Chairman Joe Moss shared four updates on the financial status of the County.

“Over the past year, local news media like MLive, the Holland Sentinel, The Washington Post, among others, have published articles falsely claiming and insinuating the county would lose its AAA bond rating due to reforms made by our conservative commissioners,” Moss said.

The narrative also has been spun by public commenters, certain current commissioners, and now commissioner candidates running in the next election, all implying the current Board has been on its way to ruining the County financially.

• On January 12, 2024, Moody’s assigned a AAA bond rating to Ottawa County, the highest possible rating given

• The AAA continues Ottawa County’s excellent rating and reflects the County’s strong financial position

• The rating allows Ottawa County to get lower interest rates, which save taxpayers money

• The County has a strong operating reserve, with savings that remain solid compared to national peers

• Ottawa County is financially stable

• The unemployment rate is approximately 2.5 percent, one of the lowest in Michigan

• Fiscal Year 2024 Budget is $264 million

• As of September 2023, Ottawa County reported $200 million in investments

• The County received $6 million in settlement funds last year

• $4 million remains in Board Initiatives Funds

• Insurance Authority maintains a large balance of reserves of over $30 million

The Fiscal Services Department is working hard on the annual audit and intends to release the report to the public soon.

• The County’s leverage ratio is low and is maintained consistently, which helps the County remain financially stable

• In 2023 the County’s assessed value was about $21 billion

• Current debt carried by the County is only 7.5 percent of the allowed limit

Keeping the debt low helps Ottawa County maintain the AAA bond rating and boosts its financial position.

The legal costs of Ottawa County have been put front and center in the activist media narrative machine in an attempt to damage the reputation of the fiscally-responsible conservative commissioners elected in 2022. In recent articles, the media compares legal costs in 2022 to 2023.

• The comparisons ignored the legal fees—amounting to $225,000—paid by the Insurance Authority in 2022 under the previous Board

• Chairman Moss emailed the reporter to ask if due diligence was done and if it is acceptable to exclude important facts under the latest journalism code

• The reporter confirmed that he had decided not to include the information because it would take too much to get all the real facts

• Legal fees have been a result of democrat lawfare and lawsuits, such as the lawsuit by the former Chair of the Michigan Democrat Party

• In 2022 Attorney General Dana Nessel met with democrat activists, previous Board members, and some current Board members and advised them on how to engage in lawfare and recalls against the new Board

• Historically Ottawa County has relied on only one person for legal counsel, Doug Van Essen from Silver & Van Essen, who received approximately $400,000 in 2020, 2021, and again in 2022

• Ottawa County now has several attorneys providing services to the Board, the staff, and the people of Ottawa County

Kallman Legal is one of the best constitutional lawyer groups in Michigan and they have worked hard to protect the Board against lawfare. They also have put standardized contracts in place to protect the residents of the County.

March 12, 2024 Ottawa County Board of Commissioners Meeting.

The Board voted on an Interim Administrator. There was a list of four people who stepped up for the position.

• Ben Wetmore, Deputy Administrator
• Karan Karasinski, Fiscal Services Director
• Paul Sachs, Strategic Impact Director
• Jon Anderson, Ottawa County resident and business owner

The commissioners had a robust discussion detailing their thoughts, and it was clear that Karasinski and Anderson were the top two candidates.

• In a 5-4 vote, the Board voted for Jon Anderson to be the Interim Administrator

• Commissioners Jacob Bonnema and Roger Bergman were absent from the meeting

Jon Anderson is experienced in administrative and executive leadership. He had a 30-year career in law enforcement, worked in a large county, and oversaw a significant number of people.

Commissioner Allison Miedema, the Chair of the Talent and Recruitment Committee, had conversations with and received recommendations from those Anderson worked with previously.

Commissioner Doug Zylstra pulled eight items off the Consent Agenda and moved them under Action and Agenda Request. These items had passed through standing committees but are allowed to be pulled off by any commissioner.

• Zylstra—refusing to read the material in the packet provided or watch the Planning and Policy Committee meeting that the County provides on YouTube—requested that Jason Shamblin, the Ottawa County Parks Director, give his presentation again after having presented it at the Planning and Policy Committee meeting last Tuesday. “I don’t think I should need to watch it online,” Zylstra said.

• Historically the committees have sat five board members each. Those board members not on a committee have the responsibility to either watch them online or educate themselves with the presentation provided in the packet and follow up with another board member or staff if more information is needed.

Throughout the year the Board gets annual reports from different departments.

• Ottawa County Treasurer’s Office 2023 Annual Report

• Ottawa County 20th Circuit Court Probation and Parole 2023 Annual Report

Ottawa County Board of Commissioners
Regular Session
March 12, 2024

Ottawa County Administration Building
12220 Fillmore Street
West Olive, MI 49460