The Mackinac County Board of Commissioners approved its 2010 tax request and heard an update on the Luce, Mackinac, Alger, and Schoolcraft (LMAS) Heath Department Thursday, June 10.

Commissioners decided to levy the maximum amount of 4.4631 mills on July 1 for its 2010 tax request, which will include the Convention Facilities and Liquor (CFT) tax revenue.

Because the county's taxable value went down slightly from last year, it will be collecting $28,000 less, reported Equalization Director Jim Fenlon. That money will be subtracted from the CFT tax revenue, he said, which will total $92,825.

The county is obligated to allocate 50% of the CFT tax revenue to substance abuse programs, which is given to North Care Network, a substance abuse agency in Marquette. In the past, the majority of the money was distributed by the organization for substance abuse programs operated by the LMAS District Health Department, but those were cut last year.

Because the money is specifically designated for substance abuse programs in Mackinac County, Commission Chair Dawn Nelson suggested commissioners should learn more about where the funds are being allocated before they're issued.

“We need to know how many agencies are taking a cut and where the money is going to help people,” she said.

In response to Mrs. Nelson's proposal, commissioners invited Judi Brugman, supervisor of Northcare Network, to the next commission meeting Thursday, June 24, to account for where the funds will be distributed.

Presenting an overview of the LMAS 2009 budget report, health officer Nick Derusha noted that the department was forced to discontinue its home health and community health services in 2009.

Approximately 100 employees lost their jobs at the department in 2009, he reported, most of them employed at the agency's home health and hospice program. He said most of the terminated employees were able to find employment at other agencies, including the Great Lakes Recovery Center of Marquette.

Program cuts for community health included substance abuse services, youth workshops, the Michigan Department of Corrections counseling services, and the Michigan Prisoner Re-entry initiative, Mr. Derusha reported.

Regarding the agency's financial outlook, the LMAS finance committee will be making its future budget plans soon, Mr. Derusha informed commissioners.

“We've put the brakes on the losses we've had,” he said. “I'm hopeful that next year the agency will be in the black, and that in the next five years we can put money back into the fund balance.”