County Tasked with Keeping Up with Neighboring Counties

HARRISON – The Clare County Board of Commissioners heard from several people at its Feb. 16 meeting. One was Brian Harrison, who had previously addressed the board regarding the need to amend the state’s Auto Insurance Reform Resolution. The basis for that entreaty was the absence of qualified care available to long-term sufferers of auto crash injuries which the reform had caused by eliminating adequate reimbursement to those providing that care. Later in the meeting, the board adopted a resolution in support of such amending of the Auto Insurance Reform Resolution.

Rick Jones, Hayes Township supervisor was also on hand to answer the board’s questions regarding the blight enforcement contract between Clare County Community Services and Hayes Township. It was clarified that the contract would not cost the county, as the services of the county’s blight enforcement officer would be paid solely by Hayes Township from the ordinance enforcement millage approved by voters last November.

Community Services Director Lori Phelps also spoke regarding the third-party contract with Hayes for blight enforcement.

“I’d like you to know that we worked really hard with Hayes Township on that and the ordinance,” she said. “Our attorney and their attorney worked together on the contract, so it’s good to go to be approved.”

She further described the in-home work Senior Services does for Medicare in-home waiver through the Area Agency on Aging and A&D, noting an end-of-year payout had been received that is based on how many hours of in-home care for waiver are provided.

“The year before last year we got $11,000 for our payout,” Phelps said. “It was amazing, and we were so happy about that – and it’s unrestricted money. We just got our check for the 2021 fiscal year payout, and it was over $53,000 and it’s unrestricted. We are very proud of that; it’s kudos for our agency.”

The last thing Phelps spoke of was a partnership between her department and the sheriff’s department, wherein some of that unrestricted payout would be used to fund Project Lifesaver.

Undersheriff Dwayne Miedzianowski described the program, noting that his department sometimes receives calls about elderly individuals who wander off. He said there is a program that has a GPS-type tracking capability which would allow more accurately locate that person.

“And [find them] sooner,” he said. “Especially in this kind of weather. Going in it’s a $4,300 investment but will likely actually end up being about $6,000. But how do you put a value on someone’s life like that, right?”

He said when the program was discovered, the department had reached out to Phelps.

“We brainstormed a little bit and came up with a way to cover it,” Miedzianowski said. “And kudos, it’s a great partnership on this one to take care of our elderly.”

Sheriff John Wilson and Miedzianowski also addressed the board in a salary increase discussion. Wilson began by saying he was obviously there seeking a wage increase, something he has had only once in 14 years. He said it was not about him, but rather about the position, and that he thought it should be paid a fair wage for the sheriff.

“What do you value your sheriff?” he said. “Your sheriff has more liability on him than anybody else in this county. I take the weight of the jail on me; I take the weight of bringing in revenue for the county. It’s all on me – all that weight comes on myself and my undersheriff.”

Wilson said that historically Clare County does not address the wages of elected officials on a yearly basis, but that it should.

“Every county that I talked to normally look at cost of living increases and current wage studies – every year,” Wilson said. “Since the MSA [Michigan Sheriff Association] study came out in 2021, I contacted the five sheriffs all around me and they had all had an increase since that wage study came out. So it’s time to get us up where we need to be.”

Wilson pointed out that he has people in his department four levels below him who, with their overtime, are making more than he is. He acknowledged that there is a difference between hourly and salaried, but pointed out that when he was a road deputy he made the most overtime one year, but he did not make more than the sheriff did.

“In all fairness, I think we should be right around where the Gladwin sheriff and undersheriff are,” Wilson said. “We have more employees than anybody we talked to, even Isabella – even though we don’t have the funds that they do. We have a bigger jail than anybody we touch – there’s no other jail in central and northern Michigan that has brought in $17.5 million in the years that I’ve been sheriff.”

Wilson said he has a 12-year deputy who, with his overtime, has a higher FAC [final average compensation] toward retirement than he does after being with the county for nearly 35 years.

“I’m not asking to be greedy here,” Wilson said. “I’m saying give us a fair wage for what we do in our positions.”

The sheriff asked that the board take action on the request that day, adding that he didn’t see where the board would need to see any other wage studies or to form a committee.

“Those committees never seem to go any farther than just making them,” he said. “I’m asking you to move forward today on it.”

He then said the undersheriff would show the board how the wage increases could be paid for without taking any dollars out of the General Fund.

Commissioner Bronwyn Asplund voiced approval of that idea, saying that what the taxpayers want to know is how it will be paid for.

Miedzianowski then began a description of local county jails, starting with Gladwin, which has no renters.

“It costs them about $1.93 million to operate their jail,” he said. “We’re about $2.2 million, so of course we’re spending the extra $300,000 but we’re on track to bring in $1.3 million to $1.4 million this year.”

He explained that the rented beds are at 57 and by the end of that week, there would be more renters than the jail has ever had. Miedzianowski pointed out what Gladwin is spending on its jail, with no revenue coming in.

“So we’re clearly running the jail well,” he said. “Our folks are working very hard; that’s them doing that, not us. They have the hard part of dealing with what comes with that, I give them a lot of credit.”

He then described what he called an Emergency Fund through the Commissary Account, adding that he had confirmed with the county treasurer that the fund is over $361,000.

“Depending what you good folks decide for the sheriff and I, wherever that ends up, if you consider an increase I would need to know that amount to take off the $361,000.

“One of our revenue sources for the jail … is about $5,000 a month,” he said. “Hypothetically, if the whole project costed $20,000-$30,000 I would prorate that. If it’s $20,000 within four months you would have the money back. That’s one revenue source to take care of us and our families. If it was more, we could go up to six months, but we’re still ahead.”

When Asplund sought assurance that those funds are sustainable, the undersheriff said “Absolutely.” He also assured that the cited revenue source is separate and apart from the revenues that come into the county from the jail. The emergency fund had been set up to shield against an emergency in the jail, and has over time built to the sizeable sum it is today.

He, too, urged the board to make a decision on the wage question soon, as he has concerns for himself and his family that require him to know where the question was headed.

“We give our heart and soul,” he said. “I’m constantly writing grants. I was somewhere last night until midnight to save the county on overtime so the sergeant didn’t have to stay. I don’t know what else we can do. All we’re asking is please consider making us comparable to other counties.”

Asplund said she thought the sheriff and undersheriff have given more than 100% to the county, and that it is appreciated.

Commissioner Sandra Bristol sought confirmation that the funds were enough to cover the wage increases, and Commissioner Rick Fancon asked if that revenue source is sustainable. Both of which were affirmed.

Commissioner Dale Majewski acknowledged previous such discussions and the extra demands of the past two years, but said the BOC would have to look at other elected officials as well. To which Wilson said he was not there on behalf of those officials, but was there for himself and his career, and for what he has given to the county.

“But we have to look at them, as well,” Majewski said. “They haven’t had any increases either.” He added that if the county gives what appear to him to be substantial raises, the board would have to look at giving raises to other officials, just to be fair.

Asplund disagreed, saying it is a different situation as the sheriff and undersheriff are not asking for additional funds from the county, but have a sustainable way to pay for it.

“They’re asking for pay that they deserve,” she said.

Majewski and Asplund then tossed back and forth whether the request should wait and be part of a greater review of all elected officials’ salaries. Asplund said she thought individual review was also important, but added that she hears from all her townships that Clare County has “the best sheriff’s department in the state.”

“And they’re totally underpaid,” she said. “It’s an embarrassment. When you compare us to other counties, it’s an embarrassment. It’s about time that we give them what they deserve – especially if they can pay for it.”

Fancon also pointed out that the first thing citizens want is fire and police protection.

“So if we’re not building our police department up to have the best people there, we’re not doing our citizens any favor,” Fancon said. “We’re not doing what they want.”

When Majewski noted that less than a year ago the discussion had been about not having the money to hire deputies, or give then deputies fair wages – to which Bristol said “Well, we’ve done that.”

When Majewski agreed that the BOC had made that move without knowing exactly how the expense would be covered, the undersheriff explained that shortly before COVID struck the CCSD had renegotiated federal contract for housing prisoners [renters], as well as commissary contracts with vendors. Those moves definitely had financial benefits.

Board Chair Jeff Haskell also voiced his opinion.

“I’m all for getting wages up,” he said. “And I feel we need to learn from this. As a whole, we’ve made a lot of mistakes by not looking at our assets, which are our employees. By not doing a cost of living, and keeping people in the wheelhouse.”

Haskell said he knows the county will have to pay for it, and that a day of reckoning comes when the county can’t get its top talent to do the best jobs for the county – when there will be hurt in that department. Haskell also said he felt he had gotten himself into trouble previously by looking, as a commissioner, at one person without looking at the county as a whole.

Then Haskell proposed that, rather than vote on the issue that day, it vote at the March meeting and in the meantime put together a committee which could meet three times in the interim. He said that way the committee could hear from all the elected officials/department heads, adding that having made their presentation Wilson and Miedzianowski were ahead of the curve.

Wilson urged that any consideration for others be based on wage studies, such as he had presented, adding that he had lost a lot of sleep over the issue.

“There’s a lot of stress on us, and now you can say it’s the Board of Commissioners asking for a millage, but they’re looking at John Wilson,” he said. “And they’re looking at Dwayne Miedzianowski. And you want to put that weight on me; it gets to a point that it’s not worth it. In my heart, I want to be your sheriff until the public fires me.”

The undersheriff added that the jail had been totally revamped for the county, which is how it paid for CCSD vehicles and brought in extra money to cover pay increases.

“We came to you for our employees first, and thank you,” he said. “It is fair, I think, what John is saying for us. I would really appreciate an answer today, whatever you decide.”

Haskell acceded that what had presented looked good, but he still felt the board needed to talk to each department, as well as figure out how the county could pay/budget for increases. He said that he believed it time for everyone to get a raise, but there are questions to be answered.

Ultimately, after still more back and forth, a motion was put before the board by Fancon and seconded by Asplund to set the sheriff and undersheriff’s wages to $83,033 and $71,081. The roll call vote saw ayes from Fancon, Asplund and Bristol, and nays from Majewski, Samantha Pitchford and Haskell. Commissioner Stephanie Brown was absent. As a tie, the motion failed, but Haskell said it could be considered again at the next meeting.

There was then a committee formed to review the aforementioned wage rates, with results to be brought forward to the board as a whole at the March 16 meeting.