By By JOHN EBY / Niles Daily Star
CASSOPOLIS – "We have a whole bunch of trial balloons floating about" but no legislative agreement on resolving Michigan's budget.
"And the crisis continues," County Administrator Terry Proctor apprised the Board of Commissioners Thursday night.
"What is concrete," he said, "and we need to be aware of since our last meeting, the House Appropriations Committee did approve the governor's $344 million in executive order cuts in this year's budget. I'm not aware of any items in that order that should cause the county to go ballistic, except perhaps late payments of almost $300,000 to Southwestern Michigan College."
"When the state delays payments to the college or cuts funding to the college," Proctor said, "it is really hurting a local institution."
"Also concrete"since commissioners' last meeting March 15 is Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm imposing a number of restrictions and moratoriums on various aspects of state spending such as employee training, statewide hiring, subscriptions to periodicals, newspapers and news services, travel, purchasing supplies, service contracts, use of temporary employees and "of the most concern to me as the county is a moratorium on state grant extensions. We do a lot of the state's work. If they delay those payments, this county is going to have to deal with it," Proctor said.
"I think this is because it does not appear there is going to be a compromise or solution to these problems for quite some time," he said. "The Single Business Tax has been repealed, but the Legislature has not passed a replacement" for the $1.9 billion in revenue it represents.
"In my opinion," Proctor said, "this has gone on too far. This is serious business. I don't know of any governor in any state, anywhere, anytime, who wants to have to do these kinds of things that are being forced upon her and upon the state."