BERRIEN COUNTY COMMISSION UPDATE

By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent
ST. JOSEPH – Berrien County Commissioners discussed a number of issues from budgets to Lansing politics at their weekly meeting last week. The County Board meets just once more this month, on Nov. 16, as the following two Thursdays are Thanksgiving and a fifth Thursday.
Berrien County Commissioners spent the bulk of their meeting last week going over the proposed 2024 county budget. The budget for the fiscal year starting Jan. 1 will be voted on at the board’s Nov. 16 meeting this week.
County Financial Services Director Doug James spent more than a half hour reviewing the proposed budget with commissioners during a public hearing. He reported that the primary government budget calls for $208.898 million in revenue, $219.274 million in expenditures and the use of $10.376 million from the fund balance.
James and County Administrator Brian Dissette said that the new budget has a heavy focus on capital projects including deferred maintenance projects and computer/software upgrades. The budget was developed after 56 meetings with staff and department heads, they said.
Dissette also commented on the tax appeal by the D.C. Cook Nuclear Plant in Lake Township. He said American Electric Power which owns the plant has appealed the township’s valuation of the plant and is seeking a 30 percent reduction in the value-and in its taxes.
He said the county could see a $3 million to $3.5 million reduction in the tax revenue it gets from the plant and other taxing entities such as the township would also see less taxes received.
“It’s a unique situation, the township is driving the defense and the county and others are sharing in the legal expenses,” he said. “It’s not likely to be settled quickly. Appraisals were presented just in the last week. There are still months to go before it is decided, it’s also too early to say whether there would be a settlement.”
One capital project of interest to south county residents doesn’t have a large amount of money set aside for it in the 2024 budget. James said they’ve only put $407,000 for minimal upkeep to the former American Electric Power building the county has purchased at 500 Circle Drive in Buchanan.
Dissette said they will look again at the 500 Circle project mid-year. “We will talk to you about how much improvements you want to do such as roofing and heating and air conditioning,” he said. “Then it’s a question of how to fund it and pay for it. We’re not far enough along to have a final decision on what we want to do with the building.”
Other points highlighted by James included increases in tax revenue, state shared revenue and interest revenue. On the expenditure side, salary and pension costs are expected to rise. Overall, they have increased the contingency fund from $1 million to $1.6 million in 2024 after the county had to tap the fund a number of times this year.
“There are always items that will come up in a year when we miss something in the budget,” he said. “We went through $1 million really quick this year … This budget is the best shot we have at a road map.”
Also last week, commissioners heard an update on legislative action in Lansing and took action on several items.
Consultant Mike Krombeen reported that the 2023 legislative session was expected to end Thursday which is earlier than usual. The early end to the session is being done in part because the Democrats will only have a two-seat majority in the state house until early next week after two Democrats won local races for office on Tuesday.
Ending the session early will also allow the state to move up the date of the Michigan presidential primary to late February, he said.
As for legislation, Krombeen said that the solar/renewable energy bills that Berrien County and many area townships have opposed passed the state senate Wednesday and is headed for the governor’s desk. The new legislation takes away local control of large, utility-scale solar projects and gives it the Michigan Public Service Commission.
Final action on other bills won’t take place until next year with the early end to this year’s session. For example, area economic development officials have been pushing bills that would give sales and use tax exemptions for the construction of large data centers costing $250 million or more. Other nearby states already give those exemptions.
In action, commissioners renewed the public defender’s neglect and abuse contract, set the 2024 election fee schedule for the county clerk’s office, signed a contract with Lake Michigan College to be an early voting site and finalized a Baroda property sale for the road department.
Commissioners acknowledged the work of the opioid settlement taskforce and established the review team and opioid settlement oversight committee to consider request for proposals for opioid settlement programs.
The review team will review and evaluate the proposals submitted by organizations interested in getting funding. Those on the review team will include the county medical director, the specialty court manager, the county corporate counsel, the sheriff, the county health officer, the county prosecutor and two county commissioners.
The oversight committee will have 15 members and meet four times a year to review how the opioid settlement funds are being spent. That committee’s membership will include county officials, representatives from Riverwood and local clergy. The county will get its first round of funding, an estimated $1 million, in the next year or so.