Gogebic County budget hearing set for Sept. 25

By PAMELA JANSSON

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Bessemer - The Gogebic County Board of Commissioners approved the 2024 winter tax levy at its Sept. 11 meeting.

According to Kathy Jo Koval, the county's equalization director, the total millage to be levied on Dec. 1 will be 2.5791 mills.

Agenda records in relation to her presentation to the board show that the millage was based on the 2024 taxable value of all county properties, which totals $692,678,879.

The board also voted to schedule a public hearing on the 2024-25 fiscal year budget at the start of the commission's next regular meeting on Sept. 25 at 5 p.m. in the Gogebic County Courthouse.

In a Sept. 13 interview with The Globe, board chairman James Lorenson said the pending budget for the next year is $9.1 million.

The current fiscal year budget for 2023-24 is $8.7 million.

"We're keeping it at a relatively low increase," said Lorenson, attributing that status to county administrator Juliane Giackino, "who coordinates all this and really puts it all together," as well as the scrutiny of board members and the administration at large.

In relation to county staff at large, he added, "All of them actually administrate that budget, and that's where they really shine."

Lorenson said that county staff and officials always strive to spend "wisely" - whether the source is taxpayer funds or grants, etc.

One challenge he said the county faces is in considering how better to share costs and to improve services on the eastern side of the county, where Marenisco and Watersmeet townships lie.

He said the distance in itself poses challenges. There are 54 miles between Ironwood and Watersmeet, meaning that it takes about one hour to travel the distance one way.

Nevertheless, the chairman believes that technology could improve communications, and he said it may be possible to arrange for various members of the Gogebic County Courthouse staff, in Bessemer, to travel to the eastern townships for an occasional interchange.

Lorenson referred to George R. Peterson III, who serves the two eastern townships on the county board, as "a great bridge between us," adding, "He's very reasonable and has a lot of common sense. He helps balance us."

The chairman added that one ongoing asset for the county is that all of its board members have the best interest of the county at heart. "It's amazing what they do behind the scenes," he said, in reference to various types of volunteering.

Although board members do not always agree on every issue, Lorenson said, "We make better decisions because of the difference in opinions. I think there're other levels of government that could learn from that."

After all, he concluded, "Since when did 'compromise' become a bad word?"

In other news, commissioners also approved guidelines for the county's emergency repair program. The guidelines have been open to review at the office of county clerk Ramona Collins, and a related public hearing at the start of the meeting drew no comments.

During the hearing, Gerry Pelissero of the Gogebic-Ontonagon Community Action Agency explained that $96,117 is now available to income-limited households for repair of issues such as roof leaks, broken windows, furnace replacement, foundation repairs, well problems, accessibility needs, etc.

"We will do up to $40,000 per household," said Pelissero, who added that his office will advertise the opportunity, after which interested parties will have one week to apply.

He added that persons requesting assistance will be chosen on a first-come, first-served basis.

Board members also:

- Voted to accept and file information regarding real property foreclosure sales, as received from county treasurer Lisa Hewitt, who said the rate of sales this year was almost six times as high as usual. She reported 31 properties sold at public auctions among a total of 32 foreclosed. The sum of minimum bids for all foreclosures was $169,135.08.

-Voted to accept and authorize signatures for a $198,570 grant from the Michigan Local Retirement Grant Program, as presented by Hewitt. The program was created to ease annual budget stress for local governments covering qualified pension and retirement health systems.

- Approved the annual work agreement that Heidi DeRosso, the county's emergency management/911 coordinator, said outlines what she and the county must do to receive state reimbursement funds from the 2025 Emergency Management Performance Grant for her program. Commissioners also voted to receive and file the 2024-25 budget of $507,288 for the 911 program.

All votes were unanimous with all members present.

In addition, Peterson presented a check for $7,500 to DeRosso for the emergency management/911 office. Peterson was acting on behalf of the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. The Watersmeet band provided the donation made possible by a 2% distribution of its gaming profits.

"Every year, we've been getting support from the tribe," said Peterson, who added, that tribal chairman James Williams Jr. "has been helping us out for years."

Jerry Wuorenmaa, executive director of the Western Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Region of Hancock, also reported progress on the county's recent decision to join with five other western U.P. counties in an interlocal agreement regarding solid waste and recycling.

"We have sent the notice of intent to EGLE (the state Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy) and it was accepted," he said.

WUPPDR is acting as the coordinator of the western U.P. coalition, and Wuorenmaa said it is in the process of hiring related staff and expects eventually to have a web page on the subject.

He said he is asking the various counties within the coalition to determine appropriate candidates for a regional committee to address issues relating to the interlocal agreement, for which he believes grant funds ultimately will be available.