Watersmeet Township continues push for PILT funds

By PAMELA JANSSON

pjansson@yourdailyglobe.com

Ironwood — The Gogebic County Board of Commissioners voted on July 24 to receive and file a letter from Mike Rogers, supervisor of Watersmeet Township, who continued to question the county’s handling of PILT monies.

No other action was taken on Rogers’ July 15 letter in which he lobbied for the county to share PILT allotments with Watersmeet and Marenisco townships, each of which include substantial portions of the Ottawa National Forest.

As defined by the state, “Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) are state of Michigan payments to local units of government in lieu of property taxes for the land owned by the state and administered by the Department of Natural Resources. The payments are made by the Department of Treasury, and only on those public lands administered by the DNR.”

In his letter to county board chairman James Lorenson and other board members, Rogers referred to a July 9 meeting at the Watersmeet Township School library, which included himself, as well as Lorenson and Marenisco Township supervisor Bruce Mahler.

Rogers restated Lorenson’s belief that the forest land is associated more directly with the county than with the townships.

Hence, Rogers wrote, “So going along with this thought, if that is the case, why is it on our townships’ shoulders to provide services such as police, fire, medical, including medical responses in (the) Sylvania Wilderness area, as well as the rest of these federal lands in question?”

He added, “While our townships have to bear the burden for these services, the county takes and holds all the funds this PILT money generates.”

Rogers’ letter also provided a list of a dozen specialty vehicles — ranging from tanker, pumper, brush and rescue trucks to cars, a 4-wheeler, snowmobiles and an inflatable boat needed by police and fire officials in that region — to provide services as needed to all township property, including the federal forest areas.

He concluded his letter by reflecting that, in the past, he and Mahler had requested that the county consider distributing 50% of the PILT monies to their respective townships.

In discussions at recent meetings, county commissioners have explored the possibility of sharing PILT funds with any of its townships that include federal forests. However, no decisions have been made yet regarding an equitable — possibly pro-rated — distribution.

Lorenson said that his next related meeting with Mahler and Rogers will occur in Marenisco Township “when they’re ready.”

In other news, commissioners also received and placed on file an annual permit that the Gogebic Range Trail Authority must submit to the state in relation to its sponsorship of designated snowmobile and ATV trails in association with the MDNR.

The permit states that GRTA is eligible for “automatic renewal as long as proof of insurance and (state Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs) certification of good standing for non-profit status is maintained.”

The permit also states that the right-of-way snowmobile route, and ATV route, shall be open to the general public for snowmobile use during designated periods.

Commissioners agreed that the state needs to provide greater specificity in relation to routes.

Commissioners also approved the placement of a proposal for renewal of separate tax limitations on the Nov. 5 general ballot for Gogebic County.

In a July 18 letter to Lorenson, county clerk Ramona Collins said the recommendation came from the county’s Tax Limitation Advisory Committee.

The proposal reads as follows: “Shall separate tax limitations be renewed or continued for a period of four years (2025-2028 inclusive) for the county of Gogebic and the townships and the intermediate school district within the county, the aggregate of which shall not exceed nine mills ...”

The associated breakdown is as follows: Gogebic County, 6.68 mills; Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District, 0.32 mills; and townships: Ironwood, “chartered”; Erwin, 1.0; Bessemer, 1.63; Wakefield, 1.63; Watersmeet, 1.77; and Marenisco, 2.0.

All votes were unanimous with all members present.

The board’s next regular meeting will be on Aug. 14 at 5 p.m. in the Gogebic County Courthouse.