Hayes Township Owes $98,027 to City of Charlevoix
Board Hides Surplus & Debts from Budget
We recently learned from City of Charlevoix that Hayes Township owes the city $98,027.01 for past ambulance (EMS) services. The Hayes Board has violated the Uniform Budgeting & Accounting Act requiring the surplus (fund balance) from previous years and any debts, be in the annual budget. MCL 141.435(e). The budget, financial reports to the State, and the audit made no mention of this debt. The Hayes Board is not being transparent with the taxpayers, another community from whom we purchased critical services, or with the State, of how much money the Township actually has.
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Invoices from City of Charlevoix to Hayes Township (adding up to $98,027.01).
The 2023 budget. Notice it anticipates only that $748,891.31 will come in, and exactly that much is budgeted to be spent. It does not include the surplus, or an estimate needed for emergency purposes, as required by law:
141.435 Recommended budget; contents; limitation on total estimated expenditures.
Sec. 15.
(1) The recommended budget shall include at least the following:
(a) Expenditure data for the most recently completed fiscal year and estimated expenditures for the current fiscal year.
(b) An estimate of the expenditure amounts required to conduct, in the ensuing fiscal year, the government of the local unit, including its budgetary centers.
(c) Revenue data for the most recently completed fiscal year and estimated revenues for the current fiscal year.
(d) An estimate of the revenues, by source of revenue, to be raised or received by the local unit in the ensuing fiscal year.
(e) The amount of surplus or deficit that has accumulated from prior fiscal years, together with an estimate of the amount of surplus or deficit expected in the current fiscal year. The inclusion of the amount of an authorized debt obligation to fund a deficit shall be sufficient to satisfy the requirement of funding the amount of a deficit estimated under this subdivision.
(f) An estimate of the amounts needed for deficiency, contingent, or emergency purposes.
(g) Other data relating to fiscal conditions that the chief administrative officer considers to be useful in considering the financial needs of the local unit.
(2) The total estimated expenditures, including an accrued deficit, in the budget shall not exceed the total estimated revenues, including an available unappropriated surplus and the proceeds from bonds or other obligations issued under the fiscal stabilization act or the balance of the principal of these bonds or other obligations.
Invoices from City of Charlevoix 2023 Township Budget: