Beaver Island Michigan

Responding to Maureen on the "other" thread . . . Thanks for your post. It’s important to consider the timing as well as the amount of the revenues. Property taxes are collected in arrears (during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year.) As a result, EMS needs to maintain a sufficient cash ...

Maureen Thanks for your post. It’s important to consider the timing as well as the amount of the revenues. Property taxes are collected in arrears (during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year.) As a result, EMS needs to maintain a sufficient cash balance to maintain operations during the first nine...

Hey, Pam . . . I cannot tell you how many times Bob Marsh and I sat at the Peaine Township Hall at the appointed hour hoping that a quorum would appear. I also cannot tell you how many times I sent emails to the previous St. James supervisor about the need to create a waste transfer authority. The w...

Hey, Kirk . . .

Thanks for your post. I have been away from my desk enjoying the beautiful weather on Beaver Island. Please look for a response tomorrow.

Hey, Bob . . . Thanks for your post! In order for a survey to be valid and reliable, the survey sample has to be representative of the population. Furthermore, it is doubtful that the individuals that comprise that sample were fully informed. It is extremely doubtful that the sample that you describ...

Ken Taylor writes about the master plan on the "other" thread. A few thoughts for his consideration follows . . . 1) Ken might not be fully aware of the process utilized in the preparation of the master plan. For a number of reasons, most notably that the participants were self-selected, t...

Hey, Ken . . . A few thoughts for your consideration. 1) You might not be fully aware of the process utilized in the preparation of the master plan. For a number of reasons, most notably that the participants were self-selected, the survey cannot be considered statistically reliable and/or valid. 2)...

Rich . . . 1) I have been transparent and I have not questioned the motives of others. Trust me, I can die a happy man without serving another day as supervisor. Does anybody that knows me really think that I would sell out for a thankless, $16,000 a year job? (Really?) 2) I have not yet seen or hea...

You may want to re-read that post. The most substantive difference between Bob's analysis and the analysis that Jack Gallagher and I posted to our website https://wkohls.wixsite.com/consolidationinfo is the data. Jack and I based on analysis on verifiable data; Bob based his analysis on an unreliabl...

Writing on the other thread, Bob Tidmore shares what appears to be a pretty thorough analysis of the impact of consolidation on property taxes. The only problem is that his analysis in based on the proposed budget posted to this Forum on April 15th. That budget promises lower property taxes, but the...

I previously wrote about issues in the proponents’ suggested budget. While not as egregious as the proposal to slash funding for emergency medical services, the proponents’ summary of millage information on page 7 of 7 reveals substantial confusion about current and proposed property taxes. The town...

For what its worth . . . I took a quick look at election results on the Charlevoix County website; it's not unusual that candidates for township offices run unopposed. (Note that I am not saying this is an ideal situation; only that it is not unusual!)

Peaine Township has issued general obligation bonds to the USDA pursuant to its rural development program. Proceeds were used to construct the East Side Fire Hall. The fire department and EMS lease the property from the Township. The amount of the lease payments are equal to the interest and princip...

Earlier today . . . written on the "pro" thread . . . "So if all things are equal we have two boards with combined effort managing one set of assets that could essentially be done by one board. My guess is that this alone could save island taxpayers up to 1/4 million a year!" If ...

Please don’t question my motives . . . we all want what's best for the Island, but we disagree as to the best method(s) to improve our community. The proponents believe that consolidation will somehow generate great benefits and, having placed this proposal on the ballot, it is incumbent upon them t...