Podcast 83
Podcast 83 is a regular look at the news, stories and trends related to Michigan’s 83 counties from Keweenaw to Monroe, Chippewa to Berrien.
Hosted by MAC Executive Director Stephan Currie, the podcast features:
- Regular reports from MAC staff on legislative activities
- Updates and opportunities through MAC services
- Newsmaker interviews
- Happenings from across Michigan’s 83 counties
See Podcast 83 on MAC’s YouTube channel.
Episodes
NEW!: Episode 76 – Released 9/19/23
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topics: Legislative work in Lansing is accelerating and MAC’s Podcast 83 team is your guide to everything going on at the State Capitol.
In their newest episode, host Stephan Currie and MAC staffers Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson detail the news, including:
- A huge advance on revenue sharing reform, with a House committee giving unanimous and bipartisan support to MAC’s plan for a dedicated Revenue Sharing Trust Fund;
- The debate over the scope of, and reimbursement for, property tax exemptions for veterans, which are now costing local governments around $100 million a year; and
- MAC’s work to bring a reasonable approach to how Michigan regulates the siting of solar and wind energy projects.
Episode 75 – Released 9/12/23
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topics: The Michigan Legislature is back in Lansing, which means MAC’s Podcast 83 team is back on the air to deliver regular reports on legislative activity affecting Michigan’s 83 counties.
In this week’s episode, host Stephan Currie leads the team of Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson across the legislative landscape as it stands this fall, including:
- Expected – and exciting – action on MAC’s push to create a Revenue Sharing Trust Fund
- Continued work on a massive revamp of the state’s juvenile justice system
- The new push by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and others to supersede local control on solar and wind zoning powers
- A proposal to make minimum staffing requirements a topic for collective bargaining, which could have huge implications for law enforcement and other county entities
Special Episode: Septic Code Bills – Released 8/22/23
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Rep. Phil Skaggs of Kent County and Madeline Fata of MAC
Topic: Septic code legislation
Rep. Phil Skaggs, D-Kent and a former Kent County commissioner, is the guest in a special episode of Podcast 83 focused on regulation of septic systems.
Skaggs is the lead sponsor of House Bill 4479, which is part of a legislative package to institute a statewide septic code, a topic of great controversy in many counties.
Among points made by Skaggs during the discussion:
- Septic issue has been “discussed in Lansing for decades”
- Septic pollution is “serious problem” in many communities, with “15 percent to 25 percent” of septic systems are failing
- Introduced bill to “help start a discussion”
- Need regular inspections because so-called “point of sale” inspections “don’t work”
HBs 4479–80, by Skaggs (D-Kent) and Rep. Carrie Rheingans (D-Washtenaw) respectively, and Senate Bills 299–300, by Sen. Sam Singh (D-Ingham), would require homeowners with onsite wastewater treatment systems to have them inspected every five years.
Special Episode: 2023 Annual Conference – Released 8/8/23
Host: Stephan Currie
Guest: Deena Bosworth and Tammi Connell of MAC
Topic: 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 of county leaders, including a special two-day dive into the exceedingly complicated – and important – road funding formula found in Public Act 51.
Special Episode: Revenue Sharing – Released 7/25/23
Host: Stephan Currie
Guest: Deena Bosworth of MAC
Topic: MAC’s work on a Revenue Sharing Trust Fund.
Among key points made during the discussion, taped July 11, are:
- Legislative term limits have disrupted the institutional knowledge of revenue sharing’s purpose in Lansing.
- There is now a strong group of former county commissioners in the Legislature, however, who are well-positioned to aid in the trust fund effort.
- The version of the legislation that has the “most momentum” is in a House committee.
- The only stumbling block, Bosworth says, is the lack of buy-in, so far, from the State Budget Office.
“It’s called revenue sharing for a reason,” Bosworth noted. “They are supposed to be sharing the state revenue. It was established years ago because we gave up our own local taxing authority.”
Special Episode: Materials Management – Released 7/11/23
Host: Deena Bosworth
Guests: Christina Miller of Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy; Madeline Fata of MAC
Topic: County responsibilities under revised state law for creating plans and implementing them to handle materials.
State law adopted in the 11th hour of the legislative session that ended in December 2022 made sweeping changes to local government responsibilities for materials management.
Christina Miller of the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy discusses the new law and requirements with MAC’s Deena Bosworth and Madeline Fata. Among key points made:
- All counties will have to adopt a new materials management plan that extends the focus beyond solid waste. Provisions of the old plan stay in effect until the new plan is adopted.
- The state, Miller says, does not see materials management as a single-county system. The state is urging collaboration among counties and local governments.
- The state is hoping to spur the needed infrastructure for managing materials statewide.
Budget Special – Released 6/30/23
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topics: Quick review of newly enacted FY24 state budget
Episode 74 – Released 6/27/23
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topics: A highly successful committee hearing and continued uncertainty on budget timing were two of the topics discussed this week in Podcast 83, MAC’s podcast on all things related to county government.
Host Stephan Currie led the MAC Governmental Affairs Team of Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson through a tour of pending legislative matters in Lansing, including:
- Revenue Sharing Trust Fund, with Bosworth reporting on her testimony before an apparently approving House committee on the topic, which would create a dedicated stream of sales tax dollars for county revenue sharing;
- Public Safety Trust Fund, with Bosworth noting that the same House committee seemed to share many of MAC’s concerns about the concept, particularly its lack of provisions to recognize the growing demands on county sheriffs;
- Juvenile Justice Reform, with Gibson explaining that key legislators are looking to spend the summer taking testimony and then act on the huge legislative package, which MAC supports, in the fall; and
- Fiscal 2024 state budget, with Bosworth noting that the new Democratic majority in Lansing has been surprisingly tight-lipped over the final revisions to the spending plan that is expected to be finished this week for the budget year that starts Oct. 1.
Special Episode: Drain Code Bills – Released 6/20/23
Host: Deena Bosworth
Guest: Stacy Hissong of MACDC
Topic: Bills designed to allow for water management districts and for the assessment of costs across watersheds in Michigan are the topic of a special episode of MAC’s Podcast 83 released on June 20.
MAC’s Deena Bosworth hosted a session with Stacy Hissong, general counsel for the Michigan Association of County Drain Commissioners (MACDC) and member of the law firm of Fahey Schultz, on the proposed rewrite of Chapter 22 of the Michigan Drain Code.
House Bills 4382-83, by Reps. Curt VanderWall (R-Mason) and Christine Morse (D-Kalamazoo) respectively, would allow local governments and residents to petition the drain commissioner for the establishment of the districts and, if found necessary, to create a plan to manage stormwater within the district in ways not currently allowed.
The plan would be unique to each district and could include actionable items like regional detention, buffer strips and the creation of wetlands, rain gardens and the like. The intent is to slow down and detain water during major storm events, instead of allowing it to flood roads, fields, businesses and homes on its way to a drain. The plan must include an estimate of the cost of each recommended activity.
The legislation is backed by MAC and MACDC.
Episode 73 – Released 6/13/23
Host: Deena Bosworth
Guests: Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topics: The Democratic majority in the Legislature moves another step closer to an FY24 state budget, a huge package of election bills have been filed and counties need to be worried about new legislation stemming out of the Nassar scandal at Michigan State University, the Podcast 83 team noted in a new episode.
Special Episode: Groundwater Issues – Released 6/6/23
Host: Deena Bosworth
Guest: Stacy Hissong, firm of Fahey Schultz and legal adviser to Michigan Association of County Drain Commissioners
Topic: How Michigan’s local governments can mitigate the damage of flooding is the topic of a special episode of MAC’s Podcast 83.
Stacy Hissong, partner at Fahey Schultz and legal adviser to the Michigan Association of County Drain Commissioners, is the featured guest on the episode, which is hosted by Deena Bosworth, MAC’s governmental affairs director.
The pair discuss:
- Excess flooding and how local governments can deal with it with tools they have now
- Legislation in Lansing to create more tools to aid residents in avoiding damage
- The history of how Michigan has dealt with groundwater and why the state has challenges now
Special Episode: Juvenile Justice Reform – Released 5/30/23
Host: Stephan Currie
Guest: Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topic: In a special episode of Podcast 83, MAC Governmental Affairs Associate Samantha Gibson provides a detailed overview of a 20-bill package to reform Michigan’s juvenile justice system.
Juvenile justice reform has long been a priority for MAC and the issue gained momentum with the release of recommendations from a state task force formed in 2021. The new legislative package is largely built on the task force’s ideas and is strongly supported by MAC.
Increasing the Child Care Fund reimbursement rate for counties to 75 percent, from the current 50 percent, is the no. 1 priority for MAC in this package, Gibson explained. Also, the package will reform juvenile justice services by using mental health and risk screening tools to benefit youth in the system and allow counties to better serve court-involved youth. The best practices that would be implemented within this policy, Gibson said, will allow for rehabilitation and reintroduction into society, as well as lead to reduced recidivism rates for court-involved youth.
Episode 72 – Released 5/23/23
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topics: Legislators have enough money to pass a fiscal 2024 budget that includes significant increases in county revenue sharing and in reimbursements from the Child Care Fund, among other county priorities, MAC’s Podcast 83 team reported this week.
Episode 71 – Released 5/16/23
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topics: Progress on the state’s fiscal 2024 budget continues to look promising for Michigan counties, and MAC and its allies are having success in fending off ill-considered mining legislation in the Michigan House, MAC’s Podcast 83 team said in its most recent episode.
Host Stephan Currie and guests Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson of MAC’s Governmental Affairs staff reviewed the last week’s activity in Lansing in this episode, focusing on:
- The state budget and the May 19 Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference, which may show state resources are not as high as were once expected;
- The ongoing battle over gravel and sand mining regulation, with MAC and its allies battling against an attack on local control;
- The latest on juvenile justice reform legislation, one of MAC’s key priorities for 2023; and
- The arrival of legislation for a statewide septic code.
Episode 70 – Released 5/9/23
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topics: Currie and the MAC Governmental Affairs Team catch up on legislative activity, particularly the following:
- Attack on local control, part I (mining): House Bills 4526-28 would gut the principle of local control in a bid to make it easier to site gravel and sand pits around Michigan.
- Attack on local control, part II (labor): House Bill 4438 would extend binding arbitration to county correctional officers, thereby transferring decisions on county staffing and budget matters to unaccountable third parties.
However, those bills, and potentially every other legislative initiative, could be halted in a matter of weeks due to political gamesmanship in Lansing and the action of “sine die.”
Episode 69 – Released 5/2/23
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topics: Host Stephan Currie led MAC governmental affairs associates Samantha Gibson and Madeline Fata through the recent budget activity in Lansing that directly affects the county bottom line in the latest episode of Podcast 83.
Among key points made during the episode:
- Counties could see a big increase in revenue sharing funds if the House and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer get their way.
- County reimbursement via the Child Care Fund could be headed to 75 percent, from the current 50 percent.
- Majority Democrats on transportation spending panels voted to spend more money on infrastructure than Gov. Whitmer requested.
All this budget work, however, hinges on the results of the Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference scheduled for May 19. At that point, legislators will know exactly how much revenue is available for use in the fiscal 2024 budget.
Currie and guests also recapped MAC’s recent Legislative Conference, which was highlighted by a panel of legislative leaders discussing their views on key county topics.
Special Episode: Indigent Defense Financial Strains – Released 4/18/23
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth and Samantha Gibson of MAC; Margaret McAvoy and Andrew DeLeeuw of MIDC
Topic: In a special episode, Podcast 83 delves into the growing financial strain on counties imposed by directives of the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission.
McAvoy, a former Isabella County administrator, and DeLeeuw, interim deputy county administrator for Washtenaw County, 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.
Special Episode: Trial Court Funding – Released 4/11/23
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topic: 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
Special Episode: Lake Levels – Released 3/29/23
Host: Deena Bosworth of MAC
Guest: Stacy Hissong, general counsel for the Michigan Association of County Drain Commissioners and member of the law firm of Fahey Schultz
Topic: Discussion of the rising issue of inland lake levels with a legal expert on county responsibilities for lakes. Learn more about the unique role of Michigan’s county drain commissioners and the challenges that counties face on the approximately 400 inland lakes for which they have operational responsibility
Episode 68 – Released 3/21/23
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topics: Major changes are – and could be – coming to three significant areas of county responsibility, MAC’s Podcast 83 team said:
- Juvenile justice reform legislation, with Gibson saying a large packet of bills would constitute “a whole juvenile system overhaul”
- Materials management, with Fata reporting that the clock is ticking for counties to make a big decision on whether, under state law passed last year, they will write new solid waste plans or let the state Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy do so
- Revenue sharing reform, with Bosworth detailing her recent testimony to multiple legislative panels on MAC’s plan to create a protected fund for revenue sharing payments and create parity between counties and other local governments on such appropriations
Episode 67 – Released 3/7/23
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topics: In their regular weekly episode, MAC’s Podcast 83 team discusses the following news involving county governments in Michigan:
- Legislative passage of billion-dollar spending plan for economic development
- Activity from the 2023 National Association of Counties conference in Washington, D.C., in February
- Litigation involving fees charged by Michigan trial courts
- Podcast host Stephan Currie’s visit to the Upper Peninsula for the 2023 Continental Cup ski jump competition in Dickinson County
Special Episode: Tax Foreclosures – Released 2/14/23
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Ted Seitz of Dykema law firm, Deena Bosworth, MAC Governmental Affairs Director
Topics: In this special episode, MAC talks with Ted Seitz, an expert in property tax law, about ongoing litigation on tax foreclosures on property and the resulting proceeds from tax sales.
Episode 66 – Released 2/9/23
Guest Host: Deena Bosworth, MAC Governmental Affairs Director
Guests: Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topics: Initial review of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s FY24 budget proposal, including a 17% increase on county revenue sharing and new dollars for juvenile justice and foster care. Also, questions linger on road funding as push for electric vehicles continues in Michigan.
Episode 65 – Released 1/27/23
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topics: MAC’s Governmental Affairs Team reviews Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s fifth State of the State address and what her various proposals could mean for county governments and county priorities in 2023.
Special Episode – 2023 Priorities – Released 1/24/23
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth of MAC
Topics: In this special episode, recorded on Jan. 20, 2023, Deena Bosworth discusses 2 of MAC’s 6 legislative priorities for 2023 that deal with proper reimbursement for counties for property tax exemptions granted by the state.
Episode 64 – Released 1/6/23
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Amy Dolinky and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topics: Overview of MAC’s expanding services to assist counties in planning the use of their opioid settlement funds
Episode 63 – Released 12/9/22
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topics: Review of lame duck legislative session; review of MAC successes over course of 2021-22 Legislature
Episode 62 – Released 11/10/22
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topics: Michigan election results; action in the “lame duck” days of the concluding legislative session; prospects for restoring remote meeting options under the Open Meetings Act
Episode 61 – Released 10/1/22
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topics: Lame duck session of Legislature; juvenile justice beds; mental health legislation; trial court funding
Episode 60 – Released 8/23/22
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topics: Expansion of MAC advocacy team; court fee authority legislation; 2022 Annual Conference
Episode 59 – Released 5/17/22
Host: Deena Bosworth of MAC
Guest: Meghann Keit-Corrion of MAC
Topics: Broadband funding opportunity, state budget progress, veteran property tax exemption reimbursement
Episode 58 – Released 5/3/22
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth and Meghann Keit-Corrion of MAC
Topics: State budget news, veterans property tax exemption legislation, MAC policy committee work
Episode 57 – Released 4/19/22
Host: Deena Bosworth of MAC
Guest: Meghann Keit-Corrion of MAC
Topics: State budget details, Freedom of Information Act legislation
Episode 56 – Released 4/12/22
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth and Meghann Keit-Corrion of MAC
Topics: Water infrastructure funding, Freedom of Information Act legislation, court funding, National County Government Month
Episode 55 – Released 3/8/22
Host: Stephan Currie of MAC Guests: Deena Bosworth and Meghann Keit-Corrion of MAC
Topics: Mental health privatization bills, reimbursements for veteran property tax exemptions, breakout subjects for 2022 Legislative Conference
Episode 54 – Released 3/1/22
Host: Stephan Currie
Guest: Deena Bosworth and Meghann Keit-Corrion of MAC
Topics: Local pension grant legislation, mental health privatization bills, reimbursement for veteran property tax exemptions, preparations for 2022 Legislative Conference
Episode 53 – Released 1/27/22
Host: Stephan Currie
Guest: Deena Bosworth of MAC
Topics: MAC’s 2022 legislative priorities; Gov. Whitmer’s 2022 State of the State address
