Surety bond increases for Elba Township officials

ELBA TWP. — After considering the Michigan Townships Association guidelines, Elba Township board members decided to pursue higher surety bonds for township officials. The bonds are currently set at

25,000 for the treasurer,

15,000 for the deputy treasurer, $10,000 for the clerk and deputy clerk and

5,000 for the supervisor.

Treasurer Nina Suter said that $25,000 was consistent with bonds for treasurers in other townships. She noted that one township has a $40,000 bond and Mayfield Township has

$100,000 bond.

Supervisor Mike Boskee said that the MTA guidelines call for an amount sufficient to protect the financial interests of the township. With township revenues of $4 million, board members opted to obtain

500,000 bonds for each of the five individuals. Cost of the bonds was as yet unknown.

In other matters, Boskee said that the Greenwood Cemetery Board is working diligently to make the cemetery self-sustaining. That effort is expected to take some years. In the interim, Elba Township will continue to allocate $10,000 each year toward the cemetery, a responsibility they share with Hadley Township.

Boskee told board members "the saga continues" in the quest to get issues resolved relative to a Potters Lake Drain flow meter. "It's been a problem from day one," said Boskee. He is working with the county drain commissioner and a manufacturer's representative to find a solution.

Although the planning commission recommended approval of a three-year contract with Anderson, Eckstein and Westrick of Shelby Township for engineering services, board members tabled the matter. Terms of the contract were outlined in a proposal; board members will wait for a contract with signature lines. Trustee Robert Nelson said the recommendation was based on competitive pricing, expertise, history and experience with the township, project turnaround, and the ratio of professional to support staff.

Board members authorized up to $1,000 to make repairs to cabinets in the copy room of the township hall.

County commission chairman Dave Taylor gave board members an update on county business before introducing Republican state senate candidate Lauren Hager. Hager is in the race to fill term-limited State Sen. Jud Gilbert's seat. He gave board members information about his background, including his youth on a dairy farm in Burnside Township. Hager said that the $1.8 billion shortfall the state is facing will involve cutbacks.

"Families today can't afford an increase in taxes," he said. He also said the state needs to become more business-friendly, but called the implementation of the film tax credits "very ill-advised, in my opinion."

"I think government exists in large part to handle those kinds of things people can't handle for themselves," Hager said, noting at the same time that government is not there to support people long-term.