Gogebic County deputies awarded for meritorious service

By ZACHARY MARANO

zmarano@yourdailyglobe.com

Bessemer — At the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners meeting on Wednesday, two officers from the Gogebic County Sheriff’s Office were recognized with meritorious service awards for their efforts in apprehending a murder suspect on Christmas Eve 2021.

“While facing a very volatile and dangerous situation, deputies Josh Elias and Adam Graser showed great courage and intestinal fortitude when they entered a remote cabin and apprehended a suspected murderer. Their actions are not only courageous but should be considered honorable to our profession as law enforcement offices,” Gogebic County Undersheriff Jorge Cruz said to the board.

According to a letter of commendation from Sheriff Ross Solberg, Elias and Graser were first to arrive at the scene on a report of a suspected shooting during the early morning hours of Dec. 24 in Marenisco Township. The deputies arrested the suspect without incident, the letter says.

“Deputies, thank you very much for your service and your actions on that particular incident,” Board of Commissioners Chair Jim Lorenson said. “Your actions are a great testimony to the department, yourselves personally and to the county. Thank you very much for your efforts.”

Kathy Jo Koval, equalization director for Gogebic County, also appeared before the board to request the approval of the 2022 assessed values for each of the county’s six classes as part of the county’s assessed and equalized valuations report. The six classes were agricultural, commercial, rural-industrial, rural-residential, timber cutover and personal property value.

Koval said that the report reflects the 2022 county equalized value as $763,384,991, which is a 9.04% increase from 2021. She said the tentative 2022 taxable value is $595,728,765, which is a 5.12% increase from 2021.

“Rural residential is where you’re going to see your largest increase, an overall change of an average of 11.59%,” Koval said. “Erwin Township had an increase with new construction. Wakefield Township had a large increase in building permits, new construction and an increase in sale values. Ironwood Township’s increased due to new construction, sales with uncapping and bringing the ratio from 44% to 93.3%. Based on sales, Watersmeet (Township)’s increase was due to increasing the residential ratio from 45% to 49%. The city of Ironwood had some building permits, re-evaluating property and increases in sales and the uncapping.”

Koval said that the agricultural class had a slight increase of 15% and Ironwood Township had increased from last year because of rezoning some districts from residential to agricultural.

Koval said that the city of Bessemer had an increase in assessed value in the commercial class when the property for the new Dollar General in the city was sold. She also said Bessemer Township had some changes when rezoning districts from commercial to commercial-personal. She added that the city of Wakefield had some new constructions on U.S. 2 from the Dalbeck properties.

For rural-industrial, Koval said the city of Wakefield purchased some industrial parcels in the industrial park, making them exempt and other parcels were better classified in the commercial class. The commercial class showed a rise of 12.83% from 2021 to 2022. The city of Bessemer had a slight increase, with the owners of the plywood plant completing some construction.

Koval said that the timber cutover and personal property assessed values are holding steady from last year. She said that the personal property value tends to stay the same, only getting updated with the state multipliers. The board that they may see some drastic changes next year because of the Michigan state tax commission’s alterations in small business exemptions, Koval said.

“Based on tentative values not yet approved the state tax commission, in 2022, Gogebic County could capture revenue of $3,957,188, which is 5.12% increase,” Koval said.

The board also:

—Received and placed on file communication from the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority regarding the appointment of Sheriff Solberg to the Upper Peninsula Law Enforcement Risk Control Advisory Committee with a term expiring on Dec. 31, 2024.

—Formally requested Gogebic County Prosecutor Nick Jacobs to give the board an opinion on that board’s authority regarding millage proposals on the county elections. Board member Joe Bonovetz wanted to know if the board just has the authority to make county programs change the language of their millage proposals or if they can prevent them from requesting any millage.