STANDOFF??? County Board of Canvassers Goes to Mat with Commission

Projected Loss of $12 Million in Medicaid Funding Also on Tuesday Docket

July 26, 2013
By: Dave Rogers

The four member Bay County Board of Canvassers has charged the Bay County Commission with "possible violation of election laws" over a budget issue.

Commissioners on July 9 "zeroed out" the canvassers' budget of $15,000, prompting a letter from the canvassers to the State Attorney General, William Schuette on the letterhead of County Clerk Cynthia Luczak.

The bipartisan canvassers, Matt Lance, Janice Pierson, Donald Chevalier and Walter Wozniak, note in the letter their services to conduct a canvass and for possible recounts will be needed for the Aug. 6 primary and Nov. 5 general election.

The letter of complaint also went to Secretary of State Ruth Johnson and Elections Director Christopher Thomas. State officials are asked for advice as to a possible course of action for the canvassers.

Citing "potential inability to conduct their statutory duties," the canvassing board noted state law provides that counties are required to make per diem payments and reimburse necessary expenses upon warrant of the county clerk.

Commission minutes cite a resolution of the board taking the action but no reasons are listed.

In a letter sent July 23 to Board Chair Ernie Krygier, the canvassers asked reinstatement of their budget at the Tuesday, Jan. 30 special board meeting.

Mr. Krygier said the commissioners will meet with the canvassers at 3 p.m. Tuesday for fact-finding and to air the issue. Allegedly, complaints have been made that the county clerk is using an employee, paid by the canvassers to scan election reports, for other duties in her office, with payment to the employee coming out of the canvasser's budget.

Normally, funds unused in the budget for canvasser's per diems are returned to the general fund at year end, said Krygier. "Everybody has been asked to tighten their belts and we need to have total cooperation in that effort," he said.

Commissioners will also consider a resolution proposed by the Bay-Arenac Behavioral Health Board to urge equitable funding for that body. Proposed regionalization and a new initiative for Prepaid Inpatient Health Plans will reduce funding by 30 percent, or an estimated $12 million in Medicaid a year, Christopher Pinter, chief executive of the mental health board asserts.

The Michigan Department of Community Health is poised to combine the local mental health board into a new region that local officials assert "includes some of the most poorly funded agencies" in the state, according to the request for support.

Region five is expected to include 12 health agencies in 21 counties with an estimated 370,000 enrollees.

Commissioners also are slated to consider the appointment of Joel Strasz as county health director, as recommended by County Executive Thomas L. Hickner.

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