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Commissioners debate use of $27,000 left from Texas Township storm relief; vice chair moves funds into county disaster pot
Summary
Kalamazoo County commissioners debated whether to honor Texas Township's request to use about $27,000 for private‑property homeowner relief or to pool it for future governmental disaster response. Vice Chair Taylor moved to place the funds into a county disaster relief pot; the Committee of the Whole took an informal show‑of‑hands and will bring the matter for formal action Sept. 16.
The board opened discussion Sept. 2 about roughly $27,000 remaining from the county’s allocation for Texas Township’s tornado recovery. Texas Township Supervisor Joanne O’Rourke told the board earlier in public comment that the township has received $1.8 million in homeowner requests while only $300,000 remained in a local pool and asked that the remaining county funds be made available for private‑property need.
Arguments and motion: Commissioners were split. Some members urged honoring the township’s request due to urgent homeowner need; others argued public dollars should prioritize public infrastructure and emergency response rather than private property repairs. Vice Chair Taylor moved, supported by Vice Chair Pro Tem Hepler, to place the leftover $27,000 into a separate county disaster relief fund designated for governmental disaster response (explicitly for public infrastructure use). Legal counsel reminded the body that the Committee of the Whole customarily does not take final binding action, so the motion at the committee level was treated as a nonbinding whip to measure support.
Outcome and next step: After a show‑of‑hands whip and additional discussion, the board decided to bring the matter to the Sept. 16 regular session for formal consideration, giving staff time to gather precedent and provide options (including examples of prior county allocations to private property owners). The chair and several commissioners requested additional detail about the specific homeowner requests and whether other municipalities have funded private property repairs in similar circumstances.
Ending: No formal binding vote was taken at the Sept. 2 Committee of the Whole; a formal agenda item with supporting information and possible motion will appear at the Sept.16 meeting for a recorded vote.
