Local Government

The paradox of growth can create awkward decisions

August 25, 2018

ACHTUNG: The following is not a "fair and balanced" story. It is an editorial by the editor. The modern paradox of growth was the elephant in the room at last Tuesday night's Dorr Township Planning Commission meeting. This paradox is a two-stage process, the first being local government's encouragement of...

Casino Revenue Sharing Board will hear complaints

August 13, 2018

Hopkins Township Supervisor Mark Evans and Sixth District Allegan County Commissioner Gale Dugan plan to be at the 4 p.m. meeting Wednesday of the Gun Lake Casino Revenue Sharing Board at the Tribe's Government Offices on 129th Avenue. Both plan to ask board members why the current revenue sharing arrangement...

Pick Cain, Koch in this area’s only 2 county primary races

July 28, 2018

Myrene Koch ACHTUNG: This is not a "fair and balanced" story. It is an editorial by the editor. There is only one primary contest for a seat on the Allegan County Board of Commissioners and there is a county-wide race for prosecutor. Two Republicans, Nathaniel Sherman of Wayland Township and...

Columns

One Small Voice: Local journalism is best and fairest

July 23, 2018

https://www.allgeneralizationsarefalse.com/ by Lynn Mandaville I recently saw a posting of a media bias chart from the web site All Generalizations Are False (URL given above). Depicted as a bell curve (Media Bias Chart 3.0) with color-coded boxes and grey-scale circles and ellipses, this web site has laid out a reference...

New city manager doesn’t appreciate local ‘fake news’

July 16, 2018

Allegan County Commissioner Mark DeYoung reads a proclamation honoring the longtime service of the late Dar VanderArk, former Leighton Township Supervisor and member of the Board of Canvassers. Receiving the plaque is his widow, Sandy. "Fake News" and the rumor mill sometimes can get local, and it's just as ugly...

Joe Kramer appointed to open Wayland Council seat

July 2, 2018

Joe Kramer Joe Kramer was selected Monday evening as the newest member of the Wayland City Council. Kramer, who succeeds the resigned Tracy Bivins, will serve at least until the general election Nov. 6 and he an fellow applicant Abe Garcia have their names o0n the ballot. Jeff Salisbury, the...

Watson OKs reimbursement plan for tribe land trusts

June 8, 2018

The Watson Township Board Thursday evening adopted a resolution supporting the Hopkins Area Fire Department's recommendation for negotiating with the Gun Lake Tribe when it takes land into federal trust. The Fire Authority unanimously recommended that all local government units that have lost tax revenue when the tribe takes land...

Watson seeks ways to spend part of growing surplus

May 4, 2018

Watson Township has a healthy fund balance — maybe a little too healthy — and local officials Thursday evening had lengthy discussions about how the surplus funds should be spent. Township Treasurer Sue Jones told board colleagues the township now is sitting on a fund balance, or rainy day fund,...

Articles

Watson wants input on how to spend surplus funds

April 5, 2018

The Watson Township Board Thursday evening adopted a balanced budget for fiscal year 2018-19 and Treasurer Sue Jones called attention to a problem a lot of other municipalities would like to have. Jones told board colleagues the township now is sitting on a fund balance, or rainy day fund, of...

No surprise: Kengis appointed Allegan Co. circuit judge

February 28, 2018

Roberts Kengis To the surprise of virtually no one, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder Wednesday announced the appointment of Roberts Kengis to the vacant Allegan County Circuit Judge's post. Kengis, the county's current prosecuting attorney, was elected to that post in November 2016 and he will be eligible to run the...

Tag: Local Government