“METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA” DESIGNATION WILL STAY FOR THE BENTON HARBOR-NILES AREA

By DEBRA HAIGHT

ST. JOSEPH – Berrien County Commissioners got good news last week about a federal designation for this area that means funding and more for local municipalities. Meanwhile, commissioners delayed action on a COVID vaccine related item.

County officials reported earlier this year that the Biden administration was planning to remove the “metropolitan statistical area” designation from the Benton Harbor-Niles area. The administration had plans to change the population requirement for such a designation from 50,000 to 100,000 people in 2023.

Commissioners learned last week that efforts by county officials and others has delayed that action from taking effect. Commissioner Robert Harrison informed fellow commissioners that everyone’s efforts appear to have paid off as the federal government has halted their decision to implement that change.

Harrison thanked Community Development Director Dan Fette, Kinexus Vice President Al Pscholka and U.S. Rep. Fred Upton in particular for their efforts in stopping the federal action. Other Michigan communities facing similar loss of the MSA designation included Bay City, Battle Creek and Jackson.

Fette and Pscholka told commissioners in March that the change would have a detrimental effect on the county and the region with a loss of federal funds and the hindering of economic development opportunities.

Pscholka, who is a former state representative, said the OMB’s move is “a slap in the face to rural communities and small towns.” “There’s not a good reason for the federal government to do this and it’s one of those things that is hard to undo after it’s done,” he said.

He and Fette said the biggest loss would be in the loss of up to date statistical data that area community and economic development leaders use when they’re applying for grants and working to attract new companies and new employees.

A proposed health department fee increase to bill insurance companies for COVID-19 vaccines was met with opposition from several commissioners and ended up being tabled until early October. The county board will take it up again then when it votes on other possible health department fee increases.

Harrison reported that the county board approves the health department’s fee schedule every year in January. He noted that the schedule approved earlier this year did not include any administrative fee for COVID vaccines.

He said his committee was proposing to add the administrative fee to the three COVID vaccines currently being used. The vaccines themselves remain free of charge “It only applies to those who come in with some sort of insurance coverage,” he said.

Commissioner Ezra Scott was the first to object. “This is concerning to me,” he said. “A lot of what we do is being fiscally responsible with taxpayers’ money. The other thing is perception within the county.”

“What I’m struggling with is the fact that the COVID vaccines are free to us and we have received millions of dollars in federal relief funding,” he added. “I don’t see the necessity of charging insurance companies $40 per  shot when we’ve gotten federal and state monies.”

“If this comes up again in future years when we need more shots and boosters, I can see that,” he said. “But I don’t see adding it to the 2021 fiscal year. When we’ve received shots for free and gotten COVID money, it sends out the wrong message to taxpayers.”

“I can’t support something where we’ve received money for COVID relief,” he added. “The more insurance companies get charged, the rates will go up for everybody. It’s like the cost of fraud gets passed around to everybody.”

Commissioners Jon Hinkelman and Julie Wuerfel agreed. They said such a move would serve to discourage people from getting vaccinated just when there remains a push for people to get vaccines.

Harrison said the purpose of charging insurance companies an administrative fee was to have the COVID vaccine become a normal part of the health department business. He said he was afraid at some point the grant funds will go away the department will have to lay off people.

Scott pointed out that new people hired by the health department to deal with the pandemic were hired with the understanding that their jobs would go away when the funds go away.

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