Page 26 - Scene Magazine 46-04 April 2021

CalCo Admin Update
BY KELLI SCOTT
Calhoun County Administrator/Controller
importance of the services county govern- ments provide. To help raise public aware- ness in Calhoun, we are excited to share 2020 annual reports from many county departments, from our Clerk/Register of Deeds to the Treasurer’s Office.
Here are some notable statistics from Calhoun County courts, just to demon- strate how functional they were during 2020 under the leadership of Chief Judge Mike Jaconette. In Circuit Court, there were 2,786 cases filed in 2020. Predict- ably every type of case filing was down due to the pandemic, except for adoptions, which increased by 15%. District Court saw 18,729 new cases filed in 2020,
Assistance to residents was a common theme for many offices in 2020. The Calhoun County Veterans Affairs Office provided $122,167 in emergency relief to county Veterans, and $18,000 in Meijer food vouchers. Our Senior Services Office was integral to COVID-19 response to area adults over 65 years old. Staff spent 122 hours delivering Meals on Wheels
This year’s theme for National County Government Month is simply “Counties Matter.” I think most would agree that the COVID-19 pandemic starting in 2020 uniquely highlighted how much local governments matter, with the Calhoun County Public Health Department having the official lead role in local response ef- forts. I am so grateful that this leadership responsibility was immediately supported by the City of Battle Creek and all of our community partners within the county- wide COVID-19 Joint Operations Center.
and in total handled 31,145 cases. Over 20,000 cases were closed. Additionally, the problem solving courts continued to graduate individuals. 36 people graduated from Sobriety Treatment Court in 2020, 15 graduated from Veterans Treatment Court, and 14 people graduated from Drug Treatment Court.
While some things slowed down drastically during 2020, such as in-person jury trials due to social distancing require- ments, most county business kept pace to address ongoing needs of our residents and businesses. And in some cases, the pace was intensified last year due to the public health crisis and political climate. For example, County Clerk Kimberly Hinkley and her staff faced an especially challenging 2020 Presidential Election, with COVID-19 operational restric-
tions, and saw a dramatic increase in the submission of concealed pistol license applications.
The drop in in-person court activity is also reflected in the huge reduction in the number of people screened by front-door Justice Center security personnel, drop- ping from over 201,000 in 2019 to just 45,000 in 2020. Calhoun County Sheriff Steve Hinkley includes this fact along with other highlights in his online annual report. In the law enforcement division, there were over 25,000 calls that Sheriff’s deputies responded to. Bookings in the Calhoun County jail were down 38% from the year before, with 6,252 total bookings.
to homebound seniors and provided coupons for seniors to have safe holiday fun by driving through the Merry Mile lights display at the Calhoun County Fairgrounds. This office also assisted with an effort to provide 5,000 face coverings to seniors during the pandemic. In all,
the Senior Millage in Calhoun County provided $2.9M for services for more than 5,000 seniors during 2020. In addition
to millage dollars, Senior Services also receives revenue from the FireKeepers Local Revenue Sharing Fund and Person- al Property Tax Reimbursement from the State of Michigan. In 2020, accumulated funds from these two sources funded stra- tegic projects including the purchase of GrandPads through Senior Care Partners P.A.C.E. to connect seniors with friends and family digitally, improvements to the Albion Community Gardens, and more.
Visit the County’s website to explore all of these annual reports further. Using their expertise, the GIS Department developed
a story map for its annual report that includes interactive maps made through- out the year. Find Calhoun County’s 2020 Annual Reports at calhouncountymi.gov/ annualreports. If you appreciate your coun- ty government during April 2021, National County Government Month, please thank one of our employees and let them know you believe that “Counties Matter.”
On our website, calhouncountymi.gov/ annualreports, you’ll find stories and data about how County government adapted service options and even enhanced many services due to COVID-19 protocols.
2020 marked the first full year of operations for the Public Defenders Office in Calhoun County. Public Defender David Makled and his attorneys represent individuals charged with a crime and
who cannot afford legal representation. Based on state legislation and oversight, our Public Defender office is intended to greatly increase the quality and account- ability of indigent defense in partnership with our entire justice system. It is funded mainly by state grant funds. In 2020, the Public Defender’s Office participated in 6,069 arraignments, taking on 1,884 mis- demeanor cases and 1,486 felony cases. Of these, an on-staff investigator assisted with 299 cases, which shows an increased focus on ensuring public defense services are given the proper resources.
The courts in particular implemented a transformational change in operations. While in-person jury trials were on pause statewide (only six jury trials took place in Calhoun in 2020) hearings continued, in a necessary virtual format. The courts set up a webpage with Youtube links to judges’ courtrooms so that they could be
Calhoun County Treasurer Brian Wen- sauer prioritizes identifying resources for
26 SCENE 4604 I WOMEN IN BUSINESS
The National Association of Counties (NACo) celebrates each April as National County Government Month, encouraging people to learn more about and appreciate the
accessed by the public while the Justice Center doors were locked. Many people enjoyed the increased accessibility, and efficiency, of court proceedings.
individuals who need assistance paying property taxes, and this effort was ampli- fied during the pandemic. Despite being the statutory authority to collect property taxes, the Calhoun County Treasurer’s Office wants to minimize foreclosure of property, working with individuals to en- sure property taxes are paid in a way that the taxpayer can manage. The Treasurer’s Office granted hardship extensions in 2020 to prevent 163 properties from being foreclosed. And last year, there were 23 fewer foreclosures than in 2019, with only 114 properties foreclosed in 2020.
National County Government Month