Calhoun County Board of Commissioners Report

From the Thursday, June 1, 2023 Calhoun County Board of Commissioners Meeting

At this Board of Commissioners meeting, Commissioners approved the following items on the consent agenda: 2023 summer and winter property tax resolutions, 2023 local road improvement agreements with townships, 2023 FireKeepers Local Revenue Sharing Board and Native American Heritage Fund administrative services agreements, an interlocal agreement with the Calhoun County Consolidated Dispatch Authority for implementing Command Central Aware software, and recission of the Oct. 15, 2020 COVID-19 local state of emergency.

To view the agenda or meeting recording, visit the Agendas page of the website.

In new business, the Board approved,

a Sheriff's Office school liaison agreement with Marshall Public Schools
Calhoun County Veterans Affairs' FY24 grant application to the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency's County Veterans Service Fund
revisions to Policy #315, Equal Employment Opportunity, and Policy #326, Harassment, to reflect changes to the state's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act
a Road Department federal aid contract with the Michigan Department of Transportation for a road improvement project on North Avenue from W Coolidge Ave to Morgan Rd.

A message from Calhoun County Administrator/Controller Kelli Scott

County finance staff are currently working with our financial auditors to wrap up the 2022 fiscal year audit. Preliminary results indicate a positive financial position within the County’s General Fund, our main operating fund, as well as the Road Department Funds. As another affirmation of the County’s financial leadership, we recently received from the last year’s audit a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). This certificate, which we've now received for 20+ consecutive years, indicates that Calhoun County goes beyond the minimum requirements of generally accepted accounting principles to prepare annual comprehensive financial reports, which evidence transparency and full disclosure. This is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting.

Calhoun County works hard to educate our citizens about our budgeting process and financial status. On the Finance Department website, you can find our audit reports from 2021 and before (2022 will be available by the end of June), our budget books and summary documents, and accountability and transparency reporting.

A Senior Millage Allocation Committee (SMAC) meeting was held Friday, May 5. The committee approved a mini-grant request for raised garden beds and gardening supplies at Marian E. Burch Adult Day Care, revisions to the Dental Assistant Minimum Service Standards, 2023 Senior Strategic Project Funding Recommendations, and Supplemental Funding Requests for contractual spending.

On Wednesday, May 10, a Calhoun County Veterans Affairs Committee meeting was held. The year-to-date budget report was presented, and the County Veterans Service Fund Grant application was discussed. The Committee considered 14 applications to the Veterans Relief Fund, and 11 were at least partially approved.

County Commissioners participated in a second session of Board Orientation the morning of Thursday, May 11, and received overview presentations from the County’s Legal Counsel Jim Dyer, and Road Department Managing Director John Midgley.

A Calhoun County Board of Public Health meeting was held on Monday, May 15. Two presentations were given at the meeting—Environmental Public Health Director Kevin Green presented on the Public Health Department's tick identification program, and WIC Supervisor Emily Lyke gave an update on the WIC program.

On May 22, a Calhoun County Planning Commission meeting was held. In new business, the Commission approved the appointment of Jerry Johnson from the Calhoun County Intermediate School District to the Commission. It also recommended approval of two Zoning Map Amendments, one in Emmett Charter Township and one in Convis Township.

The FireKeepers Local Revenue Sharing Board met on June 1. The Board approved Tier II actual cost reimbursement checks to be issued, the 2023 budget, Tier III allocations for payments in lieu of property taxes, and the formula-based Tier IV allocations. The FLRSB also voted to not offer a Tier IV discretionary grant process this year, and to instead allow funds to accumulate into 2024. County Commissioner Derek King serves as the County’s representative on the board for this year, and NHBP Tribal Chairman Jamie Stuck is this year’s Board Chair. The last meeting of the FLRSB for 2023 is scheduled for Wednesday, June 14, at 10 a.m. at the County Building in Marshall. That meeting is expected to mark the end of this year’s distribution of $6.4 million from this year’s 2% net win payment from FireKeepers Casino Hotel’s electronic gaming operations, along with carry over funds from prior years. All of the funds go directly to local units of government in Calhoun County, with the largest amounts benefitting schools and townships in closest proximity to the casino property in Emmett Township.

On June 1, a Calhoun County Parks and Recreation Commission meeting was held. In new business, the Commission discussed the creation of a committee for the Ott Preserve Management Plan. As part of the Department Report by Assistant Director for Community Development Doug Ferrall, information was provided about Kimball Pines renovations completion, recruitment for a new Commission member, parks staffing, and more.

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