In a 6-3 vote at a special meeting Monday, the commission appointed Frank Perez as mayor for the next year. Incumbent mayor Jeff Mullins, who served for two years, received three votes after nominations closed.
Aaron Miller
On Wednesday evening Sturgis city commissioners adopted the budget for the fiscal year 2023-2024 in an 8-1 vote, with Commissioner Richard Bir as the lone dissenting vote.
The Sturgis City Commission Wednesday voted to have city staff develop a proposed ordinance and corresponding ballot language concerning urban chickens within city limits. The decision of whether to allow urban chickens in Sturgis will likely be placed in the hands of city residents in August 2024.
In a tense 5—4 vote Wednesday evening, Sturgis City Commissioners voted to raise the 2023 millage rate to 11.6818, which is the maximum allowed by the State of Michigan without a vote of the electorate.
In a report to commissioners earlier this month, Sturgis Hospital Interim CEO Jeremy Gump said the hospital was in danger of being depleted of funds by the end of June. Now there is no “drop dead” date for the hospital’s closure thanks to a deposit of funds which will allow the facility to continue to operate — at least for a few more weeks.
Wednesday night’s Sturgis City Commission meeting was the last for Commissioner Travis Klinger, who announced his resignation on March 8. A newly appointed commissioner will finish Klinger’s term, and will be sworn in on May 10.
Lauded for his dedication to the City of Sturgis and consummate professionalism, Andrew Kuk was offered Sturgis’ city manager position following a 7-1 vote by the Sturgis City Commission.
A special meeting was held Monday night where Sturgis City Commissioners conducted the first round of interviews for its vacant city manager position. Two candidates withdrew their consideration for the job prior to the meeting, leaving interim City Manager Andrew Kuk as the lone remaining applicant to interview.
Glen Oaks Community College will hold its 52nd and 53rd Annual Commencement ceremony at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 7, in Ken Schuler Court (Glen Oaks gymnasium). The Nursing Pinning ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 8 at 10 a.m. and the Allied Health pinning ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 8 at 2 p.m. with both pinning ceremonies also taking place in the gym.
Following an alignment of several funding sources recently, St. Joseph County Road Commission (SJCRC) staff said the Langley Covered bridge will receive an extensive overhaul in 2023 at a board meeting Tuesday. Funding from the state legislature and the Southwest Region Bridge Council of Michigan (SWBC) will fund a significant portion of the work. SJCRC will provide some of its own funds and Managing Director John Lindsey said he hopes the County Commission will close a remaining gap.
Michigan leaders are close to nailing down a $62.8 billion state budget plan for Fiscal Year 2021, as legislators released details Wednesday and started to approve bills.
During its regular meeting Tuesday the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners briefly discussed a letter they received Monday regarding recent and ongoing conduct by County Prosecutor John McDonough. The commission will reportedly discuss the matter further at its next Executive Committee meeting.
A group of constituents of the St. Joseph County Commission, including several elected officials, along with three Branch County residents, submitted a letter to the commission Monday morning. The letter, whose 26 signatories include 59th District State Representative Aaron Miller and several township officials, asks the commission to call for County Prosecutor John McDonough’s resignation.