County revenue sharing in line for big boost under budget plans
County revenue sharing could grow by as much as 17 percent in fiscal 2024 under decisions made this week by key subcommittees in the Michigan House and Senate.
In the House, the Appropriations Subcommittee on the General Government approved House Bill 4292, by Rep. Felicia Brabec (D-Washtenaw), which follows Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s plan for a 17 percent hike in revenue sharing.
This increase is divided into several segments:
- 5 percentage points would be ongoing and for general use
- 5 percentage points would be a one-time appropriation for general use
- 2 percentage points would be ongoing and restricted to public safety uses
- 5 percentage points would be a one-time appropriation restricted to public safety uses
In all, these changes would place FY24 revenue sharing at more than $285 million.
The Senate’s boost is smaller than the House’s but still large. Senate Bill 189, by Sen. John Cherry (D-Genesee), includes the same ongoing and one-time boosts for general use as the House (see bullets 1 and 2 above), but it does not include the additional funds for public safety.
Overall, the Senate’s plan would have revenue sharing at $269 million for FY24.
In another positive note, and based on a MAC request, the Senate subcommittee plan would end the County Incentive Program and its requirements for the annual submission of verification of the posting of budgets online and the publication of citizen guides.
The Senate proposal also allows access to any unallocated funds from a $750 million appropriation for municipal pension assistance for use as grants for those local governments with OPEB obligations funded at 7 percent or less. An exact allocation for this will not be known until pension grants have been allocated.
Finally, on the Senate side, Sen. Cherry recommended a new program in the Department of Attorney General to assist communities with high crime by allocating $10 million and 45 full-time positions.
To be clear, these amounts are far from final. The next huge budget step is the Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference (CREC) on May 19 to set final resource numbers for FY24. Following CREC, committee chairs will be given more specific budget targets and will amend the bills accordingly.
For more information on this issue, contact Deena Bosworth at bosworth@micounties.org.
Five commissioners elected to MAC Board; Wayne’s Daub appointed as second vice president
New Board members (l-r) Sarah Lucido, Rick Shaffer, Dwight Washington and Bryan Kolk take their oaths on April 26. Not pictured: Donald O’Farrell.
During special elections held April 25 at the Michigan Counties Legislative Conference, county commissioners elected five new members to the Michigan Association of Counties Board of Directors.
The newest members of the 16-member governing body are:
- Dwight Washington of Clinton County
- Donald O’Farrell of Iosco County
- Sarah Lucido of Macomb County
- Bryan Kolk of Newaygo County
- Rick Shaffer of St. Joseph County
After they were sworn in on April 26, the five participated in a vote to name Melissa Daub of Wayne County as the MAC Second Vice President. Daub joined the MAC Board in 2021.
Also serving as officers for the Board in MAC’s 125th Anniversary year are President Stan Ponstein of Kent County and First Vice President Jim Storey of Allegan County.
For more information on the MAC Board, click here.
Association may be oldest in U.S., NACo leader tells 2023 conference
Matthew Chase addresses the 2023 Legislative Conference.
MAC and its members were treated to two anniversary presents at the 2023 Michigan Counties Legislative Conference.
Prior to his remarks on April 25 to a plenary session of the event, which drew approximately 300 to Lansing, Matthew Chase, CEO of the National Association of Counties, presented President Stan Ponstein and other MAC leaders a crystal trophy for the MAC display case.
More importantly, and surprisingly, Chase shared a bit of news: MAC just may be the oldest counties association in the entire country!
“I can say we were equal parts surprised and pleased to hear Matt’s nugget of news about our historic position,” said Stephan Currie, MAC’s executive director. “He did tell us his research isn’t quite complete, but, as of now, there’s no information that any association is older than MAC. If that holds, we will have even more to celebrate at the Anniversary Gala we are planning for the Annual Conference in October.”
The conference also included:
- State of MAC and Legislative Update reports
- A briefing on the state budget from State Budget Director Chris Harkins
- A discussion on legislative priorities with the leaders of the Michigan House and Senate
- 12 policy breakout sessions
Presentations and other documents from the conference can be found here.
Photos from the conference can be found here.
MAC’s next major event is the Annual Conference, planned for Oct. 1-3 at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Kalamazoo. Registration for that event should open in early August.
For the latest information on MAC events, click here.
Child Care Fund boost highlights DHHS budget plans
A MAC-supported increase in the reimbursement rate for the Child Care Fund is included in both legislative versions of the fiscal 2024 budget for the Department of Health and Human Services that cleared key subcommittees this week.
In line with a recommendation of the Task Force on Juvenile Justice Reform, the budget plans boost the county Child Care Fund reimbursement rate from 50 percent to 75 percent, a $31.5 million increase. This conforms with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s FY24 budget plan.
The House subcommittee also recommended:
- $1.3 million to provide services at Bay Pines and Shawono juvenile justices facilities (another recommendation from the Task Force on Juvenile Justice Reform)
- $19.3 million to fund an 8 percent increase to daily maintenance payments to foster parents, adoptive parents and juvenile guardians (a MAC legislative priority)
- Placing Michigan’s foster care per diem rate above the national average
- $25 million to build a juvenile justice facility in Northern Michigan (another MAC priority)
- $14 million for the state share towards local public health departments
- $5 million to replace local funding used for Medicaid mental health supports and services (this reflects the fourth year of phasing out the local match portion over a five-year period)
The Senate recommendation includes $30 million to support the state share for increases to local public health departments, which aligns with the governor’s budget plan. When compared to the House recommendation, you will see the House has only recommended funding for approximately 50 percent of the costs of local public health services.
For more information on this issue, contact Samantha Gibson at gibson@micounties.org.
Legislative panels add dollars to governor’s transportation plans
Road dollars in fiscal 2024 would be more plentiful than Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had proposed in February under spending plans approved by House and Senate subcommittees this week.
Both chambers appropriated more than Whitmer recommended; the House version is $222.6 million over, while the Senate’s is $240 million over.
The largest addition by the House is $400 million for local road preservation, which would be distributed to local road agencies based on population. The House left a $100 placeholder for the bridge bundling program, so the $200 million the governor had recommended was not included in the House plan.
The House also included:
- $75 million in local bus operating investments
- $33 million for rail grade separations
The Senate also cut the governor’s bridge bundling program, reducing it from $200 million to $150 million. They also cut the Intermodal Capital Investment Grant Program from $160 million to $100 million.
Notably, the Senate added $150 million for local road funding projects for the six most populous counties (Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Kent, Genesee, Washtenaw), distributed by population. Subcommittee Chair Sen. Veronica Klinefelt (D-Macomb) explained that while the larger counties pay more into the Michigan Transportation Fund, they don’t always see the return on investment.
The Senate also included:
- $100 million for critical infrastructure projects
- $100 million for high-speed rail
- $50 million for a single rail grade separation project in Trenton
The budget process will continue in May. MAC will provide updates as necessary.
For more information on this issue, contact Madeline Fata at fata@micounties.org.
Pay boosts for medical workers advance in Legislature
Employees at medical care facilities would be looking at pay boosts under budget plans approved by Health and Human Services Appropriations subcommittees for fiscal 2024 this week.
The Senate recommendation includes a 65-cent boost per hour for direct care workers and a $3 per hour wage increase for non-direct care staff at long-term care facilities. The House recommendation includes $90 million to increase non-clinical nursing facility staff hourly wages by $3.85 per hour. This amount would reflect the current $2.35 direct care wage increase, plus the additional $1.50 proposed for the current cohort of direct care workers. The House budget recommendation also included a $1.50 per hour direct care worker wage increase.
The FY24 budget is anticipated to be finalized in June.
For more information on this issue, contact Samantha Gibson at gibson@micounties.org.
Bid to expand binding arbitration resumes in Legislature
County correctional officers would qualify for binding arbitration under a bill filed in Lansing on April 20.
House Bill 4438, by Rep. Kelly Breen (D-Oakland), would expand binding arbitration beyond police and fire labor bargaining units to county correctional officers. The bill is likely to advance in the Legislature this year.
HB 4438 is a reintroduction from last term, which MAC fought against. MAC has long opposed any expansion of binding arbitration to other bargaining units due to the cost of the process, the long-term liabilities associated with third-party decisions and the unequal treatment such a system provides to those bargaining units. The Michigan Public Employment Relations Act already provides for bargaining rights without tying the hands of the county in binding arbitration.
MAC plans to continue opposition to the bill.
However, in light of the legislative majority’s strong support for unions and collective bargaining units, it will certainly be more difficult to shut it down this time around. The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Criminal Justice.
For more information on this issue, contact Madeline Fata at fata@micounties.org.
Boat wrap recycling program now under way
The Michigan Recycling Coalition (MRC), a statewide recycling advocate and association, is currently organizing another year of “Recycle Run,” a boat shrink-wrap recycling program. Last year alone, the program helped recycle 90,000 pounds of plastic.
The program is open and accepting new participants until June 1, 2023. Recycle Run is accessible to boaters across the state and allows for shrink-wrap boat covers to be diverted from landfills.
To participate, boaters purchase the Recycle Run bags from Dr. Shrink’s website for $7. A bag holds approximately one large boat cover or two small boat covers. Interested participants will also sign up on the Michigan Recycling Coalition’s website to officially register for the collection program. Participants with more than 15 bags of material qualify for a free direct pick-up by the MRC’s program partners. Participants with less material can participate by dropping their bags off at one of the many volunteer locations around the state. These boat covers are otherwise not accepted in curbside recycling programs.
Michigan has more than 800,000 registered boats. For every bag of covers that is recycled, we save:
- 115 KWH of energy
- 5 gallons of oil
- 20 cubic feet of landfill space
The MRC is a nonprofit that fosters sustainability by leading, educating and mobilizing businesses, governments, nonprofits and individuals to advance their own and collective resource use and recovery initiatives in Michigan.
NACo: Highlight the county role in mental health in May
Join the National Association of Counties (NACo) and the National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors in recognizing Mental Health Awareness Month, May 2023, to highlight the county role in behavioral health.
Earlier this year, NACo launched a Commission on Mental Health and Wellbeing to address the ever-growing mental health crisis. Next month, NACo will release research on essential county perspectives on high-quality, accessible mental health services.
Mental Health Awareness Month is your opportunity to shine a light on mental health awareness, services, and innovation, and advance behavioral health policy priorities.
Explore NACo’s toolkit of resources to help you participate, including a resolution template, sample letters to Congress, press release and social media templates, and more. We encourage counties to pursue any effort – large or small.
We look forward to featuring county efforts – submit your plan for Mental Health Awareness Month here.
Staff picks
Legislative Conference begins 3-day run on Monday
Nearly 300 county leaders, policy experts and others will converge on Lansing on Monday for the start of the 2023 Michigan Counties Legislative Conference, the first major conference of MAC’s 125th Anniversary year.
Attendees may check in for the conference starting at noon at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Lansing. Light snacks will be available in the registration area.
Policy breakouts get under way for MAC members at 2 p.m., with sessions on Michigan’s trails system, the trial court funding crisis and the impact of electric vehicles on road funding in our state.
Plenary sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday will feature:
- Matthew Chase, CEO of the National Association of Counties
- Chris Harkins, Michigan’s state budget director
- A legislative leadership panel
Commissioners attending the conference also will participate in MAC caucus elections on Tuesday to fill five seats on the MAC Board of Directors.
A Legislative Reception on Tuesday evening will feature the presentation of MAC’s County Advocate Awards to Rep. Julie Rogers (D-Kalamazoo) and Sen. Jon Bumstead (R-Muskegon).
For more information on the conference, visit MAC’s website.
MAC-backed public notices bill filed in House
Legislation creating the framework to allow public bodies to post their notices digitally to save time and money is back before the Legislature.
Under House Bill 4428, by Rep. Kevin Coleman (D-Wayne), local units would no longer be required to post their notices in a newspaper but only share them online. This would modernize public notices law, save counties time and money and create more avenues for our citizens to receive public notices.
HB 4428 is identical to a bill he sponsored last term that was not enacted. MAC supported this legislation the last time around, with MAC’s Deena Bosworth testifying before the House Oversight Committee on its behalf.
The Michigan Press Association has long opposed this concept because its members rely on the fees they charge locals for publishing such notices.
This bill is just the first of more than 100 bills that will be necessary to implement the change. HB 4428 will serve as the framework, while the trailer bills will amend each statute requiring the notice to be published in a newspaper.
HB 4428 has been referred to the House Committee on Local Government and Municipal Finance. MAC plans to support the bill.
For more information on this issue, contact Madeline Fata at fata@micounties.org.
Legislative panels cut governor’s request on indigent defense
There would be fewer dollars for the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission (MIDC) in fiscal 2024 than the governor has requested under spending plans approved by House and Senate subcommittees this week.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Executive Budget included a $72 million increase to MIDC grant funding as a response to the state’s approval of Standard 8, the Attorney Compensation Standard. However, the subcommittees rejected this approach.
House Bill 4280 includes a $57.2 million increase, totaling their MIDC budget to $206 million. Senate Bill 195 includes a $59 million increase, totaling the Senate version of the MIDC budget to $208.7 million. The governor’s recommended full funding for MIDC is $220 million.
The MIDC grant funding that is allocated to counties, so long as they comply with the state-approved Standards 1-8.
MAC is continuously working to ensure the state provides full funding to counties via MIDC grant dollars, as they are mandated to do. While it is still early in the budget process, and there is potential for the MIDC appropriation to increase, it is important to note that without full funding provided by the state, counties are not mandated to comply with Standard 8.
For more information on this issue, contact Samantha Gibson at gibson@micounties.org.
Financial strains on legal staffing are subject of special podcast episode
In a special episode, Podcast 83 delves into the growing financial strain on counties imposed by directives of the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission.
Host Stephan Currie and MAC staffers Deena Bosworth and Samantha Gibson discussed the state panel’s work and its impacts with two of its members:
- Margaret McAvoy, former Isabella County administrator
- Andrew DeLeeuw, interim deputy county administrator for Washtenaw County
The pair talked about their experience on the commission, which “was created by legislation in 2013 after an advisory commission recommended improvements to the state’s legal system. The MIDC works to ensure the state’s public defense system is fair, cost-effective and constitutional while simultaneously protecting public safety and accountability,” and the importance of its work.
Gibson reviewed the of MIDC’s new standard 8 on prosecuting attorney offices and staffing.
See the full video of the session, taped on April 12, 2023.
Previous episodes can be seen at MAC’s YouTube Channel.
And you always can find details about Podcast 83 on the MAC website.
Additional templates posted to assist with opioid settlement planning
MAC has released additional supplemental documents to the Michigan Opioid Settlements Funds Toolkit: A Guide for Local Spending. The new templates include:
- Request for Proposals and Associated Budget Template (PDF)(Word) (Excel)
- Files created to assist counties with looking to solicit proposals for funding from community-based organizations, entities and groups.
- Vendor/Contractor Agreement (PDF)(Word)
- Modeled after Monroe County contract; created to accompany the funds that would be allocated to entities outside the County and govern the terms and conditions and requirements. This serves as financial management practice to ensure funds disbursed are utilized in alignment with the settlements and county constraints.
- Pass Through Entity Agreement (PDF)(Word)
- File created to aid with contracting with pass-through entities, whether utilizing the external organization to subcontract all or a percentage of the settlement funds.
- Public-facing Planning Process Document (PDF)(Word)
- Document created to share publicly for counties looking to inform community members of the planning process undertaken by the county. This document is also intended to inform the community of anticipated stakeholder engagement and request for proposals processes.
If you have specific templates that you would like created, or questions, contact Amy Dolinky at dolinky@micounties.org.
Environmental spending plans head in different directions
Subcommittees in the Michigan House and Senate this week took notably different avenues on plans for water infrastructure and other items advanced by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in her fiscal 2024 budget.
The House Appropriations Environment, Great Lakes and Energy Subcommittee got creative, recommending $100 million more than the governor did by replacing hundreds of millions in state General Fund dollars with federal funding.
Most notably, the governor proposed $225.8 million in General Fund for replacing lead service lines and providing technical assistance to communities, but the House reduced that amount to $110 million, supplemented by $100 million in federal Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund dollars.
Also from the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund, the House EGLE subcommittee recommended new line items for drinking water asset management, drinking water filtration devices in schools and child-care centers and infrastructure improvement projects for drinking water, storm water and wastewater.
By contrast, the Senate Appropriations Environment, Great Lakes and Energy Subcommittee reduced the governor’s original proposal from $1.3 billion to $1.08 billion. The main reductions came from her recommendations for regional renewable energy facilities, groundwater data collection and contaminated site clean-up.
The subcommittee chairs will meet shortly to concur on one version. The budget must be finalized before the end of June, though legislators can finish earlier.
For more information on this issue, contact Madeline Fata at fata@micounties.org.
Senate Democrats introduce renewable power bills
Michigan utilities would have to produce 100 percent of their electricity from renewable sources under legislation introduced in Lansing this week.
To achieve this, the seven-bill package, Senate Bills 271-277, would also eliminate coal-fired electricity-generating plants by 2030. Sens. Sam Singh (D-Ingham) and Sue Shink (D-Washtenaw) are leading the efforts to eradicate all greenhouse gas emissions from power generation as part of the Clean Energy Future Plan.
The bills also make the Michigan Public Service Commission will be responsible for evaluating the utility’s integrated resources plan. Their plans must demonstrate progress toward phasing out greenhouse gases, eliminating adverse effects on human health and reducing harm to the health, safety, and welfare of communities subject to environmental injustice.
Other provisions in the package include:
- reducing carbon intensity of transportation fuels by 25 percent by 2035;
- creating a Michigan Construction Decarbonization Strategic Plan to reduce emissions from heating homes and businesses by 17 percent by 2030; and
- allowing farmers in the state’s PA 116 program to preserve farmland to rent their properties for solar operations and stay in the preservation program.
While this may appear a massive undertaking, Consumers Energy already has announced a plan to eliminate coal in its operations by 2025.
The bills have been referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment. MAC has not taken a position on the legislation.
For more information on this issue, contact Madeline Fata at fata@micounties.org.
Bill would restore local control over plastic bag regulations
Local control over the retail use of plastic bags would be restored under a bill introduced in March.
Senate Bill 228, by Sen. Sue Shink (D-Washtenaw), would allow local governments to determine whether to allow plastic bags in their communities. The legislation stems from concerns over the impact plastic bags can have on our environment, as they tend to end up as litter or non-recycled waste. SB 228 will grant locals the authority to weigh the environmental impacts and regulate their use as they see fit.
Banning plastic bags outright is not the only option permitted in this bill; locals could impose a fee or tax for using them.
SB 228 would reverse the state restrictions on local action adopted in Public Act PA 389 of 2016 signed by Gov. Rick Snyder.
Several states currently allow municipalities to regulate bag use, and major cities such as Chicago, Boston and Los Angeles have plastic bag bans on the books. Eight states have statewide bans: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New York, Oregon and Vermont.
The bill was sent to the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment. MAC has not yet taken a position on this legislation.
For more information on this issue, contact Madeline Fata at fata@micounties.org.
State offers grants for town halls on mental health, substance use issues
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns about substance use and mental health conditions have grown.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ (MDHHS) Substance Use, Gambling and Epidemiology Section (SUGE) is seeking applications from organizations to conduct Community Town Hall meetings that:
- Address the impact of this public health crisis on populations, especially disparate or underserved populations.
- Help raise awareness about coping with COVID-19 by sharing informational materials based on the latest research.
- Determine community concerns and disseminate relevant resources to address priority areas: underage drinking, marijuana, prescription drugs/opioids, tobacco and mental health.
Apply now to conduct a Community Town Hall Event!
The Community Town Hall must occur on or before Aug. 31, 2023.
- Applications will be accepted through May 31, 2023, on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Limited to 75 organizations.
- $1,500 per Community Town Hall. You will be reimbursed for actual costs up to $1,500 through a contract with our training logistics contractor: Community Mental Health Association of Michigan (CMHAM).
- MDHHS has the ability to deny an organization’s application.
Funding can be used for expenses such as:
- Speakers
- Panel discussions
- Venues
- Evaluation efforts
- Technology (if applicable)
Funding cannot be used for:
- Promotional items, including but not limited to clothing, commemorative items such as pens, mugs/cups, folders/folios, lanyards, and conference bags.
- Direct payments to individuals to participate in prevention services. Note: Prevention provider may provide up to $30 non-cash incentive to participate in data collection follow-up.
- Meals are generally unallowable.
Community Needs Assessment resources for your reference:
If there are any questions or if you are experiencing technical issues with the application, please contact Lisa Coleman at ColemanL7@michigan.gov and Jamie Meister at MeisterJ1@michigan.gov.
Capital assets are focus of April 24 Treasury webinar
The Michigan Department of Treasury and Michigan State University Extension (MSU Extension) are hosting the next Fiscally Ready Communities training opportunity on April 24. This FREE training is a 90-minute webinar that’s designed to assist appointed and elected officials.
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 plan.
The webinar runs on Monday, April 24 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (EST).
Register now.
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.
If you have any questions, email TreasLocalGov@michigan.gov with the subject line “Fiscally Ready.”
Staff picks
State budget director added as conference keynoter
Harkins
Chris Harkins, director of the Michigan State Budget Office, will deliver a keynote address on Tuesday, April 25 at the 2023 Michigan Counties Legislative Conference.
Harkins is expected to give an overview of the Michigan budget situation for fiscal year 2024, respond to a variety of topics posed by MAC staff and take questions from the conference audience.
To learn more about Harkins and all of the conference speakers, click here.
Registration continues for the three-day conference, but members are urged to act quickly, as online registration winds down on April 19. (On-site registration from April 24-26 will be available.)
Other sessions and events not to miss at this year’s conference include:
- A discussion with the Legislative Leadership led by MAC’s director of governmental affairs, Deena Bosworth
- “A National Perspective on the County Landscape and Priorities” by Matt Chase, executive director of the National Association of Counties
- A MAC Legislative Update from MAC’s Governmental Affairs staff
- A State of MAC report from MAC Executive Director Stephan Currie
- Remarks from MAC President Stan Ponstein of Kent County
- A Legislative Reception on the evening of Tuesday, April 25, during which MAC will present its County Advocate Awards for legislative service in 2022.
HOTEL UPDATE: The main conference hotel is now SOLD OUT. If you still need a room, we recommend contacting the Marriott Courtyard in downtown Lansing (approximately 2 blocks from the Lansing Center) at 517-367-6677.
For additional details on hotel rooms, registration pricing, parking and more, visit the conference page on MAC’s website.
MAC-led coalition helps delay changes on mineral brine rules
New, stricter rules on acquiring and using mineral brine on roadways were delayed by the state after a group of legislators and stakeholders, including MAC, convinced the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) to further study the matter.
In February, EGLE announced it would enforce new rules on brine on April 1. Mineral brine is a product used by road agencies to suppress dust on dirt roads and control ice. However, EGLE did not consult industry experts or provide evidence to support these added restrictions.
The County Road Association (CRA) held an emergency meeting in March with their members, MAC and the Michigan Township Association (MTA) to discuss the impact of these changes and the lack of transparency by EGLE. Dozens of county road commissioners expressed how vital mineral brine is for dust control, and how limiting its use could have devastating effects on rural communities and the health of residents in those areas.
The group also discussed mineral brine’s ability to mitigate ice during winter months. As many of you know, the freeze/thaw cycle leads to cracks in our roads. Limiting the use of mineral brine for ice control would cause our roads to deteriorate even further.
With this input, CRA, MTA and MAC urged EGLE to hold off. Additionally, last week, a group of 29 state representatives published a letter urging EGLE to work with industry experts before making any changes to brine rules. While EGLE has expressed a willingness to meet with the stakeholder group in the coming weeks, it still intends to make changes of some kind to the rules. MAC will continue to engage on this issue and will inform you of any updates down the road (pun intended).
For more information on this issue, contact Madeline Fata at fata@micounties.org.
NACo issues update about ARPA rules and reporting
“Earlier this week, Treasury released updated FAQs that outline how the termination of the COVID-19 National Emergency affects the ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds eligible uses,” the National Association of Counties (NACo) advised MAC and other county associations.
“Generally, counties will be able to continue investing ARPA funds as they currently are, there is one key difference as it relates to premium pay for essential workers. Key highlights of the FAQ include:
- Premium pay for essential workers: Treasury’s Final Rule states that counties can use ARPA dollars to provide premium pay to eligible workers performing essential worker during the COVID-19 public health emergency, which is only eligible when there is an active Public Health Emergency (PHE). Therefore, counties MAY NOT USE ARPA funds to provide premium pay to essential workers for work conducted AFTER the end of the National Emergency (ended on April 10, 2023). Counties may continue to use ARPA funds to provide premium pay to essential workers for work conducted BEFORE the termination of the National Emergency.
- Outside of premium pay, counties can continue to use ARPA funds to support workers through the public health and negative economic impacts eligible use category.
“The other eligible use categories are not affected by the termination of the National Emergency. Key highlights of the FAQ for the other categories include:
- Public health and negative economic impacts: Counties may continue to use funds to respond to public health and negative economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. This is not affected by the termination of the National Emergency. Counties may continue to invest funds as they have been since they certified.
- Revenue loss: The end of the National Emergency does not impact how counties calculate revenue loss according to the formula articulated in the final rule. The end of the National Emergency also does not have an impact on how recipients claim up to $10 million in revenue loss under the standard allowance.
- Water, sewer and broadband infrastructure: The end of the National Emergency does not have an impact on how counties may use ARPA funds under the water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure eligible use category.
“On a related note, please make sure your members are aware of the upcoming Project and Expenditure (P&E) Report April 30, 2023 deadline – all counties are required to submit a report. NACo is hosting a webinar on Wednesday, April 19 at 4 p.m. ET to review steps for how to submit a P&E Report and highlight new reporting requirements. To register for the webinar, click here.”
Litigation, legislative inaction put trial court funding in jeopardy
In a special episode of Podcast 83 released this week, MAC details the long-simmering crisis in trial court funding that soon may come to a boil in Lansing.
Samantha Gibson, MAC’s legislative point person on court issues, reviews the crisis with Podcast 83 host Stephan Currie and Deena Bosworth, MAC’s director of governmental affairs.
In this episode:
- Gibson provides an overview on the court funding dilemma: how we got here, next steps and current litigation
- Plans are detailed for implementing the 2019 Trial Court Funding Commission’s recommendations via legislative action in Lansing
- Learn more about Plan B: Emergency funding of $46 million to keep courts operating if the Michigan Supreme Court rules in People v. Johnson before the Legislature acts on funding recommendations
See the full video session, originally recorded on April 10, 2023.
Previous episodes can be seen at MAC’s YouTube Channel.
And you always can find details about Podcast 83 on the MAC website.
State wants public input on infrastructure goals
Got an opinion on Michigan’s roads? The Michigan Infrastructure Council (MIC) is seeking input from Michigan residents on the status of our state’s infrastructure.
MIC is currently developing a 30-year Integrated Infrastructure Strategy to “build a comprehensive, integrated asset management approach to help the state, regions, local governments, and asset owners make informed strategic decisions and wise investments in infrastructure which will serve as a foundation for the future.”
In order to do so, MIC is conducting a survey about Michigan’s roads, broadband infrastructure, stormwater systems, utilities, etc. They are asking the public to weigh in so they can develop their priorities moving forward.
Please consider taking the survey and sharing it with members of your community.
For more information on MAC’s infrastructure policies, contact Madeline Fata at fata@micounties.org.
MAC discusses legislative strategy with other county groups
MAC President Stan Ponstein, Executive Director Stephan Currie and the association’s advocacy team met with representatives of countywide elected officials on April 10 to discuss looming issues and legislative strategies for 2023. These “County Summits” are a regular part of MAC’s schedule to coordinate legislative information and strategy.
House committee holds hearing on criminal justice reform bill
Legislation backed by MAC to advance reforms to criminal justice law received a hearing this week before the House Criminal Justice Committee.
House Bill 4173, by Rep. Abraham Aiyash (D-Wayne), would create the Criminal Justice Policy Commission in the Legislative Council. The commission would be tasked with analyzing corrections-related data and developing modifications to sentencing guidelines.
The commission would have 16 members, one of whom would be appointed by MAC to represent counties. The governor would appoint the following members before June 1, 2023: one circuit court judge, one district court judge, one individual representing prosecuting attorneys, one individual representing criminal defense attorneys, one individual representing the Michigan Sheriffs’ Association; one individual representing the Michigan Department of Corrections; one previously incarcerated individual; two criminologists; one individual representing community corrections agencies; and the MAC nominee. All members appointed by the governor will be provided via recommendation from their respective associations.
Commission members would serve for four years, aside from the initial members, who would serve terms of staggered years. The commission is also required to conduct business in accordance with the state’s Open Meetings Act.
MAC supports HB 4173 and partnership with the state and law enforcement agencies to advance criminal justice reform.
For more information on this issue, contact Samantha Gibson at gibson@micounties.org.
Staff picks
This week, the full House and Senate approved their fiscal 2024 budgets along party-line votes. Current plans include significant state investments for counties in a variety of areas. There are some key differences in House and Senate versions, however, which must now be resolved in joint conference committees. (To see the full text of any budget bill, click here and search by the bill number.)
House Bill 4310:
A House committee on Tuesday deferred action on legislation that attacks local control after local governments and residents delivered thoughtful testimony to keep aggregate zoning authority out of the hands of the state.
In the newest episode of MAC’s Podcast 83, host Stephan Currie and the MAC Governmental Affairs Team of Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson catch up on legislative activity, particularly the following:
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Qualified Forest Program (QFP) is now accepting applications for the 2024 tax year with applications being due no later 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023.
Following input from county officials, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has rejected the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs’ proposal to expand 
Evidence Based Strategies for Abatement of Harms from the Opioid Epidemic
MAC congratulates the January 2023 NACo Leadership Academy graduates from Michigan. They join more than 6,000 graduates and current participants from across the country benefitting from the 12-week online program enabling existing and emerging county leaders to achieve their highest potential:
