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ST. JOSEPH — Berrien County Commissioners spent the bulk of their meeting Thursday going over the proposed 2024 county budget. The budget for the fiscal year starting Jan. 1 will be voted on at the board’s Nov. 16 meeting.

        County Financial Services Director Doug James spent more than a half hour reviewing the proposed budget with commissioners during a public hearing. He reported that the primary government budget calls for $208.898 million in revenue, $219.274 million in expenditures and the use of $10.376 million from the fund balance.

        James and County Administrator Brian Dissette said that the new budget has a heavy focus on capital projects including deferred maintenance projects and computer/software upgrades. The budget was developed after 56 meetings with staff and department heads, they said.

        One capital project of interest to south county residents doesn’t have a large amount of money set aside for it in the 2024 budget. James said they’ve only put $407,000 for minimal upkeep to the former American Electric Power building the county has purchased at 500 Circle Drive in Buchanan.

        Dissette said they will look again at the 500 Circle project mid-year. “We will talk to you about how much improvements you want to do such as roofing and heating and air conditioning,” he said. “Then it’s a question of how to fund it and pay for it. We’re not far enough along to have a final decision on what we want to do with the building.”

        Other points highlighted by James included increases in tax revenue, state shared revenue and interest revenue. On the expenditure side, salary and pension costs are expected to rise. Overall, they have increased the contingency fund from $1 million to $1.6 million in 2024 after the county had to tap the fund a number of times this year.

        “There are always items that will come up in a year when we miss something in the budget,” he said. “We went through $1 million really quick this year … This budget is the best shot we have at a road map.”

        Also Thursday, commissioners heard updates both on legislative action in Lansing and from Midwest Energy & Communications about broadband expansion in the county.

        Consultant Mike Krombeen reported that the 2023 legislative session was expected to end Thursday which is earlier than usual. The early end to the session is being done in part because the Democrats will only have a two-seat majority in the state house until early next week after two Democrats won local races for office on Tuesday.

        Ending the session early will also allow the state to move up the date of the Michigan presidential primary to late February, he said.

        As for legislation, Krombeen said that the solar/renewable energy bills that Berrien County and many area townships have opposed passed the state senate Wednesday and is headed for the governor’s desk. The new legislation takes away local control of large, utility-scale solar projects and gives it the Michigan Public Service Commission.

        Final action on other bills won’t take place until next year with the early end to this year’s session. For example, area economic development officials have been pushing bills that would give sales and use tax exemptions for the construction of large data centers costing $250 million or more. Other nearby states already give those exemptions.

        MEC representatives reported on the next steps for broadband expansion after the company received a $25.25 million grant from the Realizing Opportunities with Broadband Infrastructure Networks program. The grant will be matched by financial contributions by the county and area townships.

        MEC vice-president Candy Riem said people can go to the company’s website to get information on where and when work will start and how they can sign up to get broadband service. In southern Berrien County, work in Bertrand and Galien Townships is set to start next year, while other areas of the county won’t see work done until 2025.

        In action Thursday, commissioners renewed the public defender’s neglect and abuse contract, set the 2024 election fee schedule for the county clerk’s office, signed a contract with Lake Michigan College to be an early voting site and finalized a Baroda property sale for the road department.

        Commissioners acknowledged the work of the opioid settlement taskforce and established the review team and opioid settlement oversight committee to consider request for proposals for opioid settlement programs.