Update from Administrator/Controller Kelli Scott
Thursday, June 18, 2020
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Calhoun County's Name
Calhoun County was named by the Michigan Territorial Legislature in 1829, along with nine other counties in southern Michigan, for members of President Andrew Jackson's cabinet. Over the years, the County's administration has discussed this history and how to address the fact that John C. Calhoun supported slavery. The legal advice we've received is that changing the County's name would require at least a legislative action and possibly a State constitutional amendment. Neither the Board of Commissioners nor our countywide electorate has the ability to simply vote on a new name.
Especially in light of recent racial injustice and violence, conversation has reignited about renaming our county. An article was written in the Battle Creek Enquirer, where we heard from community leaders about this idea.
We've developed a page on our website expanding on this discussion, with a clear statement on Calhoun County Government's stand against discriminatory and racist beliefs such as those held by John C. Calhoun. As an organization we have no tolerance for harassing or violent actions and instead support inclusiveness and peaceful ways to express individuality.
We acknowledge the history behind our County name. We strongly believe that it has nothing to do with where we have been, where we are going, and what we stand for as a county.
The mission of Calhoun County government is "building a better community through responsive leadership." Police brutality that leads to the death of black people is the antithesis to how we hope to lead as public servants. We welcome broader conversations about how to turn anger and negative energy, fueled by the history associated with our county name, into positive energy that allows us to stand together for what’s right.
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Here is what else is going on in Calhoun County:
On Wednesday, June 3, the
Calhoun County Veterans Affairs Committee
met, discussed recent applications for the Veterans Relief Fund, and the success of the new Meijer voucher program. The meeting ended with Director Aaron Edlefson sharing his interest in writing a statement regarding Black Lives Matter, which was later approved by the board.
Read the Veteran Affairs Committee's statement here.
The
Calhoun County Visitors Bureau
met on June 9 via Microsoft Teams. The Board approved the CVB's COVID-19 Safe Start Plan and discussed how COVID-19 is impacting CVB operations, as well as local leisure travel and sporting events.
Also on June 9, I attended a webinar by the
Michigan Department of Treasury
about how COVID-19 is impacting local government budgets statewide. The webinar covered revenue sharing impacts, Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency updates, property tax information, as well as question and answer.
On Monday, June 15, the
Marshall Community Credit Union Board
met, which included an audit presentation and then mandatory annual BSA training.
The
Michigan Indigent Defense Commission
met on June 16 to discuss compliance planning for next fiscal year, as well as quarterly reporting for this year. Calhoun County's Public Defender David Makled has submitted our plans and budget for the year starting October 1, and we are hopeful for their approval in August.
The
Marshall Area Economic Development Alliance (MAEDA) board
met June 16 and accepted the FY 2019 audit, approved the FY 2020-2021 budget and strategic plan, and discussed the CEO search, among other updates.
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Calhoun County Board of Commissioners
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At the Thursday, June 18 meeting of the Calhoun County Board of Commissioners, two proclamations were read, one for LGBTQ Pride Month (June) and one for Juneteenth Day, for which there are multiple events countywide this weekend. On the consent agenda, the board approved appointments to the Battle Creek Local Development Finance Authority, as well as the Jury Board. It also approved 2020 Local Road Agreements, as well as a letter to President Donald Trump forwarded from the Senior Millage Allocation Committee.
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In new business, the Board,
- DID NOT approve a waiver of the Road Department policy 509 for Leroy Township, which was a request by the township that the County Road Department turn certain stretches of failed roads to gravel without the township's written consent
- Approved the funding resolution for the Battle Creek Area Transportation Study (BCATS) for 2021, which is an annual re-request
- Approved Calhoun County's May 2020 financials
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Update from the Road Department
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Emmett Township Local Road Program:
Residents in Emmett Township can bookmark the
Emmett Township Local Road Program website
for weekly updates about what work is taking place as part of this three-year, voted-on project. Over the course of the program, all local roads in this township will be repaved.
Construction projects this season:
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Update About the Bond Issuance Process
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To fund the Emmett Township Local Road Program, as well as necessary capital improvement projects, Calhoun County is issuing bonds. As part of that process, Calhoun County received a credit rating from Standard & Poors of "AA," persisting our strong credit rating which we have held for the last several years. However, this year, mainly due to expected prolonged economic challenges of the pandemic and associated unprecedented unemployment, S&P adjusted our outlook from "stable" to "negative". S&P's report notes Calhoun County's strong management practices, very strong budgetary flexibility and liquidity as positives, and states the analysts' beliefs that we have taken adequate steps to manage responses to our exposure to various risks to our institutional framework, such as cybersecurity threats.
Read the rating report
We anticipate that the bond sale will be finalized in early July.
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