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Resident urges county to waive $17,000 data fee charged to regional health department
Summary
John Barta told commissioners a $17,000 fee levied on the Central Michigan District Health Department for property data undermines public-health work and effectively charges county residents twice; he asked the board to waive the fee and align with regional practice.
John Barta, a Roscommon County resident, urged the board to rescind or waive a $17,000 fee the county charged the Central Michigan District Health Department (CMDHD) for property data used for public-health work.
"I'm here today to protest a $17,000 fee quoted to the Central Michigan District Health Department... Charging the CMDHD for public data is effectively charging Roscommon County residents twice," Barta said, arguing CMDHD is a governmental partner and that other counties in the region provide the same data at no cost. He said the charge reduces funds CMDHD could spend on well testing, inspections, and preparedness.
Barta recommended waiving the fee, calling it 'punitive or revenue driven' and inconsistent with Michigan public-records and public-service principles. He offered a hard copy of his analysis to the board and asked the county to follow regional practice rather than monetizing publicly created data.
The board did not vote on the fee at the meeting; the comment was taken for the record and staff will have to respond in subsequent process steps or future meetings.
