County Approves $9.1MM Budget

For the first time in a decade, Houghton County is facing a fiscal year with a little… just a little… breathing room. County commissioners passed a 9.1-million dollar budget last night. That’s based on a projected 4.4-percent increase in revenues. The only dissenting vote came from Board Chairman Scott Ala… who thought the budget should have done more to address the deficit in the county’s retirement plan funding… ALA A. County Controller Eric Forsberg said that the Michigan Employees Retirement System had included an assessment to help make up the unfunded liability… FORSBERG A. The budget starts out in the black, thanks to a full revenue-sharing commitment from the state, and additional tax revenue created by the addition of Portage Health to the property tax rolls. Last year’s budget started in the red, but savings achieved through the year allowed the county to end up with a slight positive balance.