Muskegon County Deserves Better!

Why does the Muskegon County Board of Commissioners REFUSE to answer SIMPLE questions from citizens?

It is their OFFICIAL POLICY TO REFUSE TO ANSWER CITIZEN QUESTIONS!

Muskegon county board meeting Tuesday, 5-5-2020 

• The reason county commission meetings must occur in a public forum is to inform and educate the citizens of Muskegon county.
• Therefore, it is important that commissioners welcome and respond to reasonable questions from those citizens. 
• All discussion between a quorum of commissioners MUST by law, be made in a public forum.
• Therefore, it is unlikely these questions have been fully asked or discussed by the commissioners. 
• Nor have they been answered.
• It is simple common sense that NONE of the following "Items for Consideration" should be voted on without complete, understandable answers from the expert in that department.

Reasonable questions from Muskegon citizens that deserve honest, complete answers:

• Presentation-A)  COVID19-Update by Public Health Director Kathy Moore

1. I have no questions. Should be an interesting presentation.

• Presentation-B)  2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report – Rehmann Robson

1. Muskegon county has many retirement funds/plans for its employees, including various pension plans and employee retirement healthcare plans. What is the combined, net total of underfunding of all the existing plans?
2. Muskegon county has incurred various types of borrowed debt, lawsuit losses and other categories of  borrowing/indebtedness. What was the total of that indebtedness in 2015 compared with the most recent CAFR? 

• Ways & Means Committee:

1. Please explain why it is the policy to approve payment of county bills AFTER they have already been paid.
WM20/05 – 36  (Administration) to approve payment of the accounts payable of $14,731,775.84 covering the period of April 10, 2020 through April 24, 2020 for checks, PCard and EFT payments covering the period March 1, 2020 through March 31, 2020 as presented by the County Clerk. 

2. This is very confusing. Please explain so that we taxpayers may understand.
WM20/05 – 37 (Administration/HealthWest) To approve a budget amendment increasing the FY2020 budget for State Institutions (1010-0650) from $198,000 to $731,000 and authorize paying the invoice of $402,317.41 to the State of Michigan

3. Has there been or will there be a public accounting of exactly how these funds have been spent? If not, why?
WM20/05 – 39 (Administration) To approve the continuation of the local surcharge rate of $2.75 from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021, and authorize Muskegon Central Dispatch to provide proper notification of this to the State 9-1-1 Committee. 

• HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

1. What is the "general fund appropriation" for this program?

HS20/05 – 12 To authorize Public Health to participate in the WIC Project FRESH Program as the state authorized WIC Market Master, and to enter into agreements with the participating farmers; further authorize the Public Health Director to sign Market Master and related Project Fresh agreements, with no change in the general fund appropriation. 

• Courts & Public Safety Committee 

1. What will the grant be used for and will there be a public accounting of the goal vs money spent? If so, when? If not, Why not?
CPS20/05 – 19 (Sheriff) To approve the Sheriff’s Office accepting the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) FY20 Corona Virus Emergency Supplemental Funding Program grant (2020-H1466-MI-VD), if awarded.  The amount of the grant request is $58,008.00 or the amount awarded.