Legislative Update 8-11-23

Written by Derek Melot on August 11, 2023. Posted in Blog, Events, Legislative, MAC news, MACSC, Marketing, NACo

Board approves 2023-24 platforms for final member review

The MAC Board of Directors reviews policy platforms during its summer meeting on Aug. 9, 2023.

The MAC Board of Directors, at its summer meeting, reviewed the association’s policy platform drafts for 2023-24 and approved them for final review by the membership at the 2023 Annual Conference.

MAC’s advocacy work is guided by these policy platforms, which are developed through meetings of MAC’s six policy committees each year:

Agriculture and Tourism
Environmental and Natural Resources
Finance and General Government
Health and Human Services
Judiciary and Public Safety
Transportation and Infrastructure

The next step in this annual process will begin on Friday, Aug. 25 when the policy drafts post to the MAC website for member review. According to the by-laws, MAC members may offer amendments in two ways:

Submit an amendment to the MAC offices at least five (5) days prior to the opening day of the MAC Annual Conference (or Sept. 26 this year); or
Submit an amendment from the floor during the Annual Business Meeting on Oct. 3.

Please note that amendments submitted in advance require a majority vote on the floor for approval, while amendments submitted on the floor during the session require a 2/3 vote of members attending.

For any questions on the platforms, contact Deena Bosworth at bosworth@micounties.org.

To submit an amendment, email the finished text to despins@micounties.org.

Podcast 83 episode focuses on 2023 Annual Conference details

Details about the 2023 Annual Conference in Kalamazoo County are the focus of a special episode of Podcast 83, MAC’s podcast about all things related to Michigan’s 83 counties.

Guest Tammi Connell, MAC’s director of member events, provides a rundown of the conference mechanics, including the timeline for registration, when to show up at the conference venue, the Radisson Hotel in downtown Kalamazoo, and even what music you can expect to hear at the Gala following the traditional President’s Banquet on the night of Monday, Oct. 2.

Deena Bosworth, MAC’s director of governmental affairs, provides more conference details, including on this event’s workshops for county leaders, including a special two-day dive into the exceedingly complicated – and important – road funding formula found in Public Act 51.

View the full video of the episode, recorded on July 28, by clicking here.

For additional details on the Annual Conference, click here.

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

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

MAC creates resolution template for Overdose Awareness Day and National Recovery Month

August and September highlight a time to recognize the lives lost to drug overdose and celebrate recovery from substance use disorders. Overdose Awareness Day is recognized internationally on Aug. 31 annually to raise awareness of drug overdose, stigma associated with overdose deaths and acknowledge grief experienced by families and friends remembering those lost and injured as a result of drug overdose. To find out more information, you can visit https://www.overdoseday.com/.

Recovery Month is recognized nationally throughout the month of September to promote new evidence-based treatment and recovery practices, the strength and resilience of the recovery community and highlight the providers and communities that support recovery from substance use disorders. To find out more information, visit https://www.samhsa.gov/recovery-month.

MAC has created a template overdose awareness day and recovery month proclamation which counties can customize to highlight their commitment to addressing stigma and overdose, honoring the lives lost, celebrating those in recovery and sharing that recovery is possible.

For more information on MAC’s services regarding the opioid crisis, contact Amy Dolinky at dolinky@micounties.org.

Fees and fines are focus of next ‘Fiscally Ready’ webinar

“Nuts and Bolts: Fees, Fines, Purchasing and Receipting” is the theme for the next “Fiscally Ready Communities” webinar hosted by the Michigan Department of Treasury and Michigan State University Extension.

Registration is now open for this free webinar series, which is offered on these dates:

Aug. 17, 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET
Sept. 11, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET
Oct. 11, 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET
Nov. 7, 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. ET

The training is designed to assist appointed and elected officials.

This webinar will include a deep dive into best practices related to fees, fines, purchasing, receipting, and more. It will cover what they are, why such policies are necessary, how they contribute to local fiscal health, and how to get started on implementation.

For more information, contact Eric Walcott at walcott3@msu.edu.

Transportation asset conference set for Sept. 26

Registration is now open for the 2023 TAMC Asset Management Conference, to be held Sept. 26, 2023, in Grand Rapids.

The conference is sponsored by the state’s Transportation Asset Management Council. Kelly Jones of Ingham County is the MAC representative on that panel, which reports to the Michigan Infrastructure Council and the State Transportation Commission.

Among topics to be discussed at the conference are: