By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com


Livingston County officials are calling on the state to restore a revenue fund and pay the county more than $2-million that it claims it was shorted following the 2008 recession.

In 2004, an agreement between county governments and the State of Michigan created a property tax collection shift to provide revenue sharing funds to the counties, so as not to rely on the state’s general fund.

According to a resolution passed by the Board of Commissioners, Monday, those proceeds were put into the County Revenue Sharing Reserve Fund. Counties could obtain funds from there until the fund was exhausted, at which time they would re—enter the state revenue system and receive their full amount.

The resolution states that extensive research completed by the Michigan Association of Counties has found that the State of Michigan cumulatively shorted 60 counties of more than $110-million between 2009 and 2014. Livingston County is one of those 60, experiencing a shortfall of $2,316,267.

While money is coming from the American Rescue Plan, the resolution notes that funding is restricted for pandemic-related expenditures. County Revenue Sharing from the State is unrestricted and can assist in funding several essential, local services. These include courts, the prosecutor, the sheriff and jail, the county clerk and treasurer, register of deeds, drain commissioner, administration, and animal control.

The resolution called upon state leaders to restore the County Revenue Sharing Fund and provide a one-time payment of the shorted funds to the counties.