Mackinac County approves special assessment for Big Manistique Lake dam amid resident objections

The Mackinac County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 25 voted unanimously to adopt a special-assessment roll to fund work on the Big Manistique Lake dam, approving the measure on a motion by Commissioner Daryl Schroeder, seconded by Commissioner Austin Kimberling.

Kevin Orlowski, chair of the Dam Authority, briefed the board on the condition of the dam and lake, saying the lake is currently about 2 feet higher than normal and that ongoing costs after collection of the assessment will be limited to inspections roughly every three years. Orlowski told commissioners the projected ongoing expenses after assessment payments should be minimal.

Several Big Manistique Lake residents spoke during public comment and told the board they opposed the Special Assessment District. Residents said the levy increases taxes for lakefront homeowners, some attendees said they believed — or had not been aware — whether the assessment would recur in future years, and others called the targeted assessment of lake homeowners an overreach and expressed concern about transparency in how the district was established.

The resolution adopting the Big Manistique Lake Dam Special Assessment Roll passed on a 4–0 roll call vote (Commissioners Austin Kimberling, John Kling, Mike Patrick and Daryl Schroeder voting yes; Commissioner Judy St. Louis-Scott absent). The motion and roll call were recorded in the meeting minutes; the resolution is attached to the official record.

Board discussion included questions from commissioners about costs and timing; no amendment to the roll was recorded in the transcript. The board did not take other immediate action tied to the dam beyond adopting the assessment roll.

Next steps: the adopted resolution and assessment roll are part of the county record; the transcript and supplemental materials attached to the meeting minutes contain the full roll and the board’s formal motion.