BERRIEN COUNTY CREATES 4-YEAR PLAN TO BRIDGE PROPERTY TAX BUDGET SHORTFALL

By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent
ST. JOSEPH – Last week’s Berrien County Board of Commissioners meeting featured discussion of how the 2024 settlement between American Electric Power, the county, and other entities will affect property tax revenue in coming years.
Commissioners also heard reports about parks, trails, new child car seat requirements, and a new scam alert involving the sheriff’s office. Commissioners heard as well from the leaders of three southeastern Berrien County communities on the Red Arrow Highway project that is being done this year.
Berrien County Administrator Brian Dissette addressed the issue of the AEP settlement regarding property valuations after highlighting a recent news article concerning budget cuts being made by Bridgman schools. The Bridgman school district as well as Berrien County are among the entities affected by the AEP property valuation.
“We’re talking about it in the finance and administration committees,” Dissette said. “We want to make sure the board is aware of the situation … we have four years to work on this.”
“What cannot happen is to get to the end of the four years and say we have to figure it out then,” he added. “We need to spend the next four years crafting solutions at the local level and in the legislature about property values.”
According to published reports, the area entities including Bridgman and the county reached an agreement with AEP about the valuation of the Cook Nuclear Plant after AEP had appealed the plant’s 2022 property valuation with the Michigan Tax Tribunal.
The agreement lowered the 2024 assessed value for the plant to what it had been originally in 2022. The value will stay the same through 2027 and then increase five percent annually through 2030.
Dissette didn’t give specifics about how the Cook plant valuation will affect the county, but has talked in the past about the loss of property tax revenue due to the AEP settlement. Bridgman was among those hardest hit and officials have said they are losing $1.2 million in revenue this year and are making cuts because of that.
Berrien County Commissioner Sharon Tyler, who represents Niles on the county board, mentioned the Cook property valuation in her report. She said she had attended the Greater Niles Area Senior Center board meeting recently and members were concerned about a possible loss in revenue for the county’s senior centers.
In departmental reports, commissioners heard updates about the Silver Beach County Park playground project and the Lakeview Trail project as well as news from Berrien County Sheriff Chuck Heit.
County Parks Director Jill Adams said the new playground equipment should be ready for the public before Memorial Day. The total project cost $1.25 million with $850,000 coming from a Michigan Spark grant and the rest from local grants and donations.
The Silver Beach playground project recently received a place making award from Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber of Commerce, which was presented at last week’s meeting.
Community Development Director Dan Fette updated the board on the Lakeview Trail which runs along Lake Michigan from St. Joseph to Benton Harbor. When completed, there will be 10 miles of new trails with over 20 miles of multi-use interconnected trails involving Harbor Shores, Whirlpool property and the M-63 corridor.
Heit reported on changes in car seat laws that go into effect April 2. Infants to two-year-olds must be in a rear facing seat, two to five year olds can be in a forward facing seat, children ages five to eight can be in a booster seat and those under age 13 can be in a rear seat.
He also said the sheriff’s office continue to get fraud complaints. Residents have told his office that they receive calls that use his name and say that the person owes money and can pay with bitcoins. He said those calls are fraudulent; his office will never call people to demand money.
As for the Red Arrow Highway construction project, supervisors of Chikaming, Lake, and New Buffalo Townships spoke at last week’s county board meeting. They said they supported the project which is expected to put the highway on a “road diet,” reducing four lanes to three. The project also includes constructing a new trail from New Buffalo to Stevensville.
Chikaming Township Supervisor David Bunte said the concerns raised last year by residents have been addressed with people now just anxious to get the work done. “Please don’t listen to the Negative Nellies,” he said. “This is something good for the region as we try to attract talent and keep our youth from leaving the area.”
aubiLake Township Supervisor Zachary Carson and New Buffalo Township Supervisor Michelle Heit echoed those sentiments. They said that the Berrien County Road Department has been a good partner in answering their questions and concerns.
Both said that their residents want to see the highway work as well as the new trail that is being built next to it completed.  “People want the project completed and a smooth road to drive on,” Carson said. Heit noted that issues raised initially by business owners and others have been addressed.