Townships Consolidation Bill Withdrawn
Would Have Given Duties to Counties
By Paul Gingras

A bill that would have given counties responsibility for services now provided by townships, such as collecting taxes and assessing property, has been withdrawn by its sponsor before it could be discussed at a scheduled hearing Friday, May 25, by the House Intergovernmental, Urban, and Regional Affairs Committee. It was conceived as a cost-cutting measure.

State Representative Gary Mc- Dowell of Rudyard, who convinced the bill's sponsor, Representative Paul Condino, to withdraw it from debate, believes it is possible, although unlikely, that it will be taken up again, he told The St. Ignace News.

The Michigan Townships Association (MTA) has concluded that public backlash figured significantly in Rep. Condino's reconsideration of the bill.

The act would affect townships with fewer than 10,000 residents, and townships with 10,000 to 20,000 residents that do not provide 24-hours-a-day fire and police protection, as well as water and sewer services to 50% or more of their populations. This includes 90% of the state's 1,242 townships. Each of Mackinac County's 11 townships have fewer than 10,000 residents. (Mackinac County's total population was 11,943 in the 2000 census.)

Local township boards and MTA did not support the measure. They insist that townships are efficient, adding that while the concept was designed to save money by consolidating services, redirecting township powers to counties would ultimately cost taxpayers more.

Townships say that eliminating local representation would force residents who live far from county seats to travel inconvenient distances to attend meetings, pay taxes, and ask officials about local matters. Further, county officials would seldom be as familiar with outlying areas as members of township boards, said Clark Township Supervisor Linda Hudson.

Mackinac County is 84 miles long, she added, illustrating the inconvenience for some residents.

For counties to absorb the responsibilities of townships, they would need to hire more staff, and new county employees would be paid higher salaries than township officials and would receive health care benefits that members of township governments do not, Mrs. Hudson added.

According to the bill, counties would charge townships for assessing, tax collection, and election services.

At a meeting in St. Ignace Monday, May 21, Mrs. Hudson and Mr. McDowell discussed the bill. The next day, Mr. McDowell discussed it with Mr. Condino.

Mr. Condino, a Democrat from Oakland County, had assumed consolidating services would lead to savings. He was not familiar with the practices of township government, Mr. McDowell said, which often include mutual-aid contracts for fire and ambulance services with neighboring communities and low salaries for clerks, treasurers, and supervisors. Mr. McDowell said that by the end of the discussion, Mr. Condino had changed his mind and decided to withdraw the topic from the hearing.

The bill was introduced with good intentions, he added. Owing to work on Brevort Lake Road "that was supposed to be done 20 years ago," and that other corners will also be cleared to make them clear vision areas. Commissioner Paul Amacher said he didn't know if he could approve the addition without knowing if that was what Mr. Luepnitz said.

Mr. Luepnitz said Mr. Livermore's suggested amendment does not represent exactly what he said. He said he wanted work done at the corner, but never would have ordered the work without a road commission vote. Mr. Kelso cited the May 3 article in The St. Ignace News that states Mr. Luepnitz "ordered" the work. As commissioners argued about who ordered the clearing and restoration work on 20 acres at the corner of Crystal and Brevort roads, Mr. Kelso produced an e-mail correspondence he sent East End Foreman Dale Williams explaining the work he said Mr. Luepnitz ordered, including cutting brush and trees, chipping, removing stumps, and spreading grass seed and mulch. Mr. Luepnitz contended some of the work was Mr. Kelso's "goofy idea," and said he wanted the ditch cleaned out and trees cleared from the property.

"I'm not sure what the problem is," Mr. Luepnitz said. "I recommend that Craig do something, and he does the opposite. If I have to draw a picture, then I'll have to."

Commissioners ultimately approved Mr. Amacher motion to accept the minutes without changes, adding that "as far as this deal goes, that's between [Mr. Kelso and Mr. Luepnitz]."

Road commissioners fielded complaints, questions, and requests for road work from a number of unscheduled township representatives and took action on one request from Brevort Township Road Committee members Dave Craig and Warren Smith to grade Black Point Road between Nothelfer and Government roads. Commissioners unanimously elected to send a grad- er the next day to Black Point Road.

Hudson Township Supervisor Al Garavaglia, who was on the agenda, recommended shoulder and surface work for Highway 40 in his township, among several maintenance and drainage improvement suggestions, and requested the road commission consider applying the cost of chip sealing H-40 to paving with bituminous asphalt instead. The paving project would cost roughly $48,000, and Mr. Garavaglia must first get formal Hudson Township board approval to move forward with asphalt. Commissioners estimated a paving project could cost the township as much as $30,000.

St. Ignace Township resident Joan Theut asked for repairs to Gamble Road, including drainage improvements, sub base, aggregate surface, road widening, and culvert replacement. Commissioners have discussed sharing the cost of improving Gamble Road with the Hiawatha National Forest Service, but have not come to any agreements. She also suggested improvements to a bumpy section of Mackinac Trail.

St. Ignace Township Supervisor Dale Nelson complained that, after $142,000 was spent last year on one mile of improvements to Belonga Road, the road surface still isn't ready for blacktop or chip seal. The road turns to "slop" when it gets wet, he said. Mr. Kelso wondered if it was caused by regular spring break-up.

"The road is ready for blacktop, but it needs some final work after spring break-up," Mr. Kelso said. "Roads always need preparation and grading before paving."

Mr. Nelson said the project was supposed to include ditching, but "there wasn't a ditch done on it."

"I don't think we're getting our bang for our buck, here," Mr. Nelson said.

Mr. Livermore suggested St. Ignace Township follow Moran Township's lead and get engineering bids from someone else. Mr. Amacher offered to "do something to make it right," but Mr. Kelso said he doesn't know what needs to be made right.

Mr. Nelson then requested the road commission give townships itemized lists of estimates. Other townships have also said they want itemized estimates.

"Your estimates say nothing, and I've been asking for itemized estimates for years, and never had one," Mr. Nelson said.

The road commission only estimates time and general costs when it provides road work recommendations, commissioners explained.

In other discussion, Brevort Township Roads Committee members complained that Brevort Township always seems to be last on the priority list for road work and wondered why scheduled work wasn't completed on Black Point Road in the township. Commissioners were also asked to look into road work being completed by a contractor on Bois Blanc Island. Later in the meeting, Mr. Amacher said he wants to start getting work reports from the island.

Mr. Luepnitz proposed reducing the five-day, eight-hour work week to four 10-hour days to save money, and made a motion to that effect, but his motion died for lack of support. Both Mr. Amacher and Mr. Livermore said they think the fiveday weeks are satisfactory.

Mr. Luepnitz reminded commissioners and employees that the road commission has a disparagement clause that bars employees from making disparaging remarks against the road commission. He said workers have complained they do not know what happens at meetings, but they all get reminders of meetings and have the opportunity to attend, or can read the minutes.

Commissioners learned that the federal mileage compensation rate has been increased to 48.5¢ owing to the increasing price of gasoline.

A June 26 meeting with township supervisors will give them the opportunity to talk with the road commission about road contracts and estimates. The hearing will be at 6 p.m., before the 7 p.m. road commission meeting.

Mr. Kelso told commissioners the maintenance budget "is getting pretty close to zero." The money is used for dust control, mowing, and surface maintenance in the county. In April, Mr. Kelso had reported that approximately $150,000 remained in the surface maintenance budget. There is now about $100,000 in the budget, Mr. Kelso said, and all of that has been appropriated.