decided by a vote in that specific region. The at-large seat is determined by votes in all six MAC regions.

To download an application form, go to https://bit.ly/2024appform.

The MAC Board of Directors is the key body in guiding the legislative and organizational strategies of MAC. Board terms are three years in length and individuals may serve up to three terms.

Following seats are vacant and will be filled at the 2024 Annual Conference:

  • Region I, Seat A (Open seat)
  • Region II, Seat A (Bryan Kolk of Newaygo County is the incumbent)
  • Region III, Seat A (Rick Shaffer of St. Joseph County is the incumbent)
  • Region V, Seat B (Sarah Lucido of Macomb County is the incumbent)
  • At-large, Seat C (Melissa Daub of Wayne County is the incumbent)

No director shall serve more than three full three-year terms, except in certain situations where a director is filling a vacancy in an unexpired term. If the elected replacement shall serve more than half of the unexpired term, it shall be considered as if such person has served one full term for purposes of term limits. If the person filling the vacancy shall serve less than half of the unexpired term, that person shall be permitted to serve up to three additional full 3-year terms.

Candidates who file are also encouraged to submit a statement of up to 400 words on why members should support them. These statements will be posted to the MAC website in late August.

If you have any questions about Board duties, please contact Executive Director Stephan W. Currie at 517-372-5374 or scurrie@micounties.org.

 

Prisoner release credit bills get first look in Senate

Legislation to allow certain prisoners to earn productivity credits to reduce their sentence received its first hearing this week in the Senate Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety.

Senate Bills 861–864 would only apply to future sentences in allowing prisoners to receive productivity credits. Under the legislation, prosecutors are required to notify victims at the time of sentencing that an earlier release date is possible, if the offender completes productivity credits.  

While completing productivity credits would deem a prisoner eligible for early release, the parole board will still make final decisions regarding release dates, with final discretion remaining with judges and prosecutors.  

SBs 861-864 would remove truth-in-sentencing, leaving many victims of crime with uncertainty regarding the minimum sentence their offender would serve.

MAC is opposing the legislation, alongside the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan, the Michigan Sheriffs’ Association and the Michigan Attorney General’s Office.

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

 

Bill to expand options for opioid ‘antagonists’ gets Senate hearing

Legislation to expand the available options of opioid “antagonists,” or medication that blocks the effects of opioids, to local governments and others received a hearing in the Senate Committee on Health Policy this week.

Senate Bill 542 would allow a government entity that received an opioid antagonist from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) at no cost to choose the formulation, type of delivery service, method of administration or dosage of the opioid antagonist. The ability to decide on formulation or dosage only applies if the formulation or dosage chosen would not result in a loss of Federal funding.

Counties currently can utilize the MDHHS naloxone (an opioid antagonist) portal to access naloxone at no cost. SB 542 expands the type of opioid antagonist available to government entities through the MDHHS portal.

MAC supports SB 542 and efforts to expand resources to counties for reduction, treatment and prevention of the opioid epidemic.

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

 

Targets set, legislative sessions in question

All budget subcommittee chairs, save those responsible for the School Aid budget, have received their target numbers for their respective fiscal 2025 budgets. Targets are key to negotiating the final version of state budget between the legislative chambers and the administration and setting them is the next to last step to completing the budget for the year starting Oct. 1.

Following the negotiations between chambers to rectify the differences in their budget bills is the passage of the bills in conference committees, with both chambers set to take a concurrence vote. The major hold-up has been the battle between the parties on $670 million that the Democrats want to use to fund the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System (MPSERS). By allocating these dollars to MPSERS, school employees would be relieved of paying 3 percent of their salaries to cover retiree health care.

Should the chambers agree to allocate this $670 million, the Republicans in the Senate, however, may not be willing to join Democrats in granting immediate effect to the budget, meaning the Legislature would have to adjourn sine die early for the budget bills to take effect by Oct. 1.  We faced this same issue last year during budget negotiations and a messy dispute was avoided. But this year is an election year for the House and the Republicans could disrupt any plans the Democrats have for “lame duck” sessions in late 2024 by forcing an early adjournment.

More will be known next week when the Legislature is supposed to vote on budget bills.

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

 

Clock is ticking on compliance with energy siting law, expert tells Podcast 83

County officials need to be taking concrete actions now to prepare for the November implementation of a controversial state law on siting renewable energy facilities, a University of Michigan analyst told Podcast 83 in a new episode.

“If you hire outside legal counsel, or if you have outside planning experts, like you need to get them on retainer now because everybody is going to be changing their ordinances between August and the end of the year,” said Sarah Mills of the university’s Center for EmPowering Communities.

Public Act 233 was adopted in 2023 despite opposition from MAC and others due to its assault on local control by giving ultimate authority on siting decisions to the unelected Public Service Commission (PSC).

In a wide-ranging discussion with host Stephan Currie and MAC’s Madeline Fata, Mills explained that the law still leaves local governments with responsibilities ― and opportunities.

“One of the things that’s really important is to think about what the law does, and what it doesn’t do,” Mills said. “So zoning is still in effect; local governments can still zone for renewables. It’s just for those biggest projects. So solar projects that are over about 400 acres, wind projects that are like 330 or so and then energy storage projects, which we don’t have very many of right now. But this kind of scale of project that we’re talking about is something that could be on as little as five acres of land.”

Mills noted that the PSC will be issuing its final draft recommendations on how to implement the law on June 21, then the body will take feedback on them (click here to see where to provide such feedback) before issuing the final official plan around Aug. 9.

In the meantime, Mills said, counties need to decide whether they’ll adopt an ordinance at all, a compatible renewable energy ordinance (CREO) or a workable ordinance that allows locals to set criteria outside of the law but that might still be attractive to developers.

View the full episode, recorded on June 4, 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.

 

Treasury booth at MAC conferences sparks $250,000 in potential repayments

A booth at MAC’s 2024 Legislative Conference has started the process for claims that could mean thousands of dollars in currently unclaimed property.

Twenty-one claims were established by the Michigan Department of Treasury staff at the conference after they performed 64 searches on April 29 during the first day of the conference. Treasury says the total amount being claimed, both by individuals and counties themselves, is $172,300.

This is on top of the $90,225 in claims begun via a similar booth at MAC’s 2023 Annual Conference last fall.

For those who have questions about their claim status, call Treasury’s claim assistance line at 517-636-5320 between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., Monday-Friday.

 

NACo academy can help your key employees hone their skills

Strengthen your team and improve your county’s future performance by giving your emerging all-stars — or yourself — an opportunity to level up.

Do you oversee program directors or other managers that you’d like to catapult into progressively more responsibility and growing effectiveness? Then send them through the National Association of Counties’ High Performance Leadership Academy, a virtual course that will run from Aug. 6 to Nov. 8.

Attendees will learn to plan, lead and sustain positive innovations across county government in the context of growing uncertainty and cascading challenges.

The 12-week course uses real-time webinars, self-paced activities and cohort-based learning, totaling about five hours per week. Request more information for your county at www.naco.org/skills today!

 

Staff picks

  • CoPro Web Ad 2018
  • Enbridge Banner Ad 2018
  • NACo Live Healthy Ad 960x200px
  • Nationwide Ad For Mac Site
  • MMRMA Ad 2023
  • Gallagher Banner Ad 2023
  • Rehmann ad