Law Allows Road Board Expansion
By Karen Gould

A new law may allow Mackinac County to expand its road commission from three to as many as five members, and county commissioners say they will consider the issue in an upcoming meeting, possibly as early as Thursday, January 11.

Mackinac County Road Commission Manager Craig Kelso said he welcomes any decision county commissioners make. The intent of the law, he said, is to expand the size of road boards so committees can contain more than one person.

The county commission is required to hold at least one public hearing before changing the makeup of the road commission. They must give at least 28 days notice of the hearing and provide a written notice to the road commission.

How Mackinac County commissioners will handle the law has yet to be decided.

County commissioners can increase the road commission by one or two members. Such seats would be appointed by the county board, and commissioners then could revert back to an entirely appointed road commission as terms expire or they could set the terms for the newly appointed seats, which would then enter the election process.

The new law was adopted, in part, because with a three-person board, a conversation between to commissioners about an issue before the board constitutes a quorum and is subject to the Open Meetings Act.

The bill, which was introduced by Representative Jack Hoogendyk of Kalamazoo, also questioned the current board structure of road commissions in the state and how adequately three people can represent larger counties, yet the bill does not require district representation, nor does it require board members to reside in different areas in a county.

Ed Noyola, deputy director of the County Road Association of Michigan, said his organization opposed the bill because it failed to establish representative districts in the counties.

In Mackinac County, both Road Commissioners Frank Luepnitz and Paul Amacher are from Moran, while Lester Livermore is from Engadine. Road commissioners are elected to six-year terms. Mr. Luepnitz is up for re-election in 2012, Mr. Amacher's term expires in 2008, and Mr. Livermore's term runs until 2010.

Mr. Noyola said the three-member board format had worked well for 70 years, with few complaints.

"We feel they've been pretty effective and efficient," he said of road commissions across the state.

If new members are added to road commissions, expenses also will increase, said Mr. Noyola. Mackinac County Road Commissioners receive the same benefits as the county commissioners. Commissioners earn $4,222.80 a year and the chairman receives an annual salary of $5,049. They are paid $60 a day for meetings and are compensated 44.5¢ a mile for travel and $8 for breakfast, $8 for lunch, and $20 for dinner. New for this year, county commissioners agreed that meal compensation would be available only when traveling outside the county and on county business. They also have retirement benefits and can receive health insurance.

The road commission, which is funded by gasoline taxes and motor vehicle registration fees, is responsible for maintaining 650 miles of county roads and 78 miles of state roads. Based in St. Ignace, the commission also has garages in Engadine and Cedarville.

There are two exceptions to the new law. Downstate Wayne County does not have a road commission and Oakland County was able to persuade lawmakers to exempt its road commission.