Lake County BOC delayed opening of county buildings after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's executive order extending the stay at home period to June 12. (Star file photo)
BALDWIN -- The Lake County Board of Commissioners agreed to postpone opening county buildings to the public at its meeting May 27.
Lake County Administrator Tobi Lake said that with the latest Executive Order extending the stay home stay safe period to June 12, he recommended holding off for another two weeks.
"We were originally shooting for June 1 for reopening and bringing employees back," Lake said. "Things seem to be working right now the way they are, and with the executive order extended for two weeks, my inclination is to hold off."
BOC Chairman Howard Ludholtz agreed, saying they should hold off as long as the executive order to stay home is in effect, since people are not supposed to be out anyway.
The board agreed, they would continue to operate remotely as much as possible and allow public access by appointment only, as needed, until the next board meeting June 10.
Lake County Emergency Management director Patrick Maddox told the BOC that they are working on protocols for reopening, which will include front entrance security, screening and taking temperatures of employees and visitors, and requiring face coverings.
"The process is going well so far, and we are posting general instructions for the public on the county website, as well as distributing informational flyers," Maddox said.
For information on how to access county services, visit lakecount-michigan.com or call the county clerk's office at (231) 745-2725.
In other business, the BOC approved a resolution authorizing a summer tax levy of 5.99926 mills.
"This is a general fund property tax levy only," Lake said. "The resolution authorizes the local units to collect the summer levy.
"You never had this before, so we need a resolution to authorize the change," he said.
According to Lake, since 2004, when then governor Jennifer Granholm authorized the summer levy, the county had not been assessing it, so passage of the resolution was required in order to begin collecting the summer levy.
"The millage includes the Headlee rollback, so we dropped from 6 mills to 5.9 mills," Lake said.
The Headlee rollback takes effect when the assessed property values increase beyond the rate of inflation.
"If that happens, you have to roll back the millage rate," he continued. "That is a sign that the economy, at least at the time the value was determined, was doing well."
The summer millage will be assessed on the July 2020 tax bills.
