The upcoming MAC Legislative Conference in Lansing March 25-27 will include elections to fill two vacancies on the MAC Board of Directors, plus a membership vote on by-laws revisions put forward by the MAC Board. At a special Business Meeting on Wednesday March 27, attending commissioners will vote on a new by-laws proposal developed after last year’s proposal was rejected at the Annual Conference. The proposed language will be posted to MAC’s website and mailed to all commissioners in early February for their review. The day prior, on Tuesday, March 26, commissioners in counties in MAC’s Region 4 (Clinton, Genesee, Ingham, Jackson, Hillsdale, Huron, Lapeer, Lenawee, Livingston, Huron, Sanilac, Shiawassee, St. Clair and Tuscola) will vote to fill seat vacated by Matthew Bierlein of Tuscola. And all commissioners attending will vote to fill a seat vacated by At-large Director Hugh Crawford of Oakland County. Candidates for either the Region 4 or at-large seat are requested to send a letter of intent to MAC at melot@micounties.org, along with biographical and policy position information they wish to share with voters via MAC’s website. Deadline to ensure proper posting of this material is Feb. 25, 2019. To vote in the elections, you must be a commissioner of a MAC member county who is registered for the conference. For questions, contact Communications Director Derek Melot at melot@micounties.org or 517-372-5374.

Michigan Republicans expanded their already large margin in county commissioner seats in the Nov. 8 General Election, a MAC review of unofficial results shows. The GOP now holds 432 seats, with one vacancy in Ontonagon County still to be filled. That’s up from 396 seats after the 2014 elections, for a net gain of at least 36 seats. Democrats fell to 182 seats, while independents and third-party members hold 7 seats. Republican majorities will sit on boards governing 63 of Michigan’s 83 counties; Democratic majorities will control 19 boards, while the Keweenaw board does not have a partisan majority. Partisan control shifted in five counties due to election results:

• Arenac (D to R)
• Clare (R to D)
• Isabella (D to R)
• Keweenaw (D to no partisan majority)
• Lake (D to R)

Of the 622 commissioners in 2017, 160 will be new to the office, not counting the vacancy in Ontonagon. The turnover rate of 26 percent is consistent with historical results. Republican-majority counties: Alcona, Allegan, Alpena, Antrim, Arenac, Barry, Benzie, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Chippewa, Clinton, Crawford, Dickinson, Eaton, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Houghton, Huron, Ionia, Iosco, Isabella, Jackson, Kalkaska, Kent, Lake, Lapeer, Leelanau, Lenawee, Livingston, Luce, Mackinac, Manistee, Mason, Mecosta, Menominee, Midland, Missaukee, Monroe, Montcalm, Montmorency, Newaygo, Oakland, Oceana, Osceola, Oscoda, Otsego, Ottawa, Presque Isle, Roscommon, St. Clair, St. Joseph, Sanilac, Schoolcraft, Shiawassee, Tuscola, Van Buren, Wexford Democratic-majority counties:  Gogebic, Ontonagon, Iron, Baraga, Marquette, Alger, Delta, Muskegon, Kalamazoo, Ingham, Washtenaw, Wayne, Macomb, Genesee, Saginaw, Bay, Gladwin, Clare, Ogemaw Click here to see a larger version of the partisan-control map.

At least 137* of the 622 county commissioner seats in Michigan in January 2017 will have new occupants, a MAC review of the unofficial Aug. 2 primary results has found.

That number could grow in November, too, as 146 incumbent commissioners who advanced out of this week’s primary face general election foes.

Right now, though, the turnover in this election cycle will be at least 22 percent, a figure that would be in line with Michigan history, said MAC Executive Director Tim McGuire.

“Based on our reviews, the turnover rate hovers between 20 percent and 25 percent. In 2014, the rate was about 22 percent,” said McGuire, who has served at MAC for more than 35 years and been executive director since 1994. “You will see that commissioners who retire and create open seats are the source of many of these changes.”

Thirty incumbent commissioners, however, did not advance out of the primary this year, according to MAC’s review.

Two northern county boards will look substantially different come January, as Emmet County will welcome six new members to its seven-member board, while Luce County in the U.P. will have four newcomers on its five-member panel.

In preparation for the new commissioners, MAC already is working with MSU Extension on training programs via “New Commissioner Schools” the agencies will co-host at several locations in November and December.

“New commissioners don’t have a great deal of time to prep before their county responsibilities fall on them in January,” McGuire explained. “These programs are our way of helping them get off on the right step.”

*Figure updated and corrected on Aug. 9.