Michigan Association of Counties to meet in Acme
Sep. 22—TRAVERSE CITY — The Michigan Association of Counties will hold its 2024 annual conference at the Grand Traverse Resort in Acme this Tuesday through Thursday.
More than 300 people are expected to attend, including county officials, speakers, exhibitors and MAC leaders from around the state.
Experts from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Michigan State Police will discuss how to handle "the ominous trend of threats against local officials" during a plenary session on Wednesday, according to Derek Melot, director of communications and marketing.
Intelligence Analyst Matthew Helmkamp of the Michigan State Police will present an overview of the current threat landscape for both elected officials and candidates. He will also highlight key concerns for the upcoming November election with details from the Michigan Intelligence Operations Center.
Other topics on the agenda include eight workshops on:
* Detecting and preventing election-oriented crimes
* How to use opioid lawsuit settlement dollars effectively
* Implications of a recent state Supreme Court ruling on tax foreclosures
* Working with local and regional foundations
* Managing county parks
* The role of county officials in emergency response efforts
* How to use new tools for identifying and applying for grants
Grand Traverse County commissioners will host a reception on Tuesday evening for conference participants starting at 6:30 p.m. at the resort. The event is sponsored by Plante Moran, a national accounting and advisory firm with offices in Traverse City. No taxpayer money will be expended for the gathering.
"While I do learn a lot from the scheduled presentations, it's also great to interact with our counterparts in county government on a less formal basis," said board Chair Rob Hentschel. "The biggest thing I always get is perspective — what they're dealing with, what their challenges and successes are."
Also at the conference, members will vote to fill five seats on the MAC board of directors and install Melissa Daub, Wayne County commissioner, as MAC's 116th board president.
The last time MAC held its annual conference in Acme was 2019.
Founded in 1898, the Lansing-based organization recently celebrated 125 years of service and is the oldest group representing local governments in Michigan.
Approximately one in every four bills introduced in the state Legislature affects county government, according to the MAC website. Each year, the group's six standing policy committees draft legislative platforms to advocate on a wide range of key county issues.
