Last week, the Shiawassee County Board of Commissioners voted 6-0 to provide premium payments from the American Recovery Act Funds to its staff, including elected officials. These funds came from the federal government, none of the payments came from local revenue sources. Since the payments were made, confusion about the nature of these funds has run rampant. The commissioners deeply regret that this gesture has been misinterpreted, and have unanimously decided to voluntarily return the funds to the county, pending additional guidance from the state of Michigan.
All other elected officials who received these funds have also decided to voluntarily return these funds. Our County Coordinator Dr. Brian Boggs, despite being an employee of the county and not an elected official, has also decided to voluntarily return his payment to the county. The commissioners emphasize that funds like these have never been received before, and very little guidance was provided by the federal government of the state of Michigan regarding their use. They look forward to receiving such guidance from the state in the near future.
