Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette Ken Talsma, an accountant with Anderson, Tackman & Co., gives an audit report to Houghton County during Tuesday’s board meeting

HOUGHTON — Houghton County passed its audit with flying colors, its auditor said at Tuesday’s monthly board meeting.

Ken Talsma of Anderson, Tackman & Co. presented a report on the county’s 2021-22 audit. He issued an unmodified opinion, the best of four outcomes. It indicates the county has been following generally accepted accounting principles and state treasury rules for internal controls.

“That’s the opinion that you want to get, and that’s what you got,” he said.

Talsma also presented graphs showing the county’s financial performance compared to the previous year.

Houghton County’s net position saw a 5.3% year-to-year increase in 2021 to $54,738,413. Over the past five years, the general fund balance has grown 67.3% to $5,469,306.

One thing the state watches for is making sure revenues and exceeded expenditures over the past three years, Talsma said. If that changes, the state gets concerned.

“That’s where they start writing you these letters — ‘What’s going on? We’re worried about you, but we’re not going to give you any money or help you. We’ll write a lot of letters to you,'” he said. “It’s good you’re on an upward trend with that, so they’ll leave you alone.”

Houghton County has enough assets to cover 62.9% of liabilities, which Talsma said puts the county in the middle of the pack statewide.

In other action, the board:

• Added Osceola Township projects to the road commission repair program funded by the American Rescue Plan Act.

The county previously approved $1.1 million in projects earlier this month. Osceola Township will provide $190,497, which would then be tripled by matching funds from the road commission and county board.

• Approved collecting the maximum allowable operating millage of 6.222 mills after a Headlee rollback. It will increase property taxes $333,606 in 2022 over the amount generated by the millage level permitted without holding a public hearing.

There were no public comments during the Truth in Taxation hearing at the start of Tuesday’s meeting.

• Heard a report from building inspector Todd LaRoux. So far this year the county has issued 138 building permits, 248 electrical permits, 200 plumbing and mechanical permits and 40 soil and erosion permits.

While he didn’t have 2021 numbers on hand, he said the permit requests “have been rolling in nonstop.” There are more large commercial projects that haven’t been entered yet, LaRoux said.

The board also approved reclassifying LaRoux from an MP 9 to an MP 10. The change was applied retroactively to the start of the last pay period.

• Approved $74,215 in remonumentation contracts for 2022 for five Houghton County firms. The program is part of a state effort approved in 1990 to resurvey all of Michigan.

Last year’s contract covered surveys on 28 corners within Portage and Chassell townships.

• The first Houghton County contracts were awarded in 1992; about 30% of the county has been completed.

• Heard a report from jail administrator Doug Hebner. The 28-bed county jail is at 26 inmates. There are also eight inmates at the county work camp.

• Approved an increase in 911 sign fees from $25 to $40.