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As I write this, we are welcoming our first taste of fall weather. That also means it’s budget season. The Ottawa County Board of Commissioners will be considering adopting an overall budget of $254.6 million for FY 2023, which begins on October 1, 2022.
Some of the highlights of the budget:
- Among Michigan's 83 counties, Ottawa County has the 6th lowest property tax rate at 3.9 mills.
- While the Board of Commissioners could levy up to approximately 4.4 mills, it has chosen not to do so. This keeps more of our residents' hard earned money in their pockets. Ottawa County is only one of eight counties statewide who does not levy the maximum that it is authorized to collect.
- Just 13 cents of every dollar in property taxes paid by Ottawa County residents fund County operations, such as law enforcement, parks, courts and more. The remainder goes to schools, cities, townships and other governing bodies.
- The County receives more money from federal and state revenue sources, such as grant funds and Medicaid revenue, than from property taxes.
John Shay | County Administrator
Ottawa County Clerk/Register, Justin Roebuck and Elections Coordinator, Katie Sims will be at community locations in October to discuss elections in Ottawa County:
- Herrick District Library - North Branch, October 11, 6-8PM - Register
- Loutit District Library, October 25, 6-8PM - Register
- Events will be streamed via YouTube; search Ottawa County Clerk Register of Deeds
Justin and Katie will discuss topics like absentee ballots, logic and accuracy tests and post-election audits. They will then take questions from the audience. Questions can be submitted ahead of time to elections@miottawa.org, at the event or online during the livestream.
Keep up to date and receive election information by email or text Ottawa Votes to GOV-311 (468-311) to receive text messages.
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Join us for Farms are the Tapas in September.
- Thursday, September 29
- 6 PM – 8 PM
- The Red Shed, 5301 Barry Street, Hudsonville
- Buy tickets
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Join us for the 17th Annual Water Quality Forum in November.
- Monday, November 7
- 8:30 AM - Noon
- Fillmore Main Conference Room, 12220 Fillmore, West Olive
- Register
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The Ottawa County Department of Public Health (OCDPH) is partnering with mantherapy.org. Man Therapy Michigan is a statewide initiative that is reshaping the conversation about suicide prevention and men's mental health. Using stories of hope, resilience and recovery, coupled with humor, Man Therapy cuts through stigma and tackles issues like depression, divorce and even suicidal thoughts through free, confidential online assessments and resources.
Although suicides in Ottawa County did not increase in 2021, 33 Ottawa County residents took their own lives last year. Of those who died by suicide, 30 were men and 8 were veterans. The Ottawa County Death by Suicide Report identified the following groups to have the highest suicide rates in Ottawa County:
- Veterans
- Males
- People 50 years and older
- Those who identify as Non-Hispanic White
- Residents of the northwest and southwest quadrants of the County
Learn more at mantherapy.org.
Ottawa County has partnered with Gentex Corporation, Lighthouse Immigrant Advocates, City of Grand Haven and City of Holland to bring you the 2022 Diversity Forum on October 27 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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You can help guide the future of Bass River Recreation Area. Your answers to this survey will help the Michigan Department of Natural Resources update the general management plan.
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Next Friday at noon will be the County’s last outdoor warning siren test of the season. Sirens are intended to alert people who are outdoors (within about a mile) of danger and to seek shelter. Most people think of a tornado, but the sirens could also indicate a nuclear threat, chemical emergency or other hazard.
Between now and the final outdoor warning siren test of the season on October 7, we’re asking our community to pause and follow these steps for a chemical emergency:
- Go inside and close doors and windows.
- Shut down air conditioners, furnaces or fans.
- Grab a role of duct tape and simulate taping window and door jams.
- In a real emergency, you would stay in your home or current location until a message reaches you that it is safe to resume activity. This directive is called "shelter in place."
- If you cannot physically practice these steps, at least think about them.
- If you are part of a business or organization, have you designated the responsible party for these steps? Can you discuss these steps with your team?
Thank you for your participation in this chemical emergency drill.
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