Veterans committee audit, FOIA referral and funding practices spotlighted at Mackinac County meeting

Vice Chair Jodi Kaiser told the Mackinac County Board of Commissioners on June 12 that county legal counsel has advised the Veterans Committee must comply with a forensic audit and that a FOIA-related complaint concerning the committee was turned over to the Michigan State Police.

The issue surfaced during public comment and later in the meeting. Dick Pershinske, chair of the Veterans Committee, told commissioners that veterans services and partner entities such as Community Action are “not organized to provide services” and said there are currently three homeless veterans in the county. Pershinske also reported the FOIA matter had been referred to the State Police for investigation.

Kaiser said counsel had contacted the Department of Treasury and a forensic auditor, and that counsel had told the Veterans Committee it needed to comply with the audit. She said counsel had also indicated the committee’s confidentiality clause covered certain privacy matters and that, pending a transparent process and compliance, rent payments to the committee “may be withheld.”

Kaiser provided further detail in a later report: she said the committee had signed a May 3 mediation agreement that counsel believes is not being followed, and that two letters of interest for a Veterans Committee vacancy had been received and would be sent to the full board. She also reported the county’s FY2023 records show $6,750 was paid to a single vendor for monthly rent across eight invoices and seven checks (funds 299 and 276) and identified multiple policy gaps that she said should be addressed, including whether the county should set a maximum benefit amount per veteran, an appeals process, and income thresholds for eligibility.

The board discussed but did not vote on any changes to veterans policy at the meeting; Commissioner Patrick said portions of a proposed Veterans Committee resolution should be struck or set by the committee rather than the board, and Kaiser said the resolution would be returned for further committee review at a future meeting. No formal decision to change rent payments was recorded during the session.

The board did take a related administrative step: Commissioner Kaiser advised the county had submitted a Notice of Intent for the multicounty Materials Management Planning process to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), which she said is related to an upcoming housing project closing for which the board authorized wiring funds separately. The meeting record shows the board will consider additional Veterans Committee items at a later date.