Insider Intelligence

This week, a Partnership Agreement was signed with the state superintendent, State School Reform Office, local intermediate school districts, and local district partners, to put the lowest performing schools on a path to increase academic achievement.  Each year, schools in the bottom 5% of all public schools in the state are identified as Priority Schools […]

On Monday, Governor Rick Snyder announced that he is creating a task force to address pension and health care costs for retirees and municipalities.  The Task Force on Responsible Retirement Reform for Local Government will bring together local and state officials with employee representatives to discuss problems with growing, unfunded, long-term liabilities.  The task force […]

This week, the House Local Government Committee reported a bill that requires local governments to submit to the Department of Treasury their summary annual report on their retirement system.  The requirement for submitting a report will only be made upon those whose actuarial accrued liability for retiree health or pension is less than 60% funded.  […]

This week, a deal was reached amongst stakeholders that would place a proposal before Southeast Michigan voters in November to raise funds to increase public transportation in the region.  The millage before voters would be a twenty-year plan and 1.2 mills, costing the average house less than $100 per year.  In addition to the $3 […]

This week, Governor Rick Snyder signed into law bills providing flexible financing plans for local governments working to conserve energy.  The financing agreement is known as the Tax Exempt Lease Purchase.  It allows for a lease-purchase agreement, under specific conditions, among the mechanisms a local unit uses to achieve energy conservation.  The partnerships can be […]

This week, Governor Rick Snyder announced a plan that would hire fifty Flint residents to assist with water testing in the city.  The state is partnering with Orchards Children’s Services and the Flint YMCA’s Safe Places Program to hire and train the residents this month, to fill jobs on teams helping conduct water tests across […]

This week, all but one of the members of the Flint Water Interagency Coordinating Committee were announced.  The committee is comprised of seventeen members and is housed within the Michigan State Police.  It is tasked with making recommendations on the health and welfare of individuals exposed to lead, studying Flint’s water infrastructure and determining potential […]

On Friday morning it was announced that Representative Derek Miller (D-Warren) has been named Macomb County Treasurer, replacing Treasurer Ted Wahby who passed away last month.  He was selected by a committee comprised of Probate Judge Kathryn George, Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith, and Macomb County Clerk Carmella Sabaugh.  Representative Miller will have to resign […]