Public notice bills no help to locals A two-bill package “modernizing” public notice postings passed out of the Senate this week. SB 258 sponsored by Sen. Vanderwall (R-Mason) and SB 259 sponsored by Sen. Santana (D-Wayne) would modify the definition of a newspaper to mean a newspaper in an adjoining jurisdiction if one was not […]
Conference draws more than 300 to Mackinac Island; President Kuyers urges unity More than 300 county leaders from across Michigan converged on Mackinac Island this week for the 2021 Michigan Counties Annual Conference, which culminated with the swearing in of Ottawa Commissioner Phil Kuyers as MAC Board president. The conference, which was held at the […]
During regional caucuses held at the Michigan Counties Annual Conference Sept. 26-28, MAC members re-elected four incumbents and selected a new at-large director for the MAC Board of Directors. Melissa Daub of Wayne County fills the vacancy created when Kalamazoo Commissioner Julie Rogers was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2020. “Upon taking […]
County revenue sharing increase highlights FY22 budget Lawmakers and the governor reached a deal on the FY22 budget this week, just days before the Oct. 1 start of the fiscal year. The budget allocates $10.4 billion in General Fund dollars. The budget includes a 2 percent increase in the base for county revenue sharing, but […]
FY22 budget deal announced; 2% boost on revenue sharing expected A fiscal 2022 state budget deal is in hand, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Republican legislative leaders announced this week, just days before the start of the fiscal year on Oct. 1. The Legislature is set to push through a single omnibus spending bill covering the […]
On March 11, President Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) of 2021 establishing the $350 billion Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, $130 billion of which is earmarked for distribution to local governments. Generally, allowable uses of the fund include (but are not limited to): Responding to or mitigating the […]
‘Wait-and-see’ approach advised on federal vaccine and testing rule Counties would be well served to wait and see how a federal rule on employers for COVID vaccines and testing plays out before reacting, MAC was advised by legal experts on Friday. Attorneys from the firm of Cohl Stoker & Toskey P.C. analyzed the announcement from […]
August Michigan Counties looks at juvenile justice, policing reforms County commissioners and administrators will soon receive the August edition of Michigan Counties, MAC’s bimonthly magazine, in their mailboxes. The latest edition features a report on juvenile justice changes and MAC’s advocacy work around them and a briefing from the Michigan Sheriffs’ Association on policing reform […]
Governor, legislators set key parameter for FY22 budget totals In a welcome move, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and legislative leaders resumed negotiations this week and agreed upon target numbers for each departmental budget bill for fiscal year 2022, which begins Oct. 1. Although many details still have to be worked out, the overall spending amount and the […]
MIDC survey participants warn against premature funding changes The Michigan Indigent Defense Commission (MIDC) has approved a local share study, required by statute to be submitted to the Legislature by October. The MIDC contracted with Public Sector Consultants to review the current local share formula and conduct stakeholder interviews. Study participants largely fell into two […]