GT County Commissioners Approve Budget, Jail Settlement; New Event OKed For Civic Center

Five new faces will join the Grand Traverse County board of commissioners at the start of January – leaving the existing commission with less than eight weeks to wrap up any final business. Commissioners resolved two significant outstanding items this week, approving a balanced 2019 budget and agreeing to a settlement with the family of an inmate who committed suicide in 2017 in Grand Traverse County Jail.

In other county news this week, Grand Traverse County Parks and Recreation commissioners cleared the way for a new event to come to the county Civic Center in May. MiCareerQuest Northwest 2019 is expected to draw more than 2,000 middle-school students from 10 counties to a hands-on, interactive career day highlighting six growing industries offering in-demand occupations.

Balanced Budget
County commissioners approved a $38.9 million general fund budget for 2019 that County Administrator Nate Alger said was balanced, not reliant on general fund allocations, did not reduce county services or staff positions, and included cost-of-living adjustments for employees. The vote to approve the budget was 5-0, with Commissioners Dan Lathrop and Ron Clous absent.

Alger acknowledged the budget – his first – was a conservative one, saying that while the county’s finances were improving, he did not want to “introduce any significant changes in services or staffing that may impact…the continued improvement in our financial position that we believe is to come.” Various county departments requested a total of 20 new staff positions to be added to their payrolls next year, but those requests were declined to preserve the general fund balance and to help pay for wage increases for most existing county employees.

The budget also includes a $5.9 million payment to Municipal Employees’ Retirement System (MERS) to pay down the county’s pension debt, which is estimated at $98 million. The county is approximately 56 percent funded at $55 million on its debt. Under Michigan law, the county needs to be 60 percent funded. The 2019 payment will help bring the county closer to meeting that funding requirement, according to Alger.

Commissioners, who have expressed frustration with past budget review processes, commended staff on what they described as a thoughtful budget presented with enough time to adequately study and provide feedback on the county's finances. “It’s a great document, and I appreciate the fact it was put together well and in a timely fashion,” said Commissioner Sonny Wheelock, who is one of only two current commissioners – along with Clous – who will continue on the board in 2019. Commissioner Bob Johnson, who did not seek reelection, said the budget was a “living, breathing document” that offered flexibility for change by either the current or future leadership group. “If we need to amend it, or the next board, they can do that,” he said. “But I think it is a good budget. (The staff) did a lot of good work this year getting it done in a very timely manner and keeping the costs down.”

Jail Settlement
County commissioners also unanimously voted – following a closed session with legal counsel this week – to release funds on deposit with county insurance company Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority to pay for a settlement with the family of Alan Halloway, an inmate who committed suicide in a Grand Traverse County Jail cell in July 2017.

Halloway hung himself with a pair of jail-issued socks in his cell while he was being held on multiple felony charges - including attempted murder, carrying a concealed weapon, and felony firearm possession - in connection to the shooting of David Loren Barber at Bay Hill Apartments in Traverse City. Two corrections officers lost their jobs following Halloway’s death, including one who resigned and one who was fired. Investigators found lapses in cell checks and record-keeping at the jail while investigating the suicide.

The amount of the settlement was discussed confidentially in closed session and was not disclosed publicly when commissioners came out to vote on approving the release of an unspecified level of funding. The agreement still needs to go to Halloway’s family and court officials for final approval.

MiCareerQuest Northwest 2019
Finally, Grand Traverse County Parks and Recreation Commissioners approved a new event this week to be held at the county Civic Center on May 22, 2019 that will bring an estimated 2,000 students to the park.

MiCareerQuest Northwest 2019, a program of Networks Northwest, will feature interactive exhibits at the day-long event representing in-demand occupations from six industries: manufacturing, construction, health sciences, information technology (IT), hospitality, and agriculture. Ninth-grade students from schools throughout 10 counties will be scheduled in sessions throughout the day to attend the event, rotating through the various hands-on exhibits every 25 minutes. According to Networks Northwest, there were nearly 5,000 open job listings on the northwest Michigan section of the Pure Michigan Talent Connect portal in September, with local employers struggling to “find qualified candidates to fill them.”

The event will not serve as a job fair, according to organizers, but rather a career exploration day that will encourage students approaching high school to consider pursuing careers – as well as educational and training paths – in high-demand industries. Grand Traverse County Parks and Recreation will provide $2,000 in in-kind sponsorship for the event to help defray costs for organizers renting the Civic Center for two days, including a set-up day on May 21 and the actual event day May 22.