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Bay County Budget Choice: Animal Control Officer or Community Center Pool

Regional Promotion Using Hotel-Motel Tax Hike Explained by C-V Bureau Head

January 3, 2010       2 Comments
By: Dave Rogers

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County Commissioners must choose between Pool and Animal Contrrol Position
 

Bay County commissioners Tuesday will tackle a tough budget decision:

Close the swimming pool at the Community Center, or

Keep one of three Animal Control Officers on the job.

Use of the pool has declined and is used only 2-3 months a year and therefore is not cost effective, according to analysis by county officials. Legislative Financial Analyst Bob Redmond and Mike Gray, assistant county executive, recommended closing the pool in favor of retaining the animal control position.

Mr. Gray, noting that pool use has been dismal, said radical changes like perhaps a splash park will be pursued in the future.

County Commissioner Kim Coonan, who does not favor closing the pool, commented: "It's good for the kids to have a place to go in the summer and the "Y" and Delta College may not be feasible financially and logistically" (for families).

After much discussion in the Ways and Means Committee, and support from Chair Pat Beson and commissioners Dawn Klida, Gene Gwizdala, Don Tilley and Coonan, commissioners decided to retain the position in the 2010 budget and to allow Mr. Gray until March 31 to find the funds.

Meanwhile, commissioners heard from Annette Rummel, interim director of the Bay and Midland counties convention and visitors bureaus, about a regional promotion plan.

The Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance (GLBRA), headed by Dr. John Lore of Bay City, is working with the three counties and will seek bipartisan state legislative approval to equalize the hotel-motel tax at 5 percent per room rental throughout the region. At present only Saginaw County has a 5 percent tax since smaller counties are restricted to a 2 percent tax.

GLBRA would receive 75 percent of the higher tax total to be used for promotion of the region. The local county treasurers would receive a fee to control the tax revenues and county commissioners would oversee the use of the funds, Ms. Rummel told the board.

Ms. Rummel noted that local hotels and motels favor the additional tax. An incentive program would involve a $750 per quarter credit to smaller hoteliers. Saginaw County takes in approximately $2.2 million per year from the tax and 5 percent over $100,000 is retained by the county treasurer's office for administration, she said.

Commissioners approved a recommendation to support the additional hotel-motel tax contingent on enabling state legislation.

In other action, the committee recommended:

  • board approval of a resolution to include the Bay County treasurer as the eighth member of the Bay County Retirement Board; (Commissioner Coonan urged consideration of the addition of a retiree on the board to make a total of 9 members);

  • board establishment of a procedure to account for fee overages as recommended by the register of deeds; and

  • board approval of a line of credit up to $25,000 for the Bay County Land Bank Authority, as recommended by the county treasurer.



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    rdarbee Says:       On January 04, 2010 at 02:25 AM
    do not close the pool. try 1 guy on the dog patrol for a year or two and keep open. get a commitment from BAYS SWIM to have more meets. Local business does well on those weekends. Up the rent to the BAYS team. The new y has cancelled the pool in the plans. I have heard this.

    bob
    baycityump Says:       On January 04, 2010 at 02:56 PM
    I strongly urge the Bay County Commission to keep the Community Center Pool open. It does provide an avenue for the children of Bay County to funnel their engery.
    Agree? or Disagree?


    Dave Rogers

    Dave Rogers is a former editorial writer for the Bay City Times and a widely read,
    respected journalist/writer in and around Bay City.
    (Contact Dave Via Email at carraroe@aol.com)

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