This week at the County Commission meeting, we focused mostly on the proposal to renew the millage for the Potter Park Zoo. First, we worked on perfecting the language for the November ballot. One issue that was raised is the language dealing with tax increment finance authorities (such as DDA’s). Under state law, these authorities create economic development and jobs, and can capture a small amount of all millages (general fund and special millages). Previously we have included the names of all of these authorities on the ballot, and this can be very confusing to voters. I have actually had people tell me that they decided to vote against a millage because they don’t understand this authority language (which really has little to do with the actual question). We recently found out that state law doesn’t necessarily require us to include this language on the ballot, so the County Services and Finance committees had taken it out. There was an amendment to add language to the ballot initiative saying that authorities can capture some of the money, but that amendment was defeated. While I understand the idea behind the language, I opposed the amendment because I believe that it makes the ballot question very confusing for voters who may vote against the ballot question because they don’t understand that additional language. I think they should be voting on whether or not they want to fund the zoo, which is the point of the question in the first place. Others also said that brevity is the most important part of a ballot question, and opposed the amendment. I also pointed out that other ballot questions on the November ballot don’t have this language, so there is really no inequality of the various questions.
After that discussion, the Board was reminded that it is an election year when a second amendment was proposed. One of the Republican commissioners (Steve Dougan) proposed an amendment to the millage language that would reduce the millage amount from .41 to .39. He said that he thought that we should reduce the millage by 5% to give voters a break. This really was just an election-year stunt and, as I am sure he knows, was not necessary and actually could negatively change the ballot initiative. First, as Commissioner Celentino pointed out, the millage has already been reduced. When it first passed, it was .46, but was automatically lowered to .41. Second, I pointed out that the Board of Commissioners can reduce the millage at any time on our own. We ask the voters for a renewal to keep up the operations of the zoo, and if we think it is bringing more money than needed then we can reduce the millage amount on our own without going to the ballot. Dougan knows that, yet he has never attempted to reduce the millage at the Board level. When I questioned him about that, he didn’t respond. Also, I asked what Dougan proposed to eliminate at the zoo in order to make up for the reduced funding. He also had no answer to that. Commissioner Bahar, though, had the answer. She and Commissioner Nolan both serve on the Zoo Board and know what these cuts would mean to the zoo. Commissioner Bahar said that the cost would equal a veterinarian or something equivalent. They both also said that only a part of the zoo is funded from the millage, and the rest is provided by contributions from the zoo society. This cut would negatively impact the zoo when the people have already said that they support the zoo by passing the millage four years ago (at a higher amount!). Plus, Commissioner Tennis pointed out that decreased property values have already lessened the amount that people are paying for the zoo. .41 mills brought in $3.1 million a few years ago. Now the same .41 mills brings in $2.9 million. So people are paying less property tax values and the millage is already reflecting that. All these reasons and more show that Commissioner Steve Dougan was just engaging in election-year politics, which is disappointing but not surprising. Finally, it was pointed out that this language would no longer make the ballot question a renewal. With the renewal language removed, some voters may think it is a new millage and oppose it. That would be disingenuous to the voters. The proposed amendment was defeated with the 13 Democrats opposing and the 3 Republicans supporting, and the resolution placing the millage renewal on the ballot as reported from Finance committee was passed. The Democrats all voted for it, and the 3 Republicans on the Board voted against allowing the citizens of Ingham County to decide if the zoo millage should be renewed or not.
Campaign Update: 6 more days left! I continue to campaign based on my record, which is getting tremendous response at doors and everywhere. I really appreciate the good wishes and great comments from my constituents in SE Lansing. My opponent continues to sling mud, though. He must not realize that it isn't working and the voters are not fooled. This week, he again accused me of taking a pay-raise (a lie), and a new accusation...he accused me of doubling my own Board pay per diem (another lie). The per diem has gone up $1, and this was done approximately 4 years ago. We have never doubled it. Where does he get this from? I appreciate that the voters see through these attacks and ridiculous claims, and want someone with a proven record and ideas moving forward.
If you are interested in helping me this week, please let me know. You can also go to this page for more info on how you can help, or you can contact me at aschor@yahoo.com. Thanks everyone for your support. I am excited for election day to come and for the voters to speak!
Monday, July 26, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Deputy Sheriffs Added, Economic Development, Community Assessments, Fed Farm $, Hawk Island, Soldan Dog Park, and Campaign Update! (Whew...)
This week in County Services, we passed a resolution waiving the county’s hiring freeze so that we can fill several Deputy Sheriff positions. Several positions, two supervisory, have become vacant and need to be filled. There were some questions in committee about whether or not we should fill the positions because of the budget problems. I and others, though, argued that this is not the place to re-fight the road patrol issue. We have already taken affirmative action to end road patrol at the end of the year and the townships will be voting on whether or not they want to re-create those positions with local assessments. That being said, I believe that we should continue to provide the deputies that we committed to provide when we did our budget last year. We also need to have appropriate staff in the jails, and on the roads (at least until the end of the year).
We also once again looked at the federal bonds that were given to Ingham County to provide to local businesses. We allocated these a few months ago, but the Accident Fund returned their bonds because they were able to get other financing (which is good news for our economy!). Lansing Township (DDA) has a good share of the private bonds that we can make available for the phase 2 of the new Eastwood development (mixed-use parking garage and other things), and they have requested the balance of the bonds. They had not done anything with the original bonds until last week, though, when they actually went out to market with the bonds (i.e. sold them on the market). The EDC director was not comfortable giving more bonds if the township had not yet even gone to market with the other bonds. The EDC also was not comfortable going out for bid until Lansing Township produced the numbers that they needed (which they were not willing to do). Lansing Township has sent a letter to the Board asking for the balance of the dollars, and I expect that we will give it to them at the next meeting as they are the only entity to apply.
Speaking of economic development, we learned last week that our economic development director, Susan Pigg, will be leaving us on August 6th. So County Services had a good discussion about the process to replace her. We contract with MSU Extension and they will hire, but they will include us in the discussions. We are also discussing other potential possibilities when it comes to economic development. I think this is a good time to evaluate our program and see if there are ways to increasing its effectiveness. Commissioner Brian McGrain and I are working on some recommendations for the Board.
We also learned that there is $400 million available from the Federal Farm and Ranch Land law. This money is being allocated and the Ingham Farmland and Open Space committee has submitted our top 10 farms, requesting $650,000 in matching funds from feds. If approved, the county would only pay $.38 on the dollar for every dollar we spend on the farms (which comes out of the millage). So this could help us capture federal dollars.
In the last County Blog I mentioned the community needs assessment. We passed that in Finance (and the Human Services Committee also passed it). The Health Department needs to do a risk assessment in order to apply for the $11 billion available to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC’s). That process will be started with the passage of this resolution and needs to happen quickly as the money will be applied for in November (and there needs to be a community needs assessment done before that). We are also looking to work with the hospitals (Sparrow and Ingham) and Community Mental Health, who also have to do community needs assessments.
We had an update on the snow tubing hill at Hawk Island. For those that don't remember, a few years ago we approved spending for a new snow tubing hill. We are pushing back the timeline once again, though, because we are still trying to get dirt for the project. We have relied on dirt from the city Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) project, but some of it was contaminate and couldn't be use. And for all those who have complained that the county shouldn't be spending money on a snow tubing hill (note: the money was approved years ago!), an important point was made by the Parks staff - not only is there very little money from the county (because we receive matching funds), but this hill will be a revenue generator. People will rent tubes and pay admission to the park, so it will generate much more than the $75,000 that it will cost.
Finally, we have received a request from the Dog Park folks. As you may know, the Soldan Dog Park is the dog park that was created attached to Hawk Island (although the property is city property). While there are set rules for the users of the dog park, there have been problems with people not following those rules. The city doesn't have the personnel to staff it, and neither does the county. So the users are sort of on an honor system and are expected to follow the rules. This is not happening as much as it should be, though. I have heard from constituents who have said that they or their dogs have been attacked and bitten. The Dog Park Task Force has proposed to create an electronic gate at the entrance to the Dog Park on the north and south sides. In order to get in, someone would have to purchase a pas, which would cost $5 per day or $40 for an annual pass ($25 for students). The cost of the pass would cover the installation of the gate and the maintenance of the Dog Park (capital expenditures, fencing, improvements, etc). Also, people would have to sign a consent to follow the rules in order to get the pass. Finally, we would have a record of who is at the Dog Park and when they were there, so attacks can be investigated. I like the idea of the pass, but it seems that the cost is a bit steep. People would not have to pay the cost to get into Hawk Island if they entered the Dog Park from the north (and park in Ingham Regional's parking lot), but I am still looking for feedback from people about the pro's and con's of the electronic gate (costs vs. benefits). Thoughts?
On the campaign trail: I have once again completed knocking doors throughout the whole district, and will start once again! If you are interested in helping out with the campaign, please let me know. I have received tremendous response at doors and at the many events I have attended, and am greatly encouraged by the comments of the voters of southeast Lansing. They are judging me on my record, which is all I can ask, and ignoring all the negative stuff from my opponent! 12 more days until the campaign is over!
We also once again looked at the federal bonds that were given to Ingham County to provide to local businesses. We allocated these a few months ago, but the Accident Fund returned their bonds because they were able to get other financing (which is good news for our economy!). Lansing Township (DDA) has a good share of the private bonds that we can make available for the phase 2 of the new Eastwood development (mixed-use parking garage and other things), and they have requested the balance of the bonds. They had not done anything with the original bonds until last week, though, when they actually went out to market with the bonds (i.e. sold them on the market). The EDC director was not comfortable giving more bonds if the township had not yet even gone to market with the other bonds. The EDC also was not comfortable going out for bid until Lansing Township produced the numbers that they needed (which they were not willing to do). Lansing Township has sent a letter to the Board asking for the balance of the dollars, and I expect that we will give it to them at the next meeting as they are the only entity to apply.
Speaking of economic development, we learned last week that our economic development director, Susan Pigg, will be leaving us on August 6th. So County Services had a good discussion about the process to replace her. We contract with MSU Extension and they will hire, but they will include us in the discussions. We are also discussing other potential possibilities when it comes to economic development. I think this is a good time to evaluate our program and see if there are ways to increasing its effectiveness. Commissioner Brian McGrain and I are working on some recommendations for the Board.
We also learned that there is $400 million available from the Federal Farm and Ranch Land law. This money is being allocated and the Ingham Farmland and Open Space committee has submitted our top 10 farms, requesting $650,000 in matching funds from feds. If approved, the county would only pay $.38 on the dollar for every dollar we spend on the farms (which comes out of the millage). So this could help us capture federal dollars.
In the last County Blog I mentioned the community needs assessment. We passed that in Finance (and the Human Services Committee also passed it). The Health Department needs to do a risk assessment in order to apply for the $11 billion available to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC’s). That process will be started with the passage of this resolution and needs to happen quickly as the money will be applied for in November (and there needs to be a community needs assessment done before that). We are also looking to work with the hospitals (Sparrow and Ingham) and Community Mental Health, who also have to do community needs assessments.
We had an update on the snow tubing hill at Hawk Island. For those that don't remember, a few years ago we approved spending for a new snow tubing hill. We are pushing back the timeline once again, though, because we are still trying to get dirt for the project. We have relied on dirt from the city Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) project, but some of it was contaminate and couldn't be use. And for all those who have complained that the county shouldn't be spending money on a snow tubing hill (note: the money was approved years ago!), an important point was made by the Parks staff - not only is there very little money from the county (because we receive matching funds), but this hill will be a revenue generator. People will rent tubes and pay admission to the park, so it will generate much more than the $75,000 that it will cost.
Finally, we have received a request from the Dog Park folks. As you may know, the Soldan Dog Park is the dog park that was created attached to Hawk Island (although the property is city property). While there are set rules for the users of the dog park, there have been problems with people not following those rules. The city doesn't have the personnel to staff it, and neither does the county. So the users are sort of on an honor system and are expected to follow the rules. This is not happening as much as it should be, though. I have heard from constituents who have said that they or their dogs have been attacked and bitten. The Dog Park Task Force has proposed to create an electronic gate at the entrance to the Dog Park on the north and south sides. In order to get in, someone would have to purchase a pas, which would cost $5 per day or $40 for an annual pass ($25 for students). The cost of the pass would cover the installation of the gate and the maintenance of the Dog Park (capital expenditures, fencing, improvements, etc). Also, people would have to sign a consent to follow the rules in order to get the pass. Finally, we would have a record of who is at the Dog Park and when they were there, so attacks can be investigated. I like the idea of the pass, but it seems that the cost is a bit steep. People would not have to pay the cost to get into Hawk Island if they entered the Dog Park from the north (and park in Ingham Regional's parking lot), but I am still looking for feedback from people about the pro's and con's of the electronic gate (costs vs. benefits). Thoughts?
On the campaign trail: I have once again completed knocking doors throughout the whole district, and will start once again! If you are interested in helping out with the campaign, please let me know. I have received tremendous response at doors and at the many events I have attended, and am greatly encouraged by the comments of the voters of southeast Lansing. They are judging me on my record, which is all I can ask, and ignoring all the negative stuff from my opponent! 12 more days until the campaign is over!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Ingham County Primary Elections Preview
This week in my County Blog, I thought I would focus on the upcoming primary elections. There are several important elections and issues that will be on the ballot, and this is a good time for people to start thinking about them.
First a reminder – you can only vote in the Democratic or Republican primary election. Not both. If you try to cross over and vote for one democrat and one republican, your ballot at the box will be rejected. If you do it with an absentee ballot, your ballot will be spoiled and none of the choices will count. So once you decide if you are voting on the Republican or Democratic side…stay there!
The Governor’s race is the first on the ballot. For the first time in 8 years, there will not be an incumbent. The Democrats have Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero versus Speaker of the House Andy Dillon. The Republicans have Congressman Pete Hoekstra, businessman Rick Snyder, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard, Attorney General Mike Cox, and State Senator Tom George all running. These have been well documented in the press, so I won’t comment any further.
There is no U.S. Senator on the ballot this year. Senator serve 6 year terms which are staggered, and neither Sen. Stabenow nor Sen. Levin are up for re-election this year. All 435 members of the U.S. House, though, are up for election. As such, in Ingham County we have Republican U.S. Congressman Mike Rogers seeking re-election. He is unopposed in the primary. On the Democratuc side, on the ballot is Kande Ngalamulume. He has dropped out, though, and has will not campaign for the job. Running as a write-in for the Democrats is Lance Enderle of Clinton County. Should be interesting to see if Mr. Enderle can get enough votes to knock Kande off the ballot.
For State Senator, most of the county is represented by Democratic Sen. Gretchen Whitmer who has another term available and is running for re-election. She is unopposed in the primary. Repuvblican Kyle J. Haubrich is running on the Republican ticket. Part of the county near Livingston are represented currently by Sen. Valde Garcia. He cannot seek another term due to term-limits, though. Former State Rep. Joe Hune is running for the seat as a Republican, as is Brighton Councilman and former Mayor Paul Rogers. That should be an interesting race. On the Democratic side is Chuck Fellows.
For State Rep., most of Lansing (and all of Lanisng Township) is represented by Democrat Joan Bauer. She is unopposed in the primary. On the Republican side is Timothy B. Moede, who is also unopposed in the primary. For East Lansing, Democrat incumbent Rep. Mark Meadows is unopposed in the primary. The Republicans have Meridian Twp Supervisor Susan McGillicuddy and Frank Lambert running against each other in the Republican primary. Parts of south Lansing as well as the rest of the county are represented by Democrat Barb Byrum. She is unopposed in the primary. There are 3 Republicans running for her seat, though. They are Jeff Hall, Jeff Oesterle, and Trisha Opper. I understand they are all running hard, so if you are in the district and are a Republican, you have a tough choice to make.
All 16 County Commissioner seats are up. There are only a few primaries, though. You already know that I am the incumbent in SE Lansing and face a primary opponent. Rebecca Bahar Cook of downtown and Westside Lansing is running unopposed in the Democratic primary, but has Republicans Vickie Niklas and Jennifer Smith running against each other. Democrat Carol Koenig of East Lansing is also unopposed but has Republicans Robert Batchelor and Owen Blank opposing each other. Republican Don Vickers of Mason faces primary opponent Leon Black. And the one empty seat (Commissioner Laura Davis is not running again) has three Republicans facing each other – Barry Damon, Vince Dragonetti, and Renee Sumerix.
The 30th Circuit Judge spot is open due to Judge Giddings being unable to run again due to age. Candidates for the spot are: Gregory Crockett, Clinton Canady, Jim Jamo and Billie Jo O’Berry.
The 55th District Court spot has Judge Don Allen running to retain his spot after being selected for the bench by the Governor. Opposing him are Randie Black, Patrick Crowley and Paul Joseph. Judge Allen will have the incumbency designation on the ballot.
There are also a variety of ballot initiatives. CATA has two millages. The first renews the CATA service millage of 2.22 mills in Lansing, East Lansing, Meridian Twp, Lansing Twp, and Delhi Twp. The second renewal is primarily for the elderly and disabled. It is a .48 millage renewal. While this millage is primarily for the elderly and disabled, some of the money is also used for rural CATA service.
The Capital Area District Library has a renewal of its millage of 1.56 mills for library operations.
Lansing has a 1 mill renewal of its Parks millage. Delhi has a new police protection millage of 1 ½ mills on the ballot, and a fire protection millage to increase the previous millage by 1 ½ mills. Dansville and Leslie schools also each have millages on the ballot.
For more information, you can go to the County Clerk website at http://www.ingham.org/CL/Election_Info/2010/AugustPrimary.htm or go to the individual city or township clerks.
First a reminder – you can only vote in the Democratic or Republican primary election. Not both. If you try to cross over and vote for one democrat and one republican, your ballot at the box will be rejected. If you do it with an absentee ballot, your ballot will be spoiled and none of the choices will count. So once you decide if you are voting on the Republican or Democratic side…stay there!
The Governor’s race is the first on the ballot. For the first time in 8 years, there will not be an incumbent. The Democrats have Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero versus Speaker of the House Andy Dillon. The Republicans have Congressman Pete Hoekstra, businessman Rick Snyder, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard, Attorney General Mike Cox, and State Senator Tom George all running. These have been well documented in the press, so I won’t comment any further.
There is no U.S. Senator on the ballot this year. Senator serve 6 year terms which are staggered, and neither Sen. Stabenow nor Sen. Levin are up for re-election this year. All 435 members of the U.S. House, though, are up for election. As such, in Ingham County we have Republican U.S. Congressman Mike Rogers seeking re-election. He is unopposed in the primary. On the Democratuc side, on the ballot is Kande Ngalamulume. He has dropped out, though, and has will not campaign for the job. Running as a write-in for the Democrats is Lance Enderle of Clinton County. Should be interesting to see if Mr. Enderle can get enough votes to knock Kande off the ballot.
For State Senator, most of the county is represented by Democratic Sen. Gretchen Whitmer who has another term available and is running for re-election. She is unopposed in the primary. Repuvblican Kyle J. Haubrich is running on the Republican ticket. Part of the county near Livingston are represented currently by Sen. Valde Garcia. He cannot seek another term due to term-limits, though. Former State Rep. Joe Hune is running for the seat as a Republican, as is Brighton Councilman and former Mayor Paul Rogers. That should be an interesting race. On the Democratic side is Chuck Fellows.
For State Rep., most of Lansing (and all of Lanisng Township) is represented by Democrat Joan Bauer. She is unopposed in the primary. On the Republican side is Timothy B. Moede, who is also unopposed in the primary. For East Lansing, Democrat incumbent Rep. Mark Meadows is unopposed in the primary. The Republicans have Meridian Twp Supervisor Susan McGillicuddy and Frank Lambert running against each other in the Republican primary. Parts of south Lansing as well as the rest of the county are represented by Democrat Barb Byrum. She is unopposed in the primary. There are 3 Republicans running for her seat, though. They are Jeff Hall, Jeff Oesterle, and Trisha Opper. I understand they are all running hard, so if you are in the district and are a Republican, you have a tough choice to make.
All 16 County Commissioner seats are up. There are only a few primaries, though. You already know that I am the incumbent in SE Lansing and face a primary opponent. Rebecca Bahar Cook of downtown and Westside Lansing is running unopposed in the Democratic primary, but has Republicans Vickie Niklas and Jennifer Smith running against each other. Democrat Carol Koenig of East Lansing is also unopposed but has Republicans Robert Batchelor and Owen Blank opposing each other. Republican Don Vickers of Mason faces primary opponent Leon Black. And the one empty seat (Commissioner Laura Davis is not running again) has three Republicans facing each other – Barry Damon, Vince Dragonetti, and Renee Sumerix.
The 30th Circuit Judge spot is open due to Judge Giddings being unable to run again due to age. Candidates for the spot are: Gregory Crockett, Clinton Canady, Jim Jamo and Billie Jo O’Berry.
The 55th District Court spot has Judge Don Allen running to retain his spot after being selected for the bench by the Governor. Opposing him are Randie Black, Patrick Crowley and Paul Joseph. Judge Allen will have the incumbency designation on the ballot.
There are also a variety of ballot initiatives. CATA has two millages. The first renews the CATA service millage of 2.22 mills in Lansing, East Lansing, Meridian Twp, Lansing Twp, and Delhi Twp. The second renewal is primarily for the elderly and disabled. It is a .48 millage renewal. While this millage is primarily for the elderly and disabled, some of the money is also used for rural CATA service.
The Capital Area District Library has a renewal of its millage of 1.56 mills for library operations.
Lansing has a 1 mill renewal of its Parks millage. Delhi has a new police protection millage of 1 ½ mills on the ballot, and a fire protection millage to increase the previous millage by 1 ½ mills. Dansville and Leslie schools also each have millages on the ballot.
For more information, you can go to the County Clerk website at http://www.ingham.org/CL/Election_Info/2010/AugustPrimary.htm or go to the individual city or township clerks.
Friday, July 2, 2010
County Advertising, Health Department Restructuring, Land Bank Update, and Campaign Update
This week was relatively quiet in terms of issues for the Commission. There was some controversy on whether or not we should spend about $10,000 on yellow pages advertisements. While several of us were very uncomfortable with this expenditure, we were told that four departments (Health, Animal Control, Parks, and Clerk) advertise in the yellow pages. It seems that the Health Department advertises for their clinics, which is a public service and also brings in revenues to the county. The Clerk also advertises under "Passports" for passport photos and application processing. The Clerk collects over $60,000 per year in Passport photos and processing fees as compared to their advertising costs of $1740, so this may be a worthwhile expense.This expense will be approved this year, and we plan to look into all of these expenditures to ensure that there are efficiencies.
Another issue that is worth reporting on is the reorganization in the County Health Department. There have been some questions, so it is worth explaining what is going on. First, let me point out that our Health Department is nationally recognized as one of the best in the country. We are the model for other counties. The recent retirement of a Deputy Health Officer triggered a look into a realignment by our Health Department Director. The Director and the retiring Deputy Health Director both thought the county could save money if we didn't fill her position. In looking into a reorganization, the priorities for the Director (who is one of the best in the nation!) were to be sure that the Health Department is positioned for the future, to continue to work well with county labor, and to ensure any change is budget negative. The world of health care, and especially of Federally Qualified Health Center operations, is changing dramatically, and the Health Department Director believes we will be better positioned with this realignment. While the county could have hired someone to fill the deputy Health Officer position and no one would have complained, the County Health Director and the Board of Commissioners decided instead to be dynamic and flexible in this changing health care world. Instead of filling the position, it was eliminated and current employees received more responsibility and more pay to compensate for the added responsibilities. All unions were informed and supported the changes. Human resources vetted the positions and recommended the re-classifications. This saved the county close to $70,000 in General Fund.
Finally, an here is update on what the Land Bank has accomplished for Ingham County. Ingham County Treasurer Eric Schertzing and the Land Bank Board have done a great job revitalizing properties in Ingham County. I previously served on this Board and saw first-hand the tremendous impact that the Land Bank has for the county. Ingham County is truly a leader in the Land Bank movement. Here are the highlights:
If you are interested in receiving monthly updates about Land Bank activities, you can email County Treasurer Eric Schertzing at eschertzing@ingham.org.
On the campaign trail, all is going VERY well. Response at doors has been exceptional with people supporting my record and agenda moving forward. People are not buying into the negative attacks of my opponent and are carefully reviewing the specifics of the materials provided to them from both candidates. Voters cast votes on the issues, and I have presented them with a past record and proactive agenda that they agree with. With 30 days to go, I am more and more optimistic that the voters won't be fooled by negative attacks and will vote based on the important Ingham County issues of today and the future. Thanks to all who have helped by contributing, knocking doors with me, putting up lawn signs, and everything else! We are in the home stretch!
Another issue that is worth reporting on is the reorganization in the County Health Department. There have been some questions, so it is worth explaining what is going on. First, let me point out that our Health Department is nationally recognized as one of the best in the country. We are the model for other counties. The recent retirement of a Deputy Health Officer triggered a look into a realignment by our Health Department Director. The Director and the retiring Deputy Health Director both thought the county could save money if we didn't fill her position. In looking into a reorganization, the priorities for the Director (who is one of the best in the nation!) were to be sure that the Health Department is positioned for the future, to continue to work well with county labor, and to ensure any change is budget negative. The world of health care, and especially of Federally Qualified Health Center operations, is changing dramatically, and the Health Department Director believes we will be better positioned with this realignment. While the county could have hired someone to fill the deputy Health Officer position and no one would have complained, the County Health Director and the Board of Commissioners decided instead to be dynamic and flexible in this changing health care world. Instead of filling the position, it was eliminated and current employees received more responsibility and more pay to compensate for the added responsibilities. All unions were informed and supported the changes. Human resources vetted the positions and recommended the re-classifications. This saved the county close to $70,000 in General Fund.
Finally, an here is update on what the Land Bank has accomplished for Ingham County. Ingham County Treasurer Eric Schertzing and the Land Bank Board have done a great job revitalizing properties in Ingham County. I previously served on this Board and saw first-hand the tremendous impact that the Land Bank has for the county. Ingham County is truly a leader in the Land Bank movement. Here are the highlights:
- The Ingham County Land Bank Board accepted a proposal from Kincaid Henry to redevelop a commercial property at 934 Clark. The due diligence process will take place over the next few months. This is the 2nd major commercial redevelopment proposal in discussion this year.They have also updated their listing of high quality, energy efficient homes can be found at www.inghamlandbank.org. Click on the featured property link for pictures.
- The 5th Annual Land Bank Conference in early June brought over 200 folks from around Michigan to learn more about Land Banks and see our beautiful Capital City.
- The Land Bank is sponsoring a 2 week window restoration training with the Michigan Historic Preservation Network. Selected applicants will finish the class with the training and tools to start a business in mid-Michigan.
- The 2010 tax foreclosure auction will take place on July 23rd at 10 a.m. in the Board of Commissioners Chamber in Mason. Registration begins at 9 a.m. A Land Bank auction will follow at approximately 11 a.m. The auction list and rules will be posted on the treasurer's web sit after the holiday.
If you are interested in receiving monthly updates about Land Bank activities, you can email County Treasurer Eric Schertzing at eschertzing@ingham.org.
On the campaign trail, all is going VERY well. Response at doors has been exceptional with people supporting my record and agenda moving forward. People are not buying into the negative attacks of my opponent and are carefully reviewing the specifics of the materials provided to them from both candidates. Voters cast votes on the issues, and I have presented them with a past record and proactive agenda that they agree with. With 30 days to go, I am more and more optimistic that the voters won't be fooled by negative attacks and will vote based on the important Ingham County issues of today and the future. Thanks to all who have helped by contributing, knocking doors with me, putting up lawn signs, and everything else! We are in the home stretch!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Blog coming...
This week's blog will be posted either tonight or early tomorrow. Sorry for the delay!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Community Agency Rankings, Teresa Borsuk, Budget Hearings Begin, and Personal and Campaign Notes
Compared to previous weeks, this week was a quieter week on the Board floor. We passed a variety of important resolutions, but none were controversial.
The Board of Commissioners passed the resolution creating the Community Agency ranking system. I mentioned this last week, but thought I would provide more information. The 2011 Community Agency ranking criteria is as follows, in order of importance:
This week also started the important process of the budget for 2011. As I have mentioned in the past, the Controller first asks Department heads for budgets. In that request, she asks what each Department head can do to cut their budget because we will have a significant ($7-8 million) shortfall next year. After the Controller requests these documents, each Department head provides the information to the Controller. They then have an opportunity to come and discuss this with the committee chairs, members, controller, and budget director. The Law Enforcement committee has already held this meeting, and the other committees (County Services, Human Services, Judiciary) will be doing them next week. After that, the Controller puts together a recommended budget for the Commissioners which is presented to us in August. We then start budget hearings in committees in September and finalize the budget in October or November. We also sometimes have Board Leadership meetings (which are special meetings of the full Board for a specific purpose) to discuss the budget. These are meetings that are more like work-groups with discussion about the specifics. These are meetings where we give direction to the Controller and budget staff on what we think are priorities for her to recommend to us. These meetings, of course, are publicly noticed and open to the public.
On a personal note, I was interviewed this week on the budget situation by Channel 6 news. They focused on the importance to the citizens of Hawk Island county park, and my efforts to ensure that it is not closed or severely cut. You can see the story here. Nice job, Stacia!
On the campaign front, my opponent continued the weekly litany of attacks on me. He said in a letter to the editor that I don't attend neighborhood meetings, and when I do it is only for 15 minutes. To rebut this newest claim, I would first point out that he doesn't know that I do attend neighborhood meetings (I have several in my district) as often as my county commission meeting schedule allows because, as he said in the letter to the editor, he has only lived in the district for 6 months. What he also fails to mention is that he is referencing a meeting I recently had to leave early in order to attend a county commission meeting! So he attacks me because he thinks I don't do my job, then attacks me for doing my job. Of course, he knew why I left early because he was there and heard me tell the neighbors at the meeting that I was going to a county commisison meeting, yet he purposely omitted it in his letter. Interesting. He also says that I have never faced an opponent in any of my elections. Again, he has only been here 6 months so he doesn't know that I faced a very tough primary in my first election. The difference, though, is that my opponent and I ran positive campaigns that year. Jim Kirsch ran a great race and I have tremendous respect for Jim, We both worked very hard in that election and I was priveledged enough to be victorious. This year is the first race, though, that I have faced an opponent using negative campaign tactics against me. Thankfully, it isn't working and the voters are seeing right through it!
The Board of Commissioners passed the resolution creating the Community Agency ranking system. I mentioned this last week, but thought I would provide more information. The 2011 Community Agency ranking criteria is as follows, in order of importance:
- The extent to which the proposal directly contributes to addressing the County’s long-term priority of “Meeting Basic Needs”. Does the proposal provide basic necessities for those in need, such as food, clothing, and shelter or help to provide assistance in obtaining such things as household utilities that are needed by families and individuals?
- The extent to which the proposal leverages other sources of funding. What other funding sources are being leveraged, including state, federal, other non-profit and private sources? Will this funding be used as match for a larger grant or to leverage other funding?
- The degree to which the proposal demonstrates collaborative approaches to program and service delivery. What other agencies and organizations are participating in the proposed project?
- The extent to which the proposal demonstrates creativity and innovation. Does this proposal represent proven “best practices” in its particular subject? Does the program produce measurable results? Has this proposal ever been tried before? If the proposal is not new, then what is the track record of success, has there been a positive impact on the community?
- The number of years the agency has received County funding (fewer years = higher rating).
- Timeliness in submitting the proposal. Were deadlines to submit the proposal met to a reasonable standard? Was the proposal complete when submitted?
This week also started the important process of the budget for 2011. As I have mentioned in the past, the Controller first asks Department heads for budgets. In that request, she asks what each Department head can do to cut their budget because we will have a significant ($7-8 million) shortfall next year. After the Controller requests these documents, each Department head provides the information to the Controller. They then have an opportunity to come and discuss this with the committee chairs, members, controller, and budget director. The Law Enforcement committee has already held this meeting, and the other committees (County Services, Human Services, Judiciary) will be doing them next week. After that, the Controller puts together a recommended budget for the Commissioners which is presented to us in August. We then start budget hearings in committees in September and finalize the budget in October or November. We also sometimes have Board Leadership meetings (which are special meetings of the full Board for a specific purpose) to discuss the budget. These are meetings that are more like work-groups with discussion about the specifics. These are meetings where we give direction to the Controller and budget staff on what we think are priorities for her to recommend to us. These meetings, of course, are publicly noticed and open to the public.
On a personal note, I was interviewed this week on the budget situation by Channel 6 news. They focused on the importance to the citizens of Hawk Island county park, and my efforts to ensure that it is not closed or severely cut. You can see the story here. Nice job, Stacia!
On the campaign front, my opponent continued the weekly litany of attacks on me. He said in a letter to the editor that I don't attend neighborhood meetings, and when I do it is only for 15 minutes. To rebut this newest claim, I would first point out that he doesn't know that I do attend neighborhood meetings (I have several in my district) as often as my county commission meeting schedule allows because, as he said in the letter to the editor, he has only lived in the district for 6 months. What he also fails to mention is that he is referencing a meeting I recently had to leave early in order to attend a county commission meeting! So he attacks me because he thinks I don't do my job, then attacks me for doing my job. Of course, he knew why I left early because he was there and heard me tell the neighbors at the meeting that I was going to a county commisison meeting, yet he purposely omitted it in his letter. Interesting. He also says that I have never faced an opponent in any of my elections. Again, he has only been here 6 months so he doesn't know that I faced a very tough primary in my first election. The difference, though, is that my opponent and I ran positive campaigns that year. Jim Kirsch ran a great race and I have tremendous respect for Jim, We both worked very hard in that election and I was priveledged enough to be victorious. This year is the first race, though, that I have faced an opponent using negative campaign tactics against me. Thankfully, it isn't working and the voters are seeing right through it!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Budget Deficit Worsens, Zoo Renewal Begins, Community Agency Process Begins, I am endorsed by the Democratic Party, and My Opponent Slings More Mud!
While we had a busy week in committee, the most important thing that we learned this week is that our budget next year will be worse off than was originally projected. While we had originally been projecting a $5 million budget deficit for the 2011 fiscal year, it seems that is actually going to be $7-8 million.
Our Controller has collected the service base requests from our departments, taxable values, and other revenue projections for the 2011 fiscal year general fund. Based on the new taxable values provided from our Equalization Director, property tax collections are projected to decline by over $2.5 million. So calculating these all together, the deficit is $7-8 million. The Controller is assuming recommending using $1 million from the unreserved fund balance (rainy day fund), so we will be looking at having to solve a $6-7 million problem when we do the budget in August.
In County Services, we began looking at a ballot question for a renewal of the Zoo millage at .41 mills. As you probably know, a few years ago the voters overwhelmingly passed a millage for the zoo and it was moved from city control to county control. I was on the special committee that drew up the contract between the city and the county and developed the structure of the new management. There were many issues we had to work out, including how to move employees from the city to the county and still preserve their wages and benefits, retirement for employees, who owned the equipment, etc. But after many hours of hard work, we resolved all these issues. It was a great cooperative effort and a success for keeping the zoo open and alive in Lansing. We were able to maintain a great regional asset which draws people to our area. The millage would renew the funding for the zoo. We had a few legal questions about the language so we referred them to the County Attorney. I expect the language to be finalized at the next County Services and Finance committee meetings so we can get this on the ballot for the November general election.
In Finance, we took up a resolution that would fund community agencies and allow our staff to rank the incoming requests. We had about $300,000 for this last year, but are expecting much less this year. The Finance committee agreed with the Human Services committee that the rankings need to include a variety of factors, including basic needs that include food, shelter, etc. Once this resolution passes the Board on Tuesday, the information packet will go out to community agencies on Wednesday and they will be able to apply for the limited funding that we will have. The requests will be scored by our Controller and staff, and the recommendations will be made as part of the budget process in October.
Campaign Update: I am honored to have received the unanimous endorsement yesterday of the Ingham County Democratic Party. I am running for the Democratic nomination on August 3rd, and the county Democratic Party has recognized my positive record for my constituents. This is an unusual honor, as it takes ¾ of the voting members to secure an endorsement. I have also been endorsed by every Democratic member of the County Commission, every Countywide official (Sheriff, Prosecutor, Drain Commissioner, Clerk, Register of Deeds, Treasurer), State Reps Bauer, Byrum and Meadows, and Sen. Whitmer. My opponent, on the other hand, is being supported by Republican County Commissioner Steve Dougan. That is an interesting twist, especially as my opponent is running against me in the Democratic primary and claiming to be a Democrat.
On the negative side, this week my opponent put up a website accusing me and my Democratic colleagues on the County Commission of “seeking retaliation and intimidation of employees who speak up”. This is just the latest in his long list of blatant lies and distortions of me and my record. It is also a ruthless attack on the entire Democratic Caucus.
The TRUTH is that employees come to me regularly to discuss issues and for help, and I invite this dialogue. I have had county deputies, health department employees and other employees come to me for assistance with problems. As County Services Chair, Human Services Chair and Law Enforcement Chair I have always invited the opinions of our county employees. I invited in for testimony numerous county deputies on the road patrol issue, many UAW employees on health care issues, etc and I have NEVER sought punishment or retribution on any of them for speaking up. This is just another attempt by my opponent to confuse and anger voters when no actual issue exists. After knocking hundreds of doors, though, I am convinced that the voters won’t be fooled and are insulted by his campaign.
Our Controller has collected the service base requests from our departments, taxable values, and other revenue projections for the 2011 fiscal year general fund. Based on the new taxable values provided from our Equalization Director, property tax collections are projected to decline by over $2.5 million. So calculating these all together, the deficit is $7-8 million. The Controller is assuming recommending using $1 million from the unreserved fund balance (rainy day fund), so we will be looking at having to solve a $6-7 million problem when we do the budget in August.
In County Services, we began looking at a ballot question for a renewal of the Zoo millage at .41 mills. As you probably know, a few years ago the voters overwhelmingly passed a millage for the zoo and it was moved from city control to county control. I was on the special committee that drew up the contract between the city and the county and developed the structure of the new management. There were many issues we had to work out, including how to move employees from the city to the county and still preserve their wages and benefits, retirement for employees, who owned the equipment, etc. But after many hours of hard work, we resolved all these issues. It was a great cooperative effort and a success for keeping the zoo open and alive in Lansing. We were able to maintain a great regional asset which draws people to our area. The millage would renew the funding for the zoo. We had a few legal questions about the language so we referred them to the County Attorney. I expect the language to be finalized at the next County Services and Finance committee meetings so we can get this on the ballot for the November general election.
In Finance, we took up a resolution that would fund community agencies and allow our staff to rank the incoming requests. We had about $300,000 for this last year, but are expecting much less this year. The Finance committee agreed with the Human Services committee that the rankings need to include a variety of factors, including basic needs that include food, shelter, etc. Once this resolution passes the Board on Tuesday, the information packet will go out to community agencies on Wednesday and they will be able to apply for the limited funding that we will have. The requests will be scored by our Controller and staff, and the recommendations will be made as part of the budget process in October.
Campaign Update: I am honored to have received the unanimous endorsement yesterday of the Ingham County Democratic Party. I am running for the Democratic nomination on August 3rd, and the county Democratic Party has recognized my positive record for my constituents. This is an unusual honor, as it takes ¾ of the voting members to secure an endorsement. I have also been endorsed by every Democratic member of the County Commission, every Countywide official (Sheriff, Prosecutor, Drain Commissioner, Clerk, Register of Deeds, Treasurer), State Reps Bauer, Byrum and Meadows, and Sen. Whitmer. My opponent, on the other hand, is being supported by Republican County Commissioner Steve Dougan. That is an interesting twist, especially as my opponent is running against me in the Democratic primary and claiming to be a Democrat.
On the negative side, this week my opponent put up a website accusing me and my Democratic colleagues on the County Commission of “seeking retaliation and intimidation of employees who speak up”. This is just the latest in his long list of blatant lies and distortions of me and my record. It is also a ruthless attack on the entire Democratic Caucus.
The TRUTH is that employees come to me regularly to discuss issues and for help, and I invite this dialogue. I have had county deputies, health department employees and other employees come to me for assistance with problems. As County Services Chair, Human Services Chair and Law Enforcement Chair I have always invited the opinions of our county employees. I invited in for testimony numerous county deputies on the road patrol issue, many UAW employees on health care issues, etc and I have NEVER sought punishment or retribution on any of them for speaking up. This is just another attempt by my opponent to confuse and anger voters when no actual issue exists. After knocking hundreds of doors, though, I am convinced that the voters won’t be fooled and are insulted by his campaign.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
