Memorandum

To: Board of Commissioners

From: Katie Zeits, County Administrator

Date: January 18, 2024

Subject: Millage Renewal – Jail Operations

In 2022, the County was successful because of the community’s support of levying a jail millage
for operations. Since then, we have operated our jail without borrowing general fund dollars.
Before the latest millage approval each year the jail budget was short operating cash, and the
Board would transfer anywhere from $400,000 to $450,000 from the general fund to balance the
jail budget.

The current levy is 1.229 and the anticipated revenue from that millage for FY 2023/2024 is
$2,079,763. The total jail budget for FY 2023/2024 is estimated at $2,252,526 and is balanced
with additional revenue from prisoner room and board fees from neighboring jurisdictions; this is
budgeted amounts, not activity. I am attaching the trial balance report for this fund for the
board’s review. We are close to 30% of our way through the fiscal year budget; I have included
percentages. With current expenditure patterns, the jail fund is on track to come in over budget
for FY 2023/2024.

As a result, from a recent staffing analysis conducted by the Michigan Department of

Corrections, it has been recommended that Benzie County hire an additional one to two
corrections officers for the jail. With other recommendations being implemented, there seems to
be a comfort level for one additional staff member.

To hire an additional staff member, the cost to the County is roughly $80,000-$100,000,
including wages and appropriate benefits. By keeping the current millage request at 1.229, the
anticipated revenue for 2024/2025 is $2,119,929, a 5% conservative increase; inflation is over
7% and the cost of doing business will be similar. Many departments are careful and
conservative with their expenditures. However, there is quite a bit of wiggle room to improve
expenditures in others.

I encourage the Sheriff’s Office to provide the Board with the funding structure needed to
accommodate an additional corrections position within current budget restraints within the jail. I
believe this is important to show due diligence and fiscal responsibility to the taxpayers for this
millage.

Attached is a draft resolution requesting a millage for the jail functions.

Millage Renewal – January 23, 2024

RESOLUTION NO. 2024- ___________

BENZIE COUNTY DATE: ______________

RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING MILLAGE ELECTION FOR BENZIE COUNTY JAIL

OPERATIONS MILLAGE PROPOSAL AND CERTIFYING BALLOT LANGUAGE

WHEREAS, the Benzie County Sheriff’s Department has requested that the County Board of
Commissioners have a Benzie County Jail Operations Millage Proposal placed on the August 6, 2024
Primary Ballot; and

WHEREAS, the Board of Commissioners for the County of Benzie seek to have the voters of
the County determine whether or not they desire to raise funds for the purpose of supporting County Jail
Operations at the millage level of (current 1.266)_______ mills for a period of two (___) years, 2024
through 202___, inclusive.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the following proposal be submitted to qualified

voters of the electorate of the County of Benzie at the next State Primary Election to be held Tuesday,
August 6, 2024:
BENZIE COUNTY JAIL OPERATIONS
MILLAGE PROPOSAL
For the sole purpose of providing funds for Benzie County Jail Operations, shall the
Constitutional limitation upon the total amount of taxes which may be assessed in one (1)
year upon all property within the County of Benzie County, Michigan be increased by up
to _______ mills, ($_____ per $1,000.00 taxable value), and be levied for a period of two
(2) years (2022-2023), inclusive?
If approved and levied in full, this millage will raise an estimated $_________ to fund
County Jail Operations in the first calendar year of the levy based upon taxable value. In
accordance with State law, a small portion of the millage may be captured by the City of
Frankfort Downtown Development Authority and the Benzie County Brownfield
Authority.
YES

NO
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this question is hereby certified to the County Clerk.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that all Public Officials of the County of Benzie, State of
Michigan, and all Governmental units thereof, within such time as shall be required by law, are directed
to perform all acts which shall be necessary to be performed in order to submit the above stated proposition
to the duly qualified voters of the County at the State Primary Election to be held in the County on
Tuesday, August 6, 2024.
Moved: ____________________ Seconded: _________________________

Ayes: ________ Nays: ________ Absent: ________

I CERTIFY THAT I am the County Clerk of Benzie County and that the foregoing is a correct
copy of the resolution passed as therein set forth on the ___ day of ________________, 2024 by the
Benzie County Board of Commissioners, and that the same is now in full force.

Dated: ____________________, 2024

________________________________
Tammy Bowers, Benzie County Clerk