The Michigan Association of Counties (MAC)

Legislative Update 7-29-22

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

Higher county reimbursements backed by Juvenile Justice Task Force

Michigan counties would receive a higher reimbursement rate on some juvenile services under a proposal unanimously backed by members of a state Task Force on Juvenile Justice Reform this month.

The panel’s report advises a boost in the community-based service/supervision reimbursement rate for counties to 75 percent, from the current 50 percent to 75 percent. The recommendation is to keep the reimbursement rate for residential services at 50 percent, however.

Wayne County’s Alisha Bell and Shiawassee County’s Marlene Webster represented MAC in the task force’s work for more than a year, along with a diverse group of representatives, to recommend reforms that improve public safety and outcomes for youth and families.

Among other key recommendations, the panel advised:

  • keeping youth under 13 years old out of juvenile court
  • creating a statewide juvenile public defense system
  • expanding diversion opportunities for youth
  • increasing funding availability for community-based prevention and intervention
  • implementing screening and assessments to inform decisions about supervision and services
  • developing standards for residential placements and reentry supports for youth
  • investing in quality assurance mechanisms to ensure resources are used efficiently

MAC is pleased with the task force’s work and supports the key recommendations made to advance positive outcomes for Michigan’s youth. We anticipate legislation to be introduced this fall to implement the recommendations.   

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

 

Register for Annual Conference before key deadlines hit

With hotel rooms renting quickly and an early-bird registration rate soon to expire, county officials are urged to act quickly to get the best possible deals to attend the 2022 Michigan Counties Annual Conference in St. Clair County, Sept. 18-21.

The conference will be headquartered at St. Clair County’s Blue Water Convention Center in Port Huron at the southern end of Lake Huron.

While the adjacent DoubleTree hotel is sold out, about 40 rooms remained, as of Thursday afternoon, at the nearby Comfort Inn for a special rate of $129 per night. (A free shuttle service will run between the Comfort Inn and the conference center and there is plenty of free parking at the conference center as well.)

Visit the Conference webpage.

County officials who have not yet registered should be aware of some looming deadlines:

  • Aug. 6 – End of the special room block rate of $129 at the Comfort Inn in Port Huron
  • Aug. 10 – End of the early-bird conference registration rate of $395 for MAC members and affiliates

The Annual Conference will feature:

  • Four plenary sessions featuring key issues now before Michigan and a MAC Legislative Update (Speakers will be announced soon.)
  • 12 breakout sessions for MAC members and 6 workshops for MCMCFC members (Speakers will be announced soon.)
  • A Welcome Reception and Strolling Dinner on the evening of Sunday, Sept. 18.
  • A reception sponsored by MAC’s CoPro+ subsidiary on Monday evening, before attendees are shuttled into downtown Port Huron for a “dinner on your own” night.
  • A lavish President’s Banquet on the night of Tuesday, Sept. 20.

Members of MCMCFC will enjoy specialized breakouts designed for its members to earn Nursing and NAB Continuing Education credits. And MAC members attending the conference will receive credits in MAC’s County Commissioner Academy.

The early-bird conference fee of $395 provides members full access to all conference activities. (The spouse fee also provides access to any conference event, including the President’s Banquet on the evening of Sept 20.) This fee includes two dinners, two receptions, two breakfasts and two lunches. On Aug. 11, the member fee will increase to $425, while the spouse rate will rise to $175.

NOTE: The member rate is open to all county commissioners, administrators, countywide elected officials and county employees of MAC member counties, plus employees and board members of MCMCFC facilities.

Register for the conference!

Hotel details

Rooms at the Comfort Inn are $129 per night. The Comfort Inn is located at 1720 Hancock St., Port Huron, MI 48060. To book your room reservations, call 810-987-5999. Group Name: MAC.

Please direct any conference registration questions or issues to conference@micounties.org.

 

Policy Summit tackles housing challenge, reviews trail system benefits

Dakota Hewlett of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources briefs Summit attendees on the Michigan trails system.

Dozens of county leaders came to Lansing or logged in digitally Thursday for MAC’s first Summer Policy Summit, held blocks from the Michigan State Capitol.

The Policy Summit, which replaced MAC’s Regional Summits, featured four major policy briefings on:

  • Challenges in workforce housing
  • Michigan’s trails system and its benefits
  • Michigan’s political dynamics in 2022
  • Ideas to maximize infrastructure dollars

“We’ve received great feedback from members who participated in this new version of our summer policy event,” said Executive Director Stephan Currie, who served as master of ceremonies for the event. “We look forward to honing this member service and delivering it to larger audiences.”

Tonya Joy, director of the state’s Housing Initiatives Program (joyt@michigan.gov), strongly urged attendees to engage with her office to report on their community housing needs and any local plans that have been developed to maximize state resources.  “Reach out to me and I can put you in touch with the right person at MSHDA,” Joy said, adding, “I’m in the right place today because the message is going to get to the right people.”

Later in the day, Matt Grossman, director of the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research at Michigan State University, reviewed the trends of nationalization and polarization in Michigan politics: “We have nationalized elections. Whatever is happening at the national level will be reflected at the state level, too.”

Presentations from the sessions will posted to the MAC website next week. And MAC will post videos of some segments on its YouTube Channel in coming days.

 

MAC Board president leads Michigan delegation to NACo Annual Conference

Ottawa County’s Phil Kuyers announces the Michigan votes during the NACo second vice president election on July 24.

MAC Board President Phil Kuyers of Ottawa County led a delegation of approximately 40 county leaders from Michigan to the 2022 National Association of Counties (NACo) Annual Conference, held in Adams County, Colorado.

In addition to participating on various NACo committees and attending policy briefings, Michigan leaders voted on NACo policy platforms and in the election of NACo’s second vice president, a contest won by James Gore, supervisor of Sonoma County in California.

“A NACo conference really highlights just how many areas of American life that county governments affect,” said Stephan W. Currie, executive director of the Michigan Association of Counties. “For our commissioners, staying on top of policy changes is a full-time job in itself, which is why we encourage our members to attend every year, since NACo does such as great job on policy briefings.”

If you are interested in getting involved with a NACo committee, contact Currie at scurrie@micounties.org.

 

Internal controls will be subject of next ‘Fiscally Ready’ webinar

County leaders should be signing up now for the next session in the “Fiscally Ready Communities” webinar series set for Aug. 4 from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

Register Now

The Michigan Department of Treasury and Michigan State University Extension (MSU Extension) co-sponsor this free training opportunity that is designed to assist appointed AND elected officials.

The Aug. 4 session will be on “Managing Internal Controls” and will cover:

  • Building a culture of fiscal sustainability
  • The role of internal controls in fiscal sustainability
  • Understanding internal controls and their importance
  • How internal controls help strengthen your community
  • Best practices for internal controls implementation

For more information about Fiscally Ready Communities, please check out the Treasury Fiscally Ready Communities webpage. This webpage includes Treasury’s 32-page Fiscally Ready Communities Best Practices document, which we encourage all local officials to review.

 

Legislative Update 7-22-22

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

Conference hotel space filling fast for 2022 Annual; register now!

Michigan’s sunrise side is proving a popular destination for county leaders, as registration for the 2022 Michigan Counties Annual Conference in Port Huron, Sept. 18-21, is moving at a brisk pace.

In fact, the primary conference hotel, the Doubletree is nearly sold out.

As of mid-day Friday, there were:

  • Fewer than 10 rooms in the MAC block available for the nights of 9/18-20 at a rate of $149 per night
  • Fewer than 15 rooms outside the block available for the nights of 9/18-20 at rates starting at $249 per night

If you are not able to secure a room at the Doubletree, there are plenty of rooms still available at the second conference hotel, the Comfort Inn, at a rate of $129 per night for the period of 9/18-20.

A free shuttle service will run between the Comfort Inn and the conference center and there is plenty of free parking at the conference center as well.

Running from the afternoon of Sept. 18 through the morning of Sept. 21, the 2022 Annual Conference will feature:

  • Four plenary sessions featuring key issues now before Michigan and a MAC Legislative Update (Speakers will be announced soon.)
  • 12 breakout sessions for MAC members and 6 workshops for MCMCFC members (Speakers will be announced soon.)
  • A Welcome Reception and Strolling Dinner on the evening of Sunday, Sept. 18.
  • A lavish President’s Banquet on the night of Tuesday, Sept. 20.
  • Plenty of free time in the afternoons for attendees to enjoy sights and sounds of Port Huron, including the St. Clair River.

Members of MCMCFC will enjoy specialized breakouts designed for its members to earn Nursing and NAB Continuing Education credits.

MAC members attending the conference will receive credits in MAC’s County Commissioner Academy.

Conference Rates

The conference fee provides you access to all conference activities. (The spouse fee also provides access to any conference event, including the President’s Banquet on the evening of Sept 20.) This fee includes two dinners, two receptions, two breakfasts and two lunches.

 

 

Early bird
(register by Aug. 10)

Full rate
(after Aug. 10)

Member

Full conference

$395

$425

 

Single day

$275

$325

 

Spouse/guest

$150

$175

Non-Member

Full conference

$525

$575

NOTE: The member rate is open to all county commissioners, administrators, countywide elected officials and county employees of MAC member counties, plus employees and board members of MCMCFC facilities.

Hotel Information

The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel is attached to the Blue Water Convention Center (conference headquarters). To make your reservations, you can call the DoubleTree Hotel directly at 810/984.8000 or go online at www.porthuron.doubletree.com. GROUP CODE: MIA

Rooms at the Comfort Inn are $129 per night. The Comfort Inn is located at 1720 Hancock St., Port Huron, MI 48060. To book your room reservations, contact 810-987-5999. Group name: MAC.

Getting around: For those staying at the Comfort Inn, we will provide complimentary shuttle service via Blue Water Transit during the conference schedule. There also is plenty of free parking at the convention center.

Please direct any conference registration questions or issues to conference@micounties.org.

 

Filing period opens for MAC Board elections in September

At the 2022 Michigan Counties Annual Conference (Sept. 18-21 in Port Huron), MAC members will vote on six seats on the MAC Board of Directors. Commissioners wishing to serve on the Board, whether incumbents or new candidates, have until Aug. 18 to file official notice of their intent to run. (The application form is found here.)

Seats representing regions are filled by a vote in regional caucuses at the conference. At-large seats are filled by the candidate that wins a majority of the six regional caucuses.

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.

2022 Board seats

  • At-large Seat B – open
  • Region 4 Seat A – open
  • Region 4 Seat B – open (to fill 1 year of unexpired term; winner is still eligible to serve 3 full 3-year terms after first year)
  • Region 5 Seat A – open (to fill 1 year of unexpired term; winner is still eligible to serve 3 full 3-year terms after first year)
  • Region 6 Seat A – Vaughn Begick of Bay is the incumbent
  • Region 6 Seat B – Scott Noesen of Midland is the incumbent

Any member wishing to run in the election must download the application form and return it by Aug. 18, 2022, at 5 p.m. to be eligible. Candidates 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.

 

Governor signs FY23 state budget with revenue sharing increase

The FY 2023 budget was signed by Gov. Whitmer this week, which is set to begin on Oct. 1. The signing of the bipartisan state budget comes after months of negotiations between the legislature and the governor’s office. 

Click here to read the major highlights of the budget, which includes a 6 percent (5% ongoing and 1% one-time) increase in county revenue sharing.

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

 

U.S. Treasury releases P&E Report update on ARP funds

The U.S. Treasury has released updated compliance and reporting guidance for counties ahead of the July 31 deadline that includes additional information that will be required as part of the reporting process and other clarifying items. Included below, you can find a comprehensive overview of updated compliance and reporting requirements, helpful information on specific sections of the reporting portal and an explanation of the difference between a subrecipient and beneficiary, and how counties can ensure they are complying with reporting requirements for these entities.

As a reminder, counties that are required to submit reports to Treasury by July 31, 2022, are those with populations above 250,000 residents and/or received $10 million or more in total ARPA Recovery Funds.

P&E Report Updates & Other Helpful Information

  • Revenue replacement: Counties had the option to make a one-time election to either calculate revenue loss according to Treasury’s formula outlined in the Final Rule OR elect a “Standard Allowance” of up to $10 million, not to exceed the award allocation. Treasury has decided to keep this portion of the reporting portal open for recipients in the upcoming P&E reporting cycle, which will allow counties to update their prior revenue loss election.
    • Once update, the prior revenue loss election will be replaced. Treasury expects to keep this portion of the reporting portal open through the April 2023 reporting period in order to provide an opportunity for annual reporters to take advantage of this flexibility.
  • Interested/principal received from loans: Any interest received on loans made with Recovery Funds should be tracked as program income in the P&E Report.
    • If a county uses revenue loss funds to fund a loan, repayments to loans are not subject to program income rules.
  • DUNS and UEI Numbers: As of April 2022, the federal government switched service providers and stopped using the DUNS number and began using the Unique Entity ID (UEI) – All counties are required to switch from a DUNS number to a UEI moving forward.
    • If your SAM.gov registration/DUNS number expired prior to April 2022, the county will be required to obtain a UEI before receiving its second tranche payment.
  • Population threshold: A county’s population threshold is determined by Treasury at the award date and will NOT change during the reporting period. You can find your county’s reporting tier here.
  • Edit and/or update previous report submissions: Counties can reopen and provide edits to submitted P&E Reports any time before the reporting deadline and will be required to re-certify the report to reflect any edits. After the reporting deadline, counties will be able to reflect changes in the next P&E Report.
  • Additional programmatic data for capital expenditures: When using Recovery Funds for capital expenditures projects, counties need to report the type of expenditure based on a list of enumerated uses. Examples of enumerated uses are COVID-19 vaccination sites, job and workforce training centers, and public health data systems. A full list of enumerated uses is available on pages 27 to 28 of the updated guidance.
  • Written justification for capital expenditures: Counties are required to provide a written justification for capital projects of any category that cost at least $10 million and for projects in the “other” (i.e., project not explicitly enumerated by Treasury) category that cost at least $1 million. Previously, counties needed to create a written justification for these projects but were not required to submit them as part of regular reporting.
  • Description of labor requirements for capital expenditures: Counties are required to provide additional labor reporting. For projects that cost at least $10 million, counties will need to report on the strength of the project’s labor standards, including information on the presence of a project labor agreement, community benefits agreement, prevailing wage requirement, or local hiring. This new required information is outlined under Infrastructure Project on pages 30-31 of the updated guidance.
  • Project information for broadband projects: The updated guidance requires counties to provide detailed project information for broadband infrastructure investments. Counties need to report what kind of technology is involved in the project (i.e., fiber optic cables, coaxial cables, etc.), the total miles of fiber deployed over the project, and the total number of funded locations served broken out by both speed of connection and type of location (i.e., residential, business, or community). This new required information is outlined under Broadband Projects on pages 32-33 of the updated guidance.
  • Moving of Recovery Plan Performance Report data into P&E Report: Under the updated guidance, some of the data that was previously only required for the Recovery Plan Performance Report (Recovery Plan) is now required for large counties (i.e., populations above 250,000 and/or above $10 million in awards) on their quarterly P&E Report. For example, large counties investing in housing security programs must now report the number of households receiving eviction prevention services. A full list of changes to programmatic data requirements for large counties is available on page 33 of the compliance and reporting guidance.
  • Updated template for Recovery Plan: The updated guidance also provides a template for the Recovery Plan due for large counties on July 31, 2022, reflecting the expenditure categories and other changes made by the Final Rule.

Overview of Subrecipients vs. Beneficiaries – Definitions and Reporting Requirements

The distinction between a subrecipient and beneficiary is contingent upon the rationale for why a recipient is providing funds to the individual or entity.

Definition

  • Subrecipient: An entity that receives a subaward to carry out a project funded by Recovery Funds on behalf of the recipient (i.e. county).
    • If a county is providing funds to the individual or entity for the purpose of carrying out an SLFRF-funded program or project on behalf of the county, the individual or entity is acting as a subrecipient.
  • Beneficiary: If a county is providing funds to the individual or entity for the purpose of directly benefitting the individual or entity as a result of experiencing a public health impact or negative economic impact of the pandemic, the individual or entity is acting as a beneficiary. 
    • Individuals or entities that experienced the negative economic impact and are the recipients of a project funded by Recovery Funds. In other words, the households, small businesses, nonprofits, or impacted industries that experienced the negative economic impact.

Reporting requirements

  • Subrecipients: All subrecipients are required to comply with all requirements of recipients such as treatment of eligible uses of funds, procurement and reporting requirements. 
    • Subrecipients are required to have an active SAM.gov registration and UEI number OR Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), if unable to obtain a UEI
  • Beneficiary: A beneficiary are not subject to subrecipient monitoring and reporting requirements.
    • Beneficiaries are NOT required to register in SAM.gov and are not required to provide a UEI

 

Marijuana regulation is focus of webinar co-sponsored by MAC

County leaders are encouraged to register for the 17th session of a series of webinars co-sponsored by MAC, the Michigan Department of Treasury and other local government groups.

“Updates and Resources for Local Governments” will focus this session, set to start at 2 p.m. on July 26, on:

  • Marijuana Regulation and Planning– State and Local Requirements
  • Strategic Planning

Participants can register and submit questions prior to the webinar by clicking here.

Presentations and recordings from this webinar, along with previous webinars, can be found at TREASURY – Webinars (michigan.gov). Utilize TREASURY – Contact Information (michigan.gov) for support related to Treasury’s local government services.

 

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Big discount offered on NACo leadership training for county employees

The NACo High Performance Leadership Academy is offering a special, but brief, discount option for counties to enroll employees in upcoming classes.

This “5-for-$5,000” attendee benefit is offered for the length of NACo’s Annual Conference, which ends July 24 in Adams County, Colorado, and allows five employees of a county to enroll at $1,000 each.

The Professional Development Academy, which partners with NACo on this training, is tailoring sessions to help counties meet trending challenges, such as:

  • employee retention
  • talent attraction
  • succession planning
  • leadership development 

Act fast, though, as the discount ends on July 24.

 

Legislative Update 7-8-22

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

Registration opens for 2022 Annual Conference on Sunrise Side

Join us on the sunrise side of the state for the 2022 Michigan Counties Annual Conference, put on by the Michigan Association of Counties in coordination with the Michigan County Medical Care Facilities Council (MCMCFC).

This year, we are in Port Huron in St. Clair County. The venue is the Bluewater Convention Center, located along the St. Clair River, with views of freighter traffic entering and exiting Lake Huron and the Blue Water Bridge to Canada.

Running from the afternoon of Sept. 18 through the morning of Sept. 21, the 2022 Annual Conference will feature:

  • Four plenary sessions featuring key issues now before Michigan and a MAC Legislative Update (Speakers will be announced soon.)
  • 12 breakout sessions for MAC members and 6 workshops for MCMCFC members (Speakers will be announced soon.)
  • A Welcome Reception and Strolling Dinner on the evening of Sunday, Sept. 18.
  • A lavish President’s Banquet on the night of Tuesday, Sept. 20.
  • Plenty of free time in the afternoons for attendees to enjoy sights and sounds of Port Huron, including the St. Clair River.

Members of MCMCFC will enjoy specialized breakouts designed for its members to earn Nursing and NAB Continuing Education credits.

MAC members attending the conference will receive credits in MAC’s County Commissioner Academy.

Conference Rates

The conference fee provides you access to all conference activities. (The spouse fee also provides access to any conference event, including the President’s Banquet on the evening of Sept 20.) This fee includes two dinners, two receptions, two breakfasts and two lunches.

 

 

Early bird
(register by Aug. 10)

Full rate
(after Aug. 10)

Member

Full conference

$395

$425

 

Single day

$275

$325

 

Spouse/guest

$150

$175

Non-Member

Full conference

$525

$575

NOTE: The member rate is open to all county commissioners, administrators, countywide elected officials and county employees of MAC member counties, plus employees and board members of MCMCFC facilities.

Hotel Information

The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel is attached to the Blue Water Convention Center (conference headquarters). You can expect a DoubleTree famous chocolate chip/oatmeal cookie, served warm upon arrival. After you’ve settled in, take a stroll along the St. Clair River, view watercraft/freighter traffic on the river or see the big Blue Water Bridge to Canada!

To make your reservations, you can call the DoubleTree Hotel directly at 810/984.8000 or go online at www.porthuron.doubletree.com. 

As always, MAC and MCMCFC have secured highly competitive room rates that begin at $149 per night for single/double occupancy. Breakfast is not included with your hotel pricing. Join us in the conference center instead!  GROUP CODE: MIA

The room block deadline is Aug. 17, 2022.

In anticipation of another popular conference, we have also reserved a block of rooms at the Comfort Inn at $129 per night. The Comfort Inn is located at 1720 Hancock St., Port Huron, MI 48060. To book your room reservations, contact 810-987-5999. Group Name: Michigan Association of Counties.

We expect a large gathering this year, so members are strongly encouraged to book their rooms immediately to ensure access to the conference room block and best room rates.

Getting around: For those staying at the Comfort Inn, we will provide complimentary shuttle service via Blue Water Transit during the conference schedule. There also is plenty of free parking at the convention center.

Please direct any conference registration questions or issues to conference@micounties.org.

MAC will be releasing information on plenary sessions, speakers and breakout descriptions in coming weeks.

 

MAC working to improve bill on remote participation in meetings

A bill to allow remote participation during an open meeting, with a quorum present, was introduced last week by Rep. Julie Calley (R-Ionia).

House Bill 6283 would require written notice to all board members of an impending remote participation at least 18 hours before the meeting begins. However, remote participation could be denied if a member of the public body motions for a vote and a majority disapproves. In addition, remote participation would be limited to the lesser of 10 percent of the public body’s meetings per year or three in total.

Although this bill is a step in the right direction, according to MAC’s platforms, much work still needs to be done to ensure that the restrictions are not too onerous, and that gamesmanship can be avoided. Rep. Calley has assured MAC that she is open to changes to the bill.

MAC anticipates House committee action on the bill in the fall.

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

 

Solar PILT bills designed to eliminate uncertainty on taxation

After years of workgroups, Sen. Curt VanderWall (R-Mason) and Sen. Kevin Daley (R-Lapeer) have introduced legislation to create a process for establishing solar energy districts, allowing for a personal property tax exemption for solar energy equipment and replacing it with a payment in lieu of taxes (PILT) system. 

Senate Bill 1106, by VanderWall, and SB 1107, by Daley (R-Lapeer), would establish the PILT payment at a rate of $7,000 per megawatt (MW) of capacity for 20 years. These bills were developed to give local governments a stable funding source for the equipment and to avoid litigation on the assessed value of the equipment.

For context, many counties are still fighting in court over the disputed assessment amounts for wind turbines in their jurisdiction. These bills will provide a financial incentive to the solar developers to move toward more green energy, while at the same time eliminating the uncertainty of the value of the property.

Senate action on the bills is anticipated in the fall. MAC is neutral on the bills at this time (and opposed similar legislation last session that pegged payments at $4,000 per MW).

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

 

County input sought on project to streamline financial reporting

A pilot project involving MAC, the University of Michigan and others is exploring whether a new fiscal reporting mechanism for governmental entities can help create transparency — and prevent future financial crises.

The Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP), in partnership with the nonprofit standards setting organization XBRL US, seeks input from county leaders about its proposed digital financial data standards for local governments.

Ogemaw County volunteered to serve as the county pilot for the effort. “I am convinced this project will result in an affordable tool that will categorically improve efficiency and accuracy of municipal financial reporting,” said Timothy Dolehanty, Ogemaw County administrator.  “Elimination of multiple, redundant keystrokes will certainly save time.  But public administrators will also gain the ability to compare and contrast financial trends in real time, which provides an early opportunity to take necessary corrective actions.”

The most important and reliable information for understanding local fiscal health is found in audited Annual Comprehensive Financial Reports (ACFRs). ACFRs are currently provided as PDF documents, which severely limits their accessibility, comparability, and usefulness for many stakeholders. The proposed open standards, based on XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language), create a fully digital human- and machine-readable version of ACFRs in order to better share the information with the public, state and others.

The digital standards, called a taxonomy, also incorporate all concepts needed for the Michigan Form F-65 (Local Unit Fiscal Report), Form 5572 (Retirement System Annual Report), and the Uniform Chart of Accounts. Digitizing this information will allow these reports to be generated automatically from the underlying data rather than manually entered into separate forms. 

During the 60-day public review period set to end on Aug. 15, participants are encouraged to review and provide feedback on the proposed taxonomy, which is available online in a downloadable Excel format or in an online viewer. Detailed instructions, FAQs, and examples of XBRL-formatted financial statements are also available on the website.   

To learn more about the project, please visit https://closup.umich.edu/research-projects/modernizing-michigan-local-government-fiscal-transparency.

 

Legislative Update takes brief mid-summer hiatus

MAC’s weekly Legislative Update will take a one-week break for the week of July 11-15.

The email will resume its regular schedule on Friday, July 22.

 

Legislative Update 6-17-22

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

Senate passes big supplemental bill tied to mental health privatization

The Senate passed a mental health supplemental budget this week, but tie-barred a portion of the funding to the passage of Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey’s mental health integration package.

Senate Bill 714, by Sen. Shirkey (R-Jackson), provides $565.5 million in funding for the current fiscal year to the behavioral health system. $548.7 million would come from what the state received from the American Rescue Plan Act and $17.5 million would be directed from the state’s General Fund.

However, the following line-item appropriations are conditional upon the passage of Senate Bill 597 and  Senate Bill 598, two bills that MAC and others strenuously oppose due to the loss of local control they would create:

  • Requires Medicaid Mental Health Services be used to replace local match with GF/GP.
  • Requires the Clinical Integration Fund be used to provide grants to facilities and providers that integrate their setting with physical and behavioral health services and providers.
  • Requires the funding for Community Mental Health Services Program (CMHSP) Integration Readiness be used to support CMHSP efforts to make information technology, staff, and administrative improvements for integration.
  • Requires the funding for DHHS integration readiness be used to make one-time investments to support implementation of SBs 597-98.
  • Directs the Department of Health and Human Services to appropriate $15 million of part 1 funding for Integrated Care Center to the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network to implement a centrally located integrated service center to provide physical and mental health services.
  • Directs the funding for Jail Diversion Fund be allocated to the Jail Diversion Fund, which would be administered by the Mental Health Diversion Council. Directs the Council to distribute grants to local entities to establish or expand jail diversion programs, with 50.0% going to community-based mobile crisis intervention services that include full integration with 911 dispatch centers, include both co-responder clinicians and peers, have access to residential treatment facilities, include telehealth response and follow-up services, and employ mental health professionals independent of law enforcement. Directs that the other 50.0% go to pre-arrest or post-arrest diversion programs for individuals with behavioral health needs, with priority given to nonurbanized areas.

MAC will continue to oppose any move to shift toward privatization of our local public mental health system. A total of 62 counties have voiced their opposition by passing resolutions in opposition to the mental health integration plan. We also encourage commissioners to use our Advocacy Tool to voice your opposition to your senator.

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

 

Treasury releases new guidance on P&E reports for July deadline

The National Association of Counties reported this week that, “Treasury released updated reporting guidance for the Project and Expenditure (P&E) Reports and a new template for the Recovery Plan Performance Report (Recovery Plan) ahead of the July 31, 2022, reporting deadline. The new requirements outlined below will impact all counties regardless of population size and award amount.

“Key updates to the compliance and reporting guidance outlined by Treasury include:

  1. Additional programmatic data for capital expenditures: When using Recovery Funds for capital expenditures projects, counties need to report the type of expenditure based on a list of enumerated uses. Examples of enumerated uses are COVID-19 vaccination sites, job and workforce training centers, and public health data systems. A full list of enumerated uses is available on pages 27 to 28 of the updated guidance.
  2. Written justification for capital expenditures: Counties are required to provide a written justification for capital projects of any category that cost at least $10 million and for projects in the “other” (i.e., project not explicitly enumerated by Treasury) category that cost at least $1 million. Previously, counties needed to create a written justification for these projects but were not required to submit them as part of regular reporting.
  3. Description of labor requirements for capital expenditures: Counties are required to provide additional labor reporting. For projects that cost at least $10 million, counties will need to report on the strength of the project’s labor standards, including information on the presence of a project labor agreement, community benefits agreement, prevailing wage requirement, or local hiring. This new required information is outlined under Infrastructure Project on pages 30-31 of the updated guidance.
  4. Project information for broadband projects: The updated guidance requires counties to provide detailed project information for broadband infrastructure investments. Counties need to report what kind of technology is involved in the project (i.e., fiber optic cables, coaxial cables, etc.), the total miles of fiber deployed over the project, and the total number of funded locations served broken out by both speed of connection and type of location (i.e., residential, business, or community). This new required information is outlined under Broadband Projects on pages 32-33 of the updated guidance.
  5. Moving of Recovery Plan Performance Report data into P&E Report: Under the updated guidance, some of the data that was previously only required for the Recovery Plan Performance Report (Recovery Plan) is now required for large counties (i.e., populations above 250,000 and/or above $10 million in awards) on their quarterly P&E Report. For example, large counties investing in housing security programs must now report the number of households receiving eviction prevention services. A full list of changes to programmatic data requirements for large counties is available on page 33 of the compliance and reporting guidance.
  6. Updated template for Recovery Plan: The updated guidance also provides a template for the Recovery Plan due for large counties on July 31, 2022, reflecting the expenditure categories and other changes made by the Final Rule.”

For questions regarding COVID funds reporting, visit NACo’s information hub at https://www.naco.org/resources/featured/arpa-fiscal-recovery-fund.

 

PPT reimbursement plan moves to full Senate

Bills to fully reimburse local units for their losses associated with the Legislature’s massive Personal Property Tax exemption that was estimated to have hit locals with $75 million loss annually passed out of the Senate Finance Committee this week. The MAC-backed bill package now awaits a vote from the full Senate.

Senate Bill 1060, by Sen. Mark Huizenga (R- Kent), SB 1061, by Sen. Kimberly LaSata (R-Berrien), and SB 1062, by Sen. Michael McDonald (R-Macomb), would create the Local Government Reimbursement Fund, to which the state would deposit $75 million annually.

The reimbursement package is a result of the House Bill 5351, by Rep. Steve Johnson (R-Kent), passed in December 2021. The bill lifted the PPT exemption threshold for small taxpayers from $80,000 to $180,000 in true cash value. Lawmakers did also vote for a $75 million reimbursement for the first year of this exemption scheme (which starts in 2023), but they did not provide for the years beyond.

MAC’s Deena Bosworth, director of governmental affairs, previously testified in support of the package before the committee. MAC had helped develop the process in SBs 1060-62 alongside other local government groups.

MAC will continue to support the bill package and monitor its progress through the legislative process.

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

 

Road agency liability measures get hearing in House

Bills to apply immunity to county road agencies from liability for failure to maintain highways in their jurisdiction received a hearing in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee this week. The bills previously passed the Senate.

Senate Bill 39 and SB 43, by Sen. Roger Victory (R-Ottawa), clarifies language in county road law regarding the liability of counties for failure to maintain highways to ensure provisions of the governmental immunity law apply to county road commissions.

MAC supports the bills and will continue to monitor the legislation.

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

 

Resolution opposing wilderness expansion clears Senate committee

A resolution to oppose the designation of 65,000 acres of additional national wilderness areas in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula passed out of Senate Natural Resources Committee this week.

Senate Resolution 150, by Sen. Ed McBroom (R-Dickinson), expresses concern over the effort to designate new wilderness areas in the Ottawa National Forest. The designation would significantly limit access to recreational areas, thereby decreasing tourism and economic returns to the community and local government.

The resolution urges the Michigan Legislature to recommend Congress not to designate more national wilderness areas. MAC supports the resolution, which is now on the Senate floor.

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

 

MAC-backed measures on mental health transportation advance

A MAC-supported bill to allow county mental health transportation panels passed out of the House Health Policy Committee this week. The bill now awaits a vote on the House floor.

Senate Bill 101, by Sen. Ed McBroom (R-Dickinson), would allow the panels for the purpose of alternative transportation services for individuals needing involuntary psychiatric hospitalization.

The bill would set forth a description and responsibilities of the panel, should a county choose to establish one, and outline contract and liability requirements. Any private security company considered to provide the transport services must meet certain requirements in order to enter into contract, including maintaining certain insurance coverage and providing to security transport officers a specialized training program for best practices when working with an individual with severe mental illness.

The bill also creates the Mental Health Transportation Fund, which, if funded by the Legislature, could help counties carry out functions of these mental health transportation services.

House Bill 4414, by Rep. Beau LaFave (R-Dickinson), is identical to SB 101 and passed out of the House Health Policy Committee and now awaits a full vote from the House.  

MAC supports both bills as an important tool for counties to secure alternative transportation services, so county law enforcement staff and resources are not tied up in long transport times.

For any questions on this issue, contact Deena Bosworth at bosworth@micounties.org.

 

House approves set of bills to bolster crime victims’ rights

Bills to better protect victims in the criminal justice system passed out of the House this week and has been referred to the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee.

House Bill 5679, by Rep. Graham Filler (R-Clinton), HB 5680, by Rep. Ken Borton (R-Otsego), HB 5681, by Rep. Greg Wan VanWoerkom (R-Muskegon), and HB 5560, by Rep. Julie Rogers (D- Kalamazoo), would require the expansion of offenses that would count as a serious misdemeanor, allow public video recordings of court proceedings to blur victims faces and allow victim impact statements to be made remotely.

MAC supports these bills to modernize and strengthen the rights of victims. MAC will continue to monitor the legislation as it moves through the legislative process.

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

 

MAC-backed bill on opioid treatments gets Senate hearing

A bill to create a standing order on the distribution of opioid treatment medication received a hearing in the Senate Health Policy and Human Services Committee the week of June 6. The bill previously passed the House.

House Bill 5166, by Rep. Mary Whiteford (R-Allegan), allows the state’s chief medical executive to expand the ability of community organizations to dispense FDA-approved medication for the treatment of a drug overdose to an individual. Any community organization providing substance use disorder prevention, treatment, recovery, or harm reduction services would be allowed.

MAC supports HB 5166 and will continue to push for its passage in the Senate.

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

 

Justice Department conducting ADA reviews of courthouses in Pennsylvania

The association of counties in Pennsylvania has advised MAC that the U.S. Department of Justice has been visiting courthouses in the Keystone State to conduct assessments of Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.

According to the Pennsylvania report, one of these incidents involved “DOJ (sending) in an ADA expert who literally took a tape measure to check how far the sinks were off the floor, elevator buttons and much more.”

MAC is working to gather more information on the scope of this federal inquiry, but members are advised to be ready to respond promptly to such inspections.

For questions on this issue, contact Stephan Currie at scurrie@micounties.org.

 

MAC offices closed on Monday, June 20

MAC’s Lansing offices will be closed on Monday, June 20 to observe the federal Juneteenth holiday.

Juneteenth “has its significance in 1865 when Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and issued the Order Number 3, which stated the freedom of all slaves by the issue of Emancipation Proclamation, by Abe Lincoln on Jan. 1, 1863. The people of Galveston did not know they were free and found out after the order was issued by Gordon Granger on June 19, 1865, two years after the original date of proclamation. Texas was the last state to recognize the proclamation and hence June 19th or ‘Juneteenth’ became the official day. The law was ratified after all the states agreed to free all forms of slavery within the Union of America which was completed on June 19, 1865.”

MAC’s normal office hours will resume on Tuesday, June 21 at 8 a.m.

 

Legislative Update 6-10-22

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

Mid-year Legislative Status Report

MAC makes case for PPT reimbursement reforms

Deena Bosworth, left, discusses PPT reform legislation before a Senate committee this week as MML’s John LaMacchia and MTA’s Judy Allen look on.

MAC’s Deena Bosworth joined other proponents this week in testifying in favor of bills to fully reimburse local units for their losses associated with the expansion of Personal Property Tax exemptions that is estimated to hit locals with a $75 million loss annually.

On Wednesday, the Senate Finance Committee took its first look at Senate Bill 1060, by Sen. Mark Huizenga (R-Kent), SB 1061, by Sen. Kimberly LaSata (R-Berrien), and SB 1062, by Sen. Michael McDonald (R-Macomb), which would create a Local Government Reimbursement Fund to which the state would deposit $75 million annually.

The reimbursement package is a result of the House Bill 5351, by Rep. Steve Johnson (R-Kent), adopted in December 2021. That bill lifted of the PPT exemption threshold for small taxpayers from $80,000 to $180,000 in true cash value. Lawmakers did also vote for a $75 million reimbursement for the first year of this exemption scheme (which starts in 2023), but they did not provide for the years beyond.

Bosworth, MAC’s director of governmental affairs, led the testimony of the local government groups that have been working to resolve this problem.

MAC will continue to support the bill package and monitor its progress through the legislative process. A vote out of committee and the full Senate is expected before the Legislature breaks for summer.

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

 

FOIA bills clear House committee over MAC’s opposition

Legislation that alters the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in ways detrimental to county government passed out of the House Oversight Committee this week. MAC needs your voice to urge the House to set aside this ill-advised package.

House Bills 5921-25 have numerous problems and create unanswered questions for the local officials charged with complying with FOIA. Among the problems are:

  • Provisions to impose penalties on public bodies when mistakes are made
  • An inevitable increase in costs for compliance with the act
  • The removal of the anonymity of task force members when serving their communities

MAC remains opposed to all but one of the bills. MAC’s Deena Bosworth, alongside the Michigan Municipal League, Michigan Townships Association and the Michigan Association of School Boards, testified in opposition this week.

MAC urges county leaders to use our advocacy platform to send a pre-drafted message of opposition to your House member. The bill package awaits consideration on the House floor.

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

 

MAC-backed bill on public notices gets committee nod

A MAC-supported bill to modernize state law on public notices passed out of House Oversight Committee this week. The legislation will save counties time and money and create more avenues for our citizens to receive public notices. 

House Bill 6062, by Rep. Kevin Coleman (D-Wayne), is the first in what will be more than 100 bills dealing with the modernization of public notices for public bodies. HB 6062 sets up the framework, while other pieces of legislation will amend each state statute requiring the notice to be published in a newspaper.

HB 6062 would allow local units to put public notices on their websites, but not require them to be published in a newspaper. In addition, and to ease the concerns about transparency, the bill requires the public body to send a copy of the notice to the newspaper, to post the notice in a conspicuous place and to create an annual mailing list for those residents wishing to have notices mailed to them via first class mail.

MAC’s Deena Bosworth previously testified in support and MAC will continue to support a fair and transparent process of reporting public notices and monitor HB 6062’s progress through the Legislature.

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

 

Rules changed on some mental health service payments

Changes to the financial liability guidelines for mental health services are on their way after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently signed reform legislation.

House Bill 5165 (now Public Act 91 of 2022), by Rep. Mary Whiteford (R-Allegan), states that the ability to pay for adult inpatient psychiatric services of less than 61 days, all nonresidential services and all services to minors must be determined solely on family size and income in accordance with the most current federal poverty guidelines.

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

 

State courts take Juneteenth holiday, memo details county options

Following the announcement by the Michigan Supreme Court that the judicial branch of Michigan would observe the Juneteenth holiday on June 20, 2022, MAC has received numerous inquiries from members about what that means for county government offices.

A memo by the firm of Cohl, Stoker & Toskey P.C. in Lansing was received by MAC this week and details both the legal background of the Supreme Court’s order and options that counties have to respond to this sudden change in the work calendar.

“It is important to note that the Supreme Court’s Order only applies to Courts and Court employees and not to the employees of the County (this includes the employees of the county-wide elected officials for which the County, through the Board of Commissioners, is a co-employer with the responsibility for determining the economic terms and conditions of employment which includes the number of paid holidays),” the memo states. “Counties have options:

“1. To remain open even though the Courts are closed;

“2. Offer to unions Juneteenth for 2022 (June 20th) as a paid holiday on a one-time, non-precedent setting basis;

“3. Offer to unions to substitute Juneteenth for a different holiday on a one-time or permanent basis; or

“4. Offer to unions to add Juneteenth as an additional holiday without restriction.”

Read the full memo here.

In an informal and ongoing survey conducted by MAC this week, 23 counties reported they would observe the holiday this year, 39 said they would not and 15 were still reviewing the situation.

 

Secondary Road Patrol funding package gets Senate committee backing

A legislative package to to improve Secondary Road Patrol (SRP) funding via the state liquor tax advanced out of the Senate Appropriations Committee this week.

The committee, chaired by Sen. Jim Stamas (R-Midland), approved House Bill 5773, by Rep. Mike Mueller (R-Genesee), HB 5732, by Tommy Brann (R-Kent), and HB 5772, by Rep. David Martin (R-Genesee). These bills would require that $15 million annually from the 4 percent excise tax on liquor go to SRP. At present, the fund receives a $10 assessment from civil infractions, so funding is dependent on the number of written traffic citations. Under the bills, the assessment levied on those traffic citations would be reduced by $10 (from $40 to $30) to account for the portion of the assessment that would no longer be distributed to the Secondary Road Patrol and Training Fund.

MAC supports these bills, as they would create a more stable funding stream for sheriffs to finance road patrols. The Michigan Sheriffs’ Association also supports the package, as do a number of individual county sheriffs.

The bills are now on the Senate floor for consideration.

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

 

House committee reviews mental health transport bill

A MAC-supported bill to allow county mental health transportation panels received a hearing in the House Health Policy Committee this week. The bill previously passed in the Senate.

Senate Bill 101, by Sen. Ed McBroom (R-Dickinson), would allow the panels for the purpose of alternative transportation services for individuals needing involuntary psychiatric hospitalization.

The bill would set forth a description and responsibilities of the panel, should a county choose to establish one, and outline contract and liability requirements. Any private security company considered to provide the transport services must meet certain requirements in order to enter into contract, including maintaining certain insurance coverage and providing to security transport officers a specialized training program for best practices when working with an individual with severe mental illness.

The bill also creates the Mental Health Transportation Fund, which, if funded by the Legislature, could help counties carry out functions of these mental health transportation services.

MAC supports the bill as an important tool for counties to secure alternative transportation services, so county law enforcement staff and resources are not tied up in long transport times.

A full analysis of the bill can be found here.

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

 

Senate looks at regulatory burdens on medical care facilities

Legislation supported by the Michigan County Medical Care Facilities Council (MCMCFC) to ease the regulatory burden of certifications, surveys and evaluations of nursing homes received a hearing in the Senate Health Policy and Human Services Committee this week. The bill previously passed the House.

House Bill 5609, by Rep. Bronna Kahle (R-Lenawee), aims to improve the timeliness and consistency of the state’s survey process of nursing homes under the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). Among the changes is the removal of the annual reporting requirement of complaints to the legislature, the average length of time it takes for the agency to respond to a nursing home complaint, and the number of citations disputed through information dispute resolutions.

The legislation calls for on LARA to employ and individual to serve as a quality improvement officer to ensure fairness and accuracy. The officer would be required to present findings of the survey and enforcement process to an advisory workgroup at each semiannual training session for nursing home surveyors.

The full analysis can be found here.

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

 

Unfunded mandates measure doing circle in Senate committees

A bill to protect local units of government against unfunded mandates received a hearing this week and vote this week. Although it was voted out of the Senate Oversight Committee, it was re-referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee, instead of being presented to the full Senate for consideration.   

Senate Bill 449 by Sen. Ed McBroom (R-Dickinson), creates the Headlee Unfunded Mandates Prohibition Act and is the latest attempt to implement the recommendations stemming from the Unfunded Mandates Commission that were issued more than a decade ago.

MAC supports the legislation.

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

 

‘Fiscally Ready’ webinar on June 14 will look at capital planning

The next free webinar in the “Fiscally Ready Communities” series put on by the Michigan Department of Treasury and Michigan State University Extension will be held on June 14. The session is designed to assist appointed and elected officials and will focus on “Capital Asset Management and Planning.”

Recurring annual expenses are simple to budget, but repair and replacement of big-ticket items can be much more difficult. A Capital Improvement Program (CIP) will help your local government organize those major projects and forecast the expenses to make long-term planning simpler. This session will cover the basics of a CIP, best practices, and give participants a chance to share techniques that have worked for their community, as well as policies, procedures, and accounting for capital asset management and planning.

The webinar will run from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET Registration closes at 11:59 p.m. on June 13.

Register here.

For more information about Fiscally Ready Communities, please check out the Treasury Fiscally Ready Communities webpage. This webpage includes Treasury’s 32-page Fiscally Ready Communities Best Practices document, which we encourage all local officials to review.

For questions, email TreasLocalGov@michigan.gov with the subject line “Fiscally Ready.”

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