County Acts on Disaster Relief, Health Care
Washtenaw County board of commissioners meeting (March 21, 2012): Public health, welfare and budget issues dominated the most recent county board meeting, which began with a briefing on the aftermath of a March 15 tornado touchdown in the Dexter area.
Dexter Township supervisor Pat Kelly, right, attended the March 21, 2012 Washtenaw County board of commissioners meeting to thank the county for its help in the aftermath of the March 15 tornado that touched down in the township and caused considerable damage. To the left is Mark Ouimet, a former county commissioner who is now state representative for District 52, which includes the Dexter area.
Pat Kelly, Dexter Township supervisor, attended the meeting along with Mark Ouimet, a former county commissioner who is now state representative for District 52, which includes the Dexter area. Both thanked the county for its support and praised county staff – from sheriff’s deputies who provided security, to parks workers and others who helped with cleanup.
Later in the meeting, the board unanimously approved up to $500,000 from capital reserves to fund disaster relief and assistance to residents, including overtime costs for staff and payment for dumpsters to haul away debris. County administrator Verna McDaniel said that full amount might not be used, but it’s also possible that she’ll return to ask for more funding if it’s needed.
The board received a budget update for 2011 from finance staff, with the caution that minor changes might be made after an audit is completed. Although the originally approved budget had anticipated needing to use more than $5 million from the county’s general fund balance, only about $800,000 was actually used for the year – significantly less than expected.
Also related to the budget, the board authorized the county treasurer, Catherine McClary, to borrow up to $45 million against the amount of delinquent property taxes in all of the county’s 80 taxing jurisdictions. This is a standard request at this time of year as taxing jurisdictions – including cities, townships, schools systems and libraries, among others – turn their delinquent taxes over to the county, and are reimbursed for that delinquent amount. The county treasurer then assumes responsibility for collecting the delinquent taxes.
McClary noted that delinquent taxes are a leading economic indicator, and in that respect the trend is positive. This year, there is a drop in delinquent taxes for the first time since 2005. All jurisdictions saw a decrease, she said, and that’s really good news for the economy. McClary also gave her annual treasurer’s report for 2011, noting that revenues earned from delinquent taxes and fees totaled $5.557 million – about $3 million more than had been budgeted.
Also at the March 21 meeting, the board took a first step toward becoming a charter member of the Washtenaw Health Initiative (WHI), an effort to expand health care coverage for the county’s low-income residents. The membership includes a $10,000 annual fee in both 2012 and 2013, which would be funded through the county’s office of community and economic development. The 8-1 vote included dissent from Alicia Ping, who said she preferred funds to go directly to services, not for administrative purposes. Barbara Bergman was absent and Ronnie Peterson was out of the room when the vote was taken.
Among its other action items, the board gave final approval to creation of a county food policy council, and to an increase in certain fees charged by the public health department.
As an item for future discussion, several commissioners raised concerns over the issue of hydraulic fracturing – known as “fracking” – in rural parts of the county, to access oil or gas. Paxton Resources, a Gaylord, Mich.-based firm, has been acquiring mineral rights in the county’s rural areas for several months. A group of local residents called “No Paxton” has formed to oppose the company’s actions. The board discussed the possibility of a resolution urging more state oversight of the practice, and will likely schedule a working session on the issue. [Full Story]