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

June 27, 2024Blog, Legislative, MAC news

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

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

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

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

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

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

For additional details on the fiscal 2025 budget, MAC will release a special episode of Podcast 83 on Friday, along with the regular Legislative Update report.

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

Legislative Update 6-21-24

June 21, 2024Blog, Events, Legislative, MAC news, MACSC, Marketing, NACo

Filing period opens for MAC Board elections at Annual Conference

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prisoner release credit bills get first look in Senate

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Targets set, legislative sessions in question

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

View the full episode, recorded on June 4, by clicking here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NACo academy can help your key employees hone their skills

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

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

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

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

Staff picks

Limited access to health care can lead to higher rural death rates (Alpena News)
Stateside Podcast: Muskegon welcomes increase in cruise tourism (Michigan Public Radio)
The slow recovery of property values in counties hit hardest by the Great Recession (Citizens Research Council of Michigan)
African elephants call each other by unique names, new study shows (Associated Press)

Filing period opens for MAC Board elections at Annual Conference

June 20, 2024Blog, Events, MAC news

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MAC releases huge survey report on opioid settlement funds

June 14, 2024MAC news, NACo

MAC is excited to announce the updating of the MAC Opioid Settlement Dashboard and the release of the Michigan County Opioid Settlement Reporting: Data Overview.

The Michigan County Opioid Settlement Reporting: Data Overview and the related MAC Opioid Settlement Dashboard are the product of months of work with Michigan’s 83 counties, which are now in the process of deploying millions of dollars derived from various legal settlements with drug manufacturers. Between now and 2040, those settlements will result in $800 million for Michigan counties.

“This is the first and only comprehensive picture of what is happening at the county level in Michigan,” said MAC Executive Director Stephan Currie. “It results from our ongoing partnership with Vital Strategies, a global public health organization, to aid our members to make the most of this historic opportunity to aid those struggling with substance use disorder.”

Data included on the dashboard and in the report are pulled from the Annual Opioid Settlement County Reporting Survey. The survey was administered between April and May of 2024 and was intended to capture data associated with calendar year 2023. Information collected included county activities associated with planning efforts, stakeholder engagement, management of funds and spending.

“Most counties are focused on thoughtful planning efforts to ensure funds are used in meaningful ways while understanding the urgency of drug overdose crisis,” said Amy Dolinky, the technical adviser who led the survey work. MAC is expecting to do annual surveys to gauge changes over time and continued updating of the dashboard and reporting.

Seventy-seven percent of counties responded to the survey, allowing for the most comprehensive picture of local government efforts associated with opioid settlement funds available.

County leaders can learn more about the report and the latest on opioid planning by attending the 2024 Policy Summit on June 25 in Lansing or via Zoom. For details, including registration, click here.

For questions or for technical assistance, contact Amy Dolinky at dolinky@micounties.org.

Legislative Update 6-14-24

June 14, 2024Blog, Events, Legislative, MAC news, Marketing, NACo

MAC releases huge survey report on opioid settlement funds

MAC is excited to announce the updating of the MAC Opioid Settlement Dashboard and the release of the Michigan County Opioid Settlement Reporting: Data Overview.

The Michigan County Opioid Settlement Reporting: Data Overview and the related MAC Opioid Settlement Dashboard are the product of months of work with Michigan’s 83 counties, which are now in the process of deploying millions of dollars derived from various legal settlements with drug manufacturers. Between now and 2040, those settlements will result in $800 million for Michigan counties.

“This is the first and only comprehensive picture of what is happening at the county level in Michigan,” said MAC Executive Director Stephan Currie. “It results from our ongoing partnership with Vital Strategies, a global public health organization, to aid our members to make the most of this historic opportunity to aid those struggling with substance use disorder.”

Data included on the dashboard and in the report are pulled from the Annual Opioid Settlement County Reporting Survey. The survey was administered between April and May of 2024 and was intended to capture data associated with calendar year 2023. Information collected included county activities associated with planning efforts, stakeholder engagement, management of funds and spending.

“Most counties are focused on thoughtful planning efforts to ensure funds are used in meaningful ways while understanding the urgency of drug overdose crisis,” said Amy Dolinky, the technical adviser who led the survey work. MAC is expecting to do annual surveys to gauge changes over time and continued updating of the dashboard and reporting.

Seventy-seven percent of counties responded to the survey, allowing for the most comprehensive picture of local government efforts associated with opioid settlement funds available.

County leaders can learn more about the report and the latest on opioid planning by attending the 2024 Policy Summit on June 25 in Lansing or via Zoom. For details, including registration, click here.

For questions or for technical assistance, contact Amy Dolinky at dolinky@micounties.org.

Economic development vote pulls rug out from under locals

A huge state fund for community investments, accessible by counties and others, was suddenly and unexpectedly eliminated from legislation in a House committee this week.

The House Committee on Economic Development and Small Business adopted substitute bills that eliminate the proposed “Michigan 360” program.

The prior versions of Senate Bills 559, by Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Oakland) and 562, by Mary Cavanaugh (D-Wayne) would have created “Michigan 360” as part of a revamp of the Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve (SOAR) Fund. “Michigan 360” would have dedicated funds for local housing, infrastructure, regional transit, job training, business assistance and child care development.

The state’s current economic development programs, which traditionally have focused on winning large corporate investments, have been criticized in recent years because the return on investment was unclear and because they failed to recognize the needs of the communities the companies were going in to.

MAC opposes the abandonment of the Michigan 360 program and sees it as a step backward for economic development. Businesses need talent and talent needs attractive, functional and affordable places to live, work and play. This turn of events is likely due to continued budget negotiations and concerns over the amount of funds available for the program.

MAC will continue to urge restoration of the program as the bills move through the legislative process.

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

Contentious election bills advance in Senate on party-line vote

An amended version of the “Michigan Voting Rights Act,” Senate Bills 401-404, passed the Senate Elections and Ethic Committee this week with all Democrats voting yes and Republican members voting no. The bills are meant to bolster federal law and voting rights in the state for members of a protected class and for disabled electors and locals have expressed support for this concept. However, the practical implementation and potential legal liability are quite troublesome for county governments.

Under the initial proposal, a member of a protected class could file a complaint with a local unit of government if they felt impaired from participating in elections or the political process. Many of the listed impairments are beyond the control of a local government or conflict with existing election laws.

MAC participated in workgroups with bill sponsors, Senate policy staff, clerks and other local government associations. Many changes were made, including the creation of a fund for the reimbursement of legal fees, softer language to ensure malintent is evident and certain stipulations for meetings between plaintiffs and defendants.

MAC appreciates the many concessions that sponsors made in acknowledgement of county concerns. However, MAC does not have a position on the bills, as we remain uneasy about exposing locals to frivolous legal challenges and placing additional burdens on local clerks. The bills are expected to be scheduled for a full Senate prior to the Legislature’s summer recess.

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

MAC joins call to reset state course on mental health services

A state plan to alert delivery of mental health services should be considered, MAC and one of its affiliates said this week.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has proposed new requirements for those utilizing mental health services through the public mental health system. These proposals, a result of the federal Conflict Free-Access and Planning (CFAP) guidelines, would create service delays, additional costs to providers and barriers to access for individuals seeking care from the public mental health system.

County commissioners may receive requests from their local Community Mental Health organization or PIHP to adopt resolutions opposing the proposed changes regarding CFAP from MDHHS and urging collaboration between MDHHS and the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan (CMHA), a MAC affiliate. (Download a CMHAM resolution template here.)

CMHA’s alternative to MDHHS’ plan better fits the needs of Michigan’s public health system and its patients.

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

Map of inland lakes

Bill to ease county burden on setting lake levels advances

Legislation to help counties streamline the setting of inland lake levels advanced to the House floor this week.

Senate Bill 662, by Sen. Rosemary Bayer (D-Oakland), which cleared the House Committee on Natural Resources, Environment, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation this week, redefines “normal lake level” to allow for temporary fluctuations caused by weather conditions and water control structure construction or repair activities. The current statute and recent court decision to require counties to maintain a static lake level or to petition circuit courts to amend lake level orders when deviations occur result in a time-consuming and costly process.

SB 662 would improve this process by retroactively changing the definition to include the variations. By broadening the definition, counties and lake level districts should be able to avoid unnecessary lawsuits and repeated court proceedings, ultimately conserving both financial and administrative resources. The bill is supported by the Michigan Association of County Drain Commissioners, a MAC affiliate, and the Michigan Department of Energy, Great Lakes and Environment.

There are 62,798 inland lakes in Michigan with a surface area of at least 0.1 acres or larger. Michigan enjoys 1,300 square miles of inland lakes or 1.3 percent of Michigan’s total area. (mymlsa.org)

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

Counties would gain flexibility on drain maintenance under bill before House

Legislation to ease financial limitations on the maintenance of drains was voted out of a House committee this week.

The House Committee on Local Government voted out House Bill 5188, by Rep. Amos O’Neal (D-Saginaw), which increases the statutory cap on drain maintenance. Current law limits the amount of maintenance work drain commissioners can perform on a single drain in a year to $5,000 per mile. This bill would raise that to $10,000 per mile per year and then allow the cap to rise with inflation each year.

The rise in construction costs and the impact of extreme weather events necessitate the increase, argue advocates. Whether the existing drainage system is an open channel ditch/watercourse or an enclosed underground system, much of the necessary maintenance of drainage infrastructure cannot be efficiently done now, causing drain commissioners to maintain smaller sections each year and redeploying equipment and personnel in subsequent years to properly maintain the drain.

HB 5188 now moves to the House floor.

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

Podcast 83: County hiring legislation, mobility funding in the spotlight

While the Legislature’s work on the fiscal 2025 state budget remains behind closed doors, MAC’s advocates at the State Capitol have been shepherding forward policy reforms to boost county hiring, investments in public services and assist jurors.

Podcast 83 host Stephan Currie and guests Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson engaged in a wide-ranging discussion on policy in Lansing in the podcast’s newest episode on June 11.

County hiring legislation

“(House Bill 5203) would allow those counties that have their own retirement system that are not a member of MERS … to rehire sheriff’s people for the sheriff’s department. And MAC was supportive of the endeavor (since) all those counties that are in the MERS system already have that ability. But it was those 13 counties that are not in that system that this would extend that ability to them,” Bosworth explained.

MAC worked to expand the legislation, though, so it can be used to bolster employment in other departments. “There are situations where you’ve got experts who have retired and the county really needs to bring them back without any significant limitations on it,” Bosworth noted.

MAC’s expectation is HB 5203 will clear the Senate committee this week and may reach the governor’s desk for signature before the Legislature leaves Lansing for the summer.

Economic/public investment strategies

The lion’s share of legislative attention in Lansing right now surrounds a Democratic proposal to revamp the state’s economic development strategic into a two-pronged approach that could mean billions of dollars for mobility investments by local governments.

The complicated legislative package involves bills from both the Senate (SBs 599/562) and House (HBs 5768-70) that are “tie-barred,” or required to move together.

A major portion of the work of interest to MAC, “Michigan 360,” was suddenly and unexpectedly junked this week, Bosworth said.

What remains is the “Michigan Mobility Trust Fund,” which would be provided with $200 million a year for 10 years, for total of $2 billion. Local governments will be eligible for these funds, as would regional transit authorities and public transportation providers.

Juror compensation

“So, a while back, a jury reform task force met and came up with a set of policy recommendations,” said Gibson. “House Bills 5689-5693 do a wide variety of things to reform the jury process; but most importantly to counties is the bills would increase the hourly rate that you would receive as a juror, and it ties it to minimum wage.

“That in and of itself, not an issue. The issue lies in what’s called the juror compensation fund. That is quickly dwindling. … So, when you have an ever-decreasing pot of money, and an attempt to increase the hourly rate that jurors are receiving, it begs the question: Who is then responsible for making up the difference? …

“(M)y goal is to ensure that that responsibility does not fall onto the county,” Gibson added.

Negotiations continue on the bills, which won’t be taken up until the fall.

View the full episode, recorded on June 11, by clicking here.

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

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

Asset council seeks award nominees

The Michigan Transportation Asset Management Council (TAMC) is seeking agencies and individuals to recognize for their efforts in asset management and best practices.

The TAMC has established the Organizational Achievement Award to acknowledge those agencies that have incorporated the principles of asset management and adopted an asset management plan to help guide their investment decisions. In addition, the TAMC Awards Program provides agencies around the state with excellent examples to establish their own programs and practices. All Public Act 51 road agencies are eligible to be nominated for this award.

See criteria here.

The TAMC also wants to recognize individuals providing outstanding support of asset management and the TAMC. Nominees for the Carmine Palombo Individual Achievement Award can include elected officials (state or local), support staff from state agencies, regional and metropolitan planning organizations, county road agencies, local units of government, the education community or other individuals involved in promoting asset management in Michigan.

MAC and its members are represented on the TAMC by Kelly Jones, managing director of the Ingham County Road Department.

Submissions are due on June 21, 2024, to Gloria Strong, TAMC departmental technician, at Strongg@Michigan.gov. Direct questions to 517-402-3599.