2/22/13 - County officials are hoping an upcoming event will provide them an opportunity to talk about both the challenges and successes of the past year. Livingston County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Carol Griffith is planning to present a State of the County address in which sheâll lay out various projects she says all fall under their continued efforts at collaboration, cooperation and consolidation. Among those is a complete redesign of the countyâs website expected to be available April 1st with a new range of e-commerce options. County Administrator Belinda Peters added that they are in the midst of implementing a new financial system that will eventually allow the county to handle its own payroll, a service currently outsourced for $80,000 a year. Other projects Griffiths intends to discuss are the new EMS and Survival Flight public safety complex under construction and the Livingston County Airport expansion, including a new terminal building. While the discussion will focus on the positive developments in the last year, Griffith acknowledged there are also challenges, most especially the nearly two million dollars they stand to lose due to cuts in state shared-revenue and the elimination of the state's personal property tax. In addition, the countyâs rare AAA bond rating could be at risk if various sewer-assessment bonds it backed in local townships go belly-up. However, a $2 million fund has been set up to assist with the debt if necessary. The State of the County address is free and open to the public and will be held Monday, March 4th at 6:30 p.m. in the historic Livingston County Courthouse in downtown Howell. (JK)
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