Delta County Michigan is zooming forward with discussions on topics including whitetail deer, larger airport planes, legal representation issues, budgets, meeting compensation, healthcare costs, board appointments, opioid monies, so on and so forth. There is room to encourage greater investments to shore up budgets that rests on openness to the new and unique.
Local governments should continuously strive toward moving beyond the budget-expense paradigm and toward resource-growth models. The two different lines of thinking explore various connections in the brain that leads to different types of outcomes. Focusing more on growth versus spending explores unique ideas that can open up opportunities.
One line of thinking asks questions on how to use a limited budget to pay for services that are becoming more expensive and managing loans where interest rates are stifling. This leads to chronic budget short falls and possible waste (as a general conception of governance and not specific to here). The other moves down a path to exploring using local assets mixed with industry/investment, local, state, and federal options to raise long term sustainability (i.e. perpetual sustainable systems).
Tourism, attracting entrepreneurs, shared marketing to target audiences, reaching out to industrial investors (i.e. ship building, tourism, entrepreneurial tourism-export hubs, paper mill, etc.), asking residents to submit revenue and cost saving ideas, seamlessness of opportunity (county and city offerings), coordinated grants, etc. that often lead to maximization. New doors can open.
A few budgeting and investment articles. Municipal Budgeting Tips, Four Ways to Fund Economic Development, Attracting Investment
Notes: If I make a mistake feel free to leave a comment and I will correct.
-New Airport Manager: Offering easy in and out flights to major hubs increase tourism. Delta County New Airport Manager
-Prosecuting Attorney: Can appoint new attorney, prosecutor not involved, must have on record reason why prosecutor/civil council is not involved. Insurance attorneys should be first contacted. Department has capacity. Because of lack of MMRA involvement general fund must pay any legal issues and costs. Felt wasn't allow to speak or address concerns. Removal of people from audience rules and procedures were not followed with 10 day written notice. Transparency should be increased. Issues were not allowed to be discussed prior to be passing by committee. September 19th, 2023 meeting was of particular concern. See Article on Prosecuting Attorney Question
-Healthcare Options: Tabled. Rising cost of healthcare.
-Paying commissioner for attending meetings. It makes sense in general if it is well managed and transparent.
-Prosecuting attorney states that salary should go up for retention purposes. She makes a good point if we are not competitive. That will raise costs so the county should think of ways to create net positives that improve the financial health of the budget.
-Board memberships are made both Republican and Democrat.
-UP Whitetail Association. Clear out trails from small trees and protect rabbit habitat.
-Opioid monies and determining how to spend. Discussion on steering committee. Drug Abuse Report US
- Discussion on getting Veteran Services Officer a secretary. Want to support for the next 5 years.
-Drug abuse impacts community.
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