(Source: MIRS.news, Published 09/29/2022) The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC) is going into Fiscal Year 2023 on Saturday, Oct. 1 without a budget being approved by the Legislature, even as the board moved to switch the executive director position to a part-time.
The MICRC approved its $3.169 million in August and as of Thursday’s meeting the general government appropriations committee had not approved the budget, which includes $653,000 for the 13 commissioners at 25% of the governor’s salary and a reduction to part-time hours for Executive Director Edward Woods III.
“We should assume this was an oversight and not an intentional plan by the Legislature with plans to choke off funds to the commission,” said Commissioner Rebecca Szetela.
Woods said he has a meeting with the appropriations committee next week to go over the supplemental required by the commission for the FY 2023, but that would be after the end of FY 2022.
Commissioner Anthony EID asked the board what if it is intentional and the Legislature decides not to give funding to the MICRC.
Attorney David Fink said at that time he would recommend litigation from the board, but said the first step would be to talk with the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget, along with the Legislature, to see what can be done.
Commissioners had a lengthy discussion about if they could use $1 million left from the FY 2022 budget to continue to move those funds into the new year only until the situation of the budget is resolved.
“I think we need to somehow make it clear to the Legislature that this is really unacceptable,” Eid said. “This is a pretty large oversight, and they had no problem just yesterday passing over $850 million backing special interests and multinational corporations with funds, but they can’t remember the legislative body that created and drew their maps for the first time in a couple of decades.”
Eid, Fink and Szetela all brought up that the Michigan constitution requires the commission to be funded.
“That was very intentionally written that way to prevent us from being retaliated against by cutting off funds and preventing us from doing our work,” Szetela said.
The commission has been in a holding pattern since finishing drawing the maps and has been waiting for an answer on how they would be able to go into dormancy. The commission is also anticipating more legal challenges filed after the Nov. 8 election.
In anticipation of dormancy and legal battles, the commission extended and increased four contracts, three legal and one election data, until the dissolution of the commission on Oct. 15, 2030.
The board also held elections for a new chair and vice-chair. Democrat Commissioner Dustin WITJES, who was the only commissioner not present, was nominated and elected to serve as chair.
Witjes left a note to be read if he were nominated and was the only one nominated to serve as chair. He served as vice-chair for the last six months.
Republican Commissioner Doug Clark was elected to serve as vice-chair.
