Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RALPH ANSAMI
Bessemer — The Gogebic County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday agreed to place a Gogebic County Medical Care Facility millage renewal on the ballot for the Aug. 2 election.
Voters will be asked to renew .4 of a mill for a five-year period to be used for building and site improvements at the medical care facility in Wakefield.
It’s estimated that the first year of the millage would raise around $194,252 in taxes for the facility.
The .4 mill has been in effect for the past five years.
Board Chair Joe Bonovetz, of Bessemer, noted it’s similar to transit and Community Action Agency millages that will be up for renewal on the primary election ballot.
County Clerk Gerry Pelissero said the exact dollar amount won’t be known until April.
In other business Wednesday, county board members agreed their March 23 finance committee will begin at 4 p.m., a half hour early, to discuss the state’s policy for payment in lieu of taxes for forested parcels.
After several township officials discussed PILT funding with the finance committee on Wednesday, board members said they’d like more time to study the townships’ request for PILT money.
Bonovetz said the county’s budget includes $585,000 in PILT funds and losing that money, or a big chunk of it, “would throw our budget into chaos.” He said he understands the seriousness of the matter to township officials, however.
County board corporation counsel Nick Jacobs said none of the other Upper Peninsula counties are distributing PILT funds to the townships. He suggested township officials would be better served by addressing their Congressional representatives or senators for changes.
The board also approved equalization director Tom Novascone’s use of an envelope stuffing machine for Iron River tax bills. The county will receive $585 for the use of the machine for out of county work.
