Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By JAN TUCKER
Ontonagon — Ontonagon County voters will face several millage renewal issues in the August primary election after the county board approved language for several ballot measures Tuesday.
The board authorized placing a request for one mill for four years for the Ontonagon County Transit, one mill for four years for the SONCO Ambulance and three-tenths of a mill for the Gogebic-Ontonagon Community Action Agency.
Regarding the CAA ballot request, commissioner John Cane was concerned because the agency had used tax money to buy the former Workforce building in Ontonagon and took it off the tax rolls. Commissioners Carl Nykanen and Gray Webber said that there may be some concerns, but by putting the request on the ballot, “We can let the voters decide.”
Real and personal property values are down slightly in the county, equalization director Rose Lee Slocum reported. The value of $323,376,503 was down by .7259 percent from the previous year.
In equalization by class, agricultural property values increased by 8.85 percent, commercial property was down 2.71 percent, industrial property was up by 1.69 percent, residential was down 1.5 percent and cut-over timber down nearly 1 percent.
Slocum said her concern is that beach property values have slightly diminished.
The board approved the report and also extended the separate tax limitation by the same as the past, with 6.52 mills for the county, one mill for each township and .32 mill for the intermediate school district.
The commission agreed with a resolution from the Copper Country Mental Health Services opposing Gov. Rick Snyder’s budget proposal to move Medicaid money for mental health services to Medicaid health plans. CCMHS officials claim this is an attempt to move the program to private entities. Both Webber and Nykanen spoke in opposition to the proposal and joined in encouraging Snyder, the state Senate and state House of Representatives to prevent it from becoming law.
The Ontonagon Veterans Affairs Board asked the county to increase the hours of veterans counselor Billie Buzzo to six hours a day, two days a week. After discussion, the board agreed to the proposal on a “trial basis,” with the county to receive reports on how much activity is generated.
At the onset of the meeting, Pat Kitzman, Matchwood, spoke on veterans issues, especially a letter received last year concerning issues the state had with the past counselor. Kitzman said he tried to contact the state for information, but his requests were not answered. He said he felt at the time it was a ruse to get a regional committee, instead of local control. Since then, he said, those attempts have been made. He complained that state, federal and local boards do not listen and respond to the complaints of constituents.
In other action, the county board:
—Awarded a bid for removal of shrubs and bushes from in front of the courthouse to Pestka Construction for $1,200.
—Will place an ad in the MI- TRALE map book.
—Approved a county planning commission proposal to proceed working with the townships of the county in formulating a county master plan. The plan would assist in applying for grants and special funding opportunities.
—Approved increasing building liability coverage with the Hannula Insurance Company.
—Will hold a mid-year budget review on Tuesday, April 26.
