Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties

Township board approves veterans appropriation

By RICHARD JENKINS

[email protected]

Ironwood Township — The Ironwood Township Board of Trustees approved paying the township’s share of the Gogebic County Council of Veterans Affairs budget Monday.

“Your continued support is vital to our ability to assist county veterans, their dependents and survivors. Our services include completing and filing disability and pension claims with the (Department of Veterans Affairs), providing financial assistance through the Michigan Veterans Trusts Fund, assisting surviving family members with funeral and survivor benefits, and preparing and filing Homestead Property Tax Credit and Home Heating Credit claims,” the county’s Veterans Service Officer, John Frello, wrote in a letter to the township. “Our office also coordinates the Disabled American Veterans Transportation Program, transporting over 500 veterans to their VA medical appointments. None of this would be possible without your help.”

The township board agreed to pay $5,188, which is its share based on a formula determined using the population and state equalized value, according to Frello.

The council had 2020 fiscal year budget request of $66,284 — with the county paying 50% and the remaining half split between the county’s municipalities.

Gogebic County’s veterans or their survivors received over $13.5 million in direct and indirect benefits from the VA in 2018, according to Frello, ranking Gogebic County 16th on a per capita basis out of Michigan’s 83 counties.

In other action:

—The board heard from Phil Strong with the Gogebic County Road Commission. Strong said he hopes to bid out the two road projects the board indicated were their preferred priorities sometime in the next couple of weeks. In January, the board chose to pursue milling work on roughly 0.35 miles of Sunset Road east of Section 12 and repaving 0.25 miles of Mountain View Road from Curry to Lake Road.

Although an estimate at the January township board meeting indicated the projects would cost a combined $127,500, Strong said Monday he won’t be able to determine how much money is available for other road work in the township until the bids on those two projects come in.

The township is responsible for 60% of the project costs, which is why Strong told the Daily Globe after the meeting that the township largely sets the priorities for secondary roads and the road commission follows its lead.

Along with the two projects, Strong said the road commission is also planning work on Black River Road, Lake Road and Country Club Road this construction season. As these roads are primary roads, Strong told the Daily Globe the road commission is responsible for the entire cost of each project.

—The board voted to adhere to its policy and declined a property owner’s request for a refund of late fees on their water bills.

 
 
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