[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6598625,"mediaKeyId","3032509-c79b6860e8146eb1056a729b1043332a","parentId",3032509,"title","Eaton County posts clean 2023–24 audit; commissioners briefed on budget pressure and Headlee limits ahead of special budget sessions","audioSeconds",2545,"startMs",751000,"endMs",3296000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3032509-c79b6860e8146eb1056a729b1043332a&start=751&end=3296","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3032509-c79b6860e8146eb1056a729b1043332a/thumbnail_751000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6598625/Eaton-County/Michigan/Eaton-County-posts-clean-202324-audit-commissioners-briefed-on-budget-pressure-and-Headlee-limits-ahead-of-special-budget-sessions","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6598625-3d02bea1a4d6789d2cd96964b2a4e470/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160552&Signature=Gq14UroU3WPx1NEWBmOUH2yZ8NQxSQ0PoGAfOgKuFe2dZep0rLjIa4LA7M7m7c3T14cnUqVGft3EQy~vqw2P1a4ksGwSXePryuZMHfY2QGBklgqrsc9TU60FK4154Jb357BRIGXcX5K76recsgjNJX5K6H-mfk-46zA3yIYkq90fjkeiDhGn9X6RK2alkekCXyJGMJjLk1PznrbIEKYd-ZbxY06uPbQs7EMTGqDR~r2HZp7YdNXuqpZZouTviRiETE~PHICgnwlgEQbVYqii046S0B3fl9VDWLPlNviUPUqLOV5YvWnf-pi2Ot9KsXkbUdEZbCIM8gzvNpUC8JQzZw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Eaton County","date","2025-04-17T01:05:58.487Z","article","EATON COUNTY — Eaton County officials reported an unmodified (clean) audit for fiscal year 2023–24 and discussed the budget pressures that have prompted a special budget meeting on April 25 and a separate decision meeting in May.

Nathan Balderman, the audit partner who presented the results, told the board the independent audit team issued an unmodified opinion on the county’s financial statements and found no material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in internal controls. He also said the county’s federal single‑audit program testing for ARPA funds (the program tested this year) returned no findings.

\"We did issue an unmodified opinion ... That's considered to be a clean opinion,\" Balderman said. He added that audit procedures do not test every transaction but are designed to provide reasonable assurance that \"the financial statements are fairly stated in all material respects.\"

Finance Director Melissa Ballard reviewed key budget numbers presented in the Ways and Means packet. Ballard said the county saw strong property valuation increases and higher interest and rent receipts, and that overall year‑end results were better than expected. The county had originally budgeted to use about $680,000 of fund balance but ended the year with roughly $1.6 million of added fund balance instead.

\"We had anticipated that we would use fund balance of $680,000 approximately. And we ended up gaining fund balance in the amount of approximately $1,600,000,\" Ballard told commissioners.

Ballard and commissioners stressed the role of deliberate vacancy management and unfilled positions in improving the year‑end position. Ballard said personnel savings accounted for a substantial portion of the better‑than‑expected margin.

County staff and commissioners also discussed the Headlee tax‑limitation rules, which constrain local millage increases. Tim Vandermark, the county equalization director, briefed the board on valuation changes: residential values rose roughly 6.85% and total real property increased about 6.38% year‑over‑year. Vandermark explained Headlee limits mean the county’s tax rate is effectively capped by inflation and new construction; he warned the county likely faces another rollback of its authorized rate this year.

\"Headlee restricts your tax millage. It cannot go above inflation essentially, not including new construction,\" Vandermark said, explaining why revenues cannot be counted on to keep pace with inflation and rising costs.

The audit acceptance was placed before the board for formal action. The board moved and accepted the 09/30/2024 audit report on a voice vote.

Chairman Mott used the meeting to preview an accelerated budget process. If the public safety millage on the ballot in 2025 does not pass, county leaders said the administration will present a menu of cuts and reorganization options. Chairman Mott said the board will hold a special budget meeting at 9 a.m. on April 25 for a line‑by‑line review and then a subsequent session in May when the board will make decisions about staff and program reductions if needed.

Prosecutor Doug Lloyd used part of the public comment section to describe criminal justice workload and recent state court decisions that could increase prosecutorial costs; he said in‑court hearings to review retroactive life‑without‑parole sentences could require expert witnesses and additional expense.

The board heard public comment on the public safety millage during the meeting. Several residents and officials urged support for the millage, citing long response times for state police and concerns about reductions in sheriff’s office staffing.

Ending: The audit provides short‑term assurance that Eaton County’s accounting and federal award handling met professional standards for 2023–24. County leaders said the larger fiscal challenge remains structural — Headlee limits on revenue and rising personnel and benefit costs — and they directed staff to prepare financial options for the board’s upcoming special budget sessions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","4-16-2025 Board of Commissioners","oneSentenceSummary","Eaton County auditors issued an unmodified opinion for fiscal year 2023–24 and found no federal award findings; county finance officials nonetheless warned of continued budget pressure tied to Headlee tax limits and rising personnel costs.","taxTitle","Eaton County, Michigan","taxId",53092,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6598630,"Eaton County Commissioners approve full‑faith pledges for major drainage projects, authorize bond process for intercounty bank drain",4257,3888000,8145000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3032509-c79b6860e8146eb1056a729b1043332a&start=3888&end=8145","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3032509-c79b6860e8146eb1056a729b1043332a/thumbnail_3888000.jpg","/articles/6598630/Eaton-County/Michigan/Eaton-County-Commissioners-approve-fullfaith-pledges-for-major-drainage-projects-authorize-bond-process-for-intercounty-bank-drain","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6598630-5cded20529ef3c68f7ccdf823b74ef76/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160552&Signature=eUectfCO4EhJxdEpP4ikp2rWFwFL7PGo1WPwNz~MiZIaihoMV217YG4FG5ElOFy2IhTL9rFxvh5LPOXZuPjL0DBQp7gltMTmW2MuZuvqwzqkpUl3DhLQSpDPpgRGnCauia~bjZFspov7sez2Q4glYllbD2MfkZgJ8lhw0MW8s38NOTYgYAl~I6Ym0TnMSOozRQe-kFn2BGzXB1WX48OVI-285JkOSTsd0Pj8rEB3F1yVc1GOrsnYeCprl0QYQbVyHTFmjeoEfS97LdpRBwqcn7X01LhzNnItZ-SHXSWoFJIG6MJxkr89Vj7God68c~w5Q3EACE9MLLzdl~u65JZ6~g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","EATON COUNTY — The Eaton County Board of Commissioners on April 16 voted to back multiple drainage projects with the county’s credit and set the county on a path to issue a capital improvement bond to help finance the largest, the Bank Intercounty Drain project.

The board voted to pledge the county’s full faith and credit for the Hobart and Lead‑Lehi drain projects and, after separating it for discussion, approved a separate full‑faith pledge for the Bank Intercounty Drain. Commissioners later adopted a notice of intent to issue capital improvement bonds to finance the county’s portion of the Bank Intercounty Drain project and related county facility improvements.

The decisions follow months of engineering, hearings and financing work by the drainage district, county staff and consultants. Spicer Group, municipal bond counsel and financial advisors told commissioners that without the county pledge the projects likely would not receive competitive bids or would face substantially higher interest costs when sold in the bond market. Bond counsel explained that drainage districts rely primarily on special assessments and that a county pledge acts as a backup source of payment if assessments prove insufficient.

“This is a real obligation from the county,” bond counsel told commissioners, adding that in normal situations any county payment would be limited and short in duration because delinquent assessments first enter the county tax‑collection process and the drainage district can levy deficiency assessments to repay the county.

Commissioners pressed staff on process and timing. Officials said the drainage districts had completed the necessary hearing steps and that, at the time of the meeting, the project had no outstanding appeals. The county’s municipal advisor and drain counsel said the bank drain bond sale was scheduled for mid‑May and that a delay in the board’s action likely would force the financing date to move and could increase costs for assessed property owners.

The board split the three full‑faith resolutions into two votes after several commissioners asked that the Bank Intercounty Drain be considered separately from two smaller county drains to address specific questions, including the fact that Eaton County’s drain commissioner had been recused earlier in the process and an outside drain commissioner had presided over initial steps. County legal counsel explained that recusal in that context is statutory and that a substitute drain commissioner had been appointed for the early proceedings.

Commissioners also heard project details from engineering firm Spicer Group. Construction is scheduled to begin this summer, with preconstruction meetings the week of June 2; project leaders said work should be substantially complete by mid‑2028. Engineers described a combination of storm sewer, pipe and dry detention basins, including a larger detention basin on the 4,300 West Saginaw (former school) property and two smaller dry basins near Waverly Road. Spicer said the design intends the smaller basins to remain dry in normal conditions and to hold water only during storm events.

The drainage team emphasized prepayment options for property owners: letters and a project website will provide each parcel’s assessment figure and property owners who prepay by the posted deadline will avoid interest. County staff will operate satellite payment sessions in Delta Township and at county offices to assist residents with prepayments.

Commissioners acknowledged constituent frustration about timing and cost. Several members said they would vote to approve the pledges reluctantly to avoid higher financing costs for property owners or loss of the current construction schedule and state or federal funding. Others criticized the drain commissioner’s lack of presence during parts of the process and requested statutory guidance on recusal and participation.

Votes at a glance:
- Full faith and credit, Hobart and Lead‑Lehi drain resolutions (items 4 and 5): passed by roll call. Recorded roll call (selected entries): Commissioner Art — no; Commissioner Mark Mudry — yes; Commissioner John Haskell — yes; Commissioner Jane Whitaker — yes; Commissioner Christiansen — no; others recorded yes. (Tally from roll call: 12 yes, 2 no.)
- Full faith and credit, Bank Intercounty Drain (item 6): passed by roll call (unanimous among members recorded present). (Recorded yes votes include: Commissioner Arndt, Peake, Haskell, Pearl Wright, Whitaker, Mudry, Jones, Drosha, Toomey, Hansen, Christiansen, Holmes, Barber, Chairman Mott.)
- Notice of intent to issue capital improvement bonds (Bank Intercounty Drain financing / county portion): board adopted the notice of intent and an administrative recommendation to override a 2011 county policy limiting full‑faith approvals in order to proceed with the financing schedule; the motion carried by voice vote.

County officials and consultants said the maximum bond authorization and final structure will be set later in the statutory process; the notice of intent does not finalize rates, term or exact amounts. Bond counsel and the financial advisor said the board’s action authorizes the publication and steps required under Act 34 for municipal financings.

During the meeting, drainage counsel and engineers summarized the statutory process that led to the project—petitions, hearings of practicability, preliminary engineering and property acquisition—and noted the team had secured a $5 million state appropriation and some ARPA funding that aided the project’s affordability. The drainage team also said competitive bid adjustments and scheduling changes reduced the total project estimate by about $1.6 million since the earliest estimates.

Commissioners, engineers and the public urged close construction coordination to reduce disruption; Spicer Group said the project will use direct mail, a live project map on the project website and door‑to‑door contact for directly affected properties. The board scheduled no additional financing decisions at this meeting; staff will return with final bond sizing and statutory notices as required.

Ending: The drainage projects mark one of the largest infrastructure undertakings in Eaton County in recent years. Commissioners said they approved the pledges to keep the projects on their current schedule and to avoid higher costs for assessed property owners, while continuing to hear concerns about timing, transparency and the drain commissioner recusal process.","After extended public and technical briefings, the Board approved full faith and credit pledges for two drainage projects, separately approved the larger Bank Intercounty Drain pledge, and adopted a notice of intent to pursue a capital improvement bond to finance the county’s share of the Bank Intercounty work.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6598621,"CAPCOG leaders tell Eaton County commissioners region has secured hundreds of millions for infrastructure; urge continued regional advocacy",736,942000,1678000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3032509-c79b6860e8146eb1056a729b1043332a&start=942&end=1678","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3032509-c79b6860e8146eb1056a729b1043332a/thumbnail_942000.jpg","/articles/6598621/Eaton-County/Michigan/CAPCOG-leaders-tell-Eaton-County-commissioners-region-has-secured-hundreds-of-millions-for-infrastructure-urge-continued-regional-advocacy","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6598621-1dc51d39b571897418e2bde35132e041/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160552&Signature=VYnmT-KXHIaYM6QgYp4IRUnruW1rheX2NTLh2toTJU8tZYE9ge0DQocpH03xbghgKcQrNBddlqLaVt805IKGJrpJKs6GIv5DmEiaw-gKbJTxsuMVxpVKbFWTFiYt2Y8Oi1RJojlCS4Ks4U0RShUlIlVzEMH62iqntq5ovYxBjN9D9FGA2FClltB2JX3dDnQhFn-8O06Y1Fr~HjjFjQPhsZIcXFiovR7t~WyzKIMA-a8otCUe1uxcJicio5kVpEnHmDZ7c2l6gxPy8lQWJBKuxNe8~ZqOkG7QrSnxmNdIKFngSjUFrmfg2y1ZMRQcK6gPbtoSDd6OAx9gG8zRjbem~w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","EATON COUNTY — Representatives from the Capital Council of Governments briefed the Eaton County Board of Commissioners on April 16 about a decade of regional cooperation that organizers say has delivered substantial one‑time state and federal funding for infrastructure and community projects.

Steve Japinga of the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce and former Clayton County Commissioner Bob Showers described CAPCOG as a partnership of Ingham, Eaton and Clinton counties, Michigan State University and the Lansing Regional Chamber. Showers said CAPCOG was formed in 2016 to coordinate infrastructure priorities and to advocate jointly for appropriations.

\"Our sole mission is to find appropriations from the state and federal legislatures for infrastructure projects for the counties,\" Showers told commissioners, adding that the group aims to distribute opportunities equitably across counties.

Japinga and Showers highlighted the region’s recent success in winning one‑time appropriations. Japinga said the organization has helped secure multiple projects totaling tens of millions of dollars for the Eaton County area and that, over a roughly 10‑year span, CAPCOG had helped attract more than $500 million in one‑time funding for the tri‑county region.

The presenters said funding priorities have included road and bridge reconstruction, rural water infrastructure, community revitalization and other local projects. They also described CAPCOG’s role during the COVID‑19 pandemic in disseminating information to municipalities and its more recent work packaging a capital region improvement support package for the 2025–2026 legislative cycle.

\"It was our shot,\" Japinga said, referencing an unusual circumstance in which two appropriations chairs from the region held key positions in the state legislature, and the region coordinated requests to maximize funding outcomes.

Commissioners asked about the mix of state, federal and local funds in CAPCOG‑sponsored projects; presenters said most of the recent wins were state dollar appropriations, supplemented by federal funds in targeted programs.

Board members and the CAPCOG delegates discussed specific Eaton County projects that have received or been targeted for aid, including rural water proposals and road projects in communities such as Grand Ledge and Eaton Rapids. Commissioners thanked the delegation and said they valued the regional approach to securing funding that member counties might not secure individually.

Ending: CAPCOG officials encouraged commissioners to continue submitting prioritized infrastructure needs and to support the intergovernmental coordination that staff said has improved the tri‑county region’s success rate for one‑time appropriations at the state and federal level.","Representatives of the Capital Council of Governments (CAPCOG) updated the Eaton County Board on a decade of regional coordination that they say has attracted state and federal infrastructure funding worth hundreds of millions to the tri‑county region and urged continued cooperation to compete for future appropriations.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Eaton County posts clean 2023–24 audit; commissioners briefed on budget pressure and Headlee limits ahead of special budget sessions

Eaton County Commissioners approve full‑faith pledges for major drainage projects, authorize bond process for intercounty bank drain

CAPCOG leaders tell Eaton County commissioners region has secured hundreds of millions for infrastructure; urge continued regional advocacy