The League of Women Voters of the Midland Area reaffirms the following current League of Women Voters in Michigan (LWVMI) positions on K-12 public school funding:

I. LWVMI supports the development of a publicly financed public education system in which there is equal opportunity for good education available to all children in Michigan.

II. Public funds should not be used for nonpublic education except for shared time in the public schools, auxiliary services and transportation.

III. The State should:

1. Bear the greatest responsibility for financing public education, including programs for compensatory, special and vocational education, transportation, and education for the gifted.
2. Develop a financial distribution system which would assure equal educational opportunity for all children.

IV. Local districts should:

1. Continue to bear some responsibility for financing education.
2. Have the option of raising additional millage in order to provide some enrichment of the basic educational program.
3. Retain the major control in the spending of the educational dollar, under state guidelines, including programs for compensatory education, transportation, capital outlay and in-service training.
4. Provide for equalization, or comparability of educational opportunities and funding, among all schools in the district.

  V. The financial distribution system should:

1. Ensure equality of educational opportunity to all children. Such equality should be measured by using at least two of these criteria, in order of preference:
   1. Education input,
   2. Needs of individual children,
   3. Education outcome,
   4. Dollars spent per child.
2. Be funded at a level aimed at achieving a high-quality program for all school districts.
3.  …The voucher plan is unacceptable as a distribution system.

The League of Women Voters of the Midland Area believes the following:

I.  Local residents of the Midland County K-12 public school districts should expect the education offered by their schools                     to be excellent.

II. The level of per pupil financing is very important to the quality of education offered in the local public school districts.

III. The rating of the following factors to the quality of education a K-12 public school district is able to offer is:

1. Of utmost importance
   1. Per pupil foundation grant
   2. Total dollars available to finance district operations
2. Somewhat important – Number of pupils in the district
3. Should not be a factor
   1. Total area covered by district in square miles
   2. Value of property within school district boundaries

IV. The League of Women Voters of the Midland Area will actively encourage local districts to study the viability of asking local taxpayers to approve additional enhancement millage. Additionally, if the question of approving additional enhancement millage is put on the ballot, the League will support its passage.

V. The League of Women Voters of the Midland Area will actively encourage the Midland County Educational Service Agency (MCESA) to study the viability of asking local taxpayers to approve additional special education and/or operational millage. Additionally, if the question of approving additional millage is put on the ballot, the League will support its passage.

The League of Women Voters of the Midland Area believes that the ultimate goal of local adult correctional efforts should be the rehabilitation of the offender. We recognize that for some offenders, but not all, rehabilitation may need to include confinement and separation from society.

We hold to the principle that efficient and economical government requires competent personnel, the clear assignment of responsibility, adequate financing and coordination among the different agencies and levels of government. With this principle in mind, we would support a variety of correctional efforts, both in jail and in the community at large, aimed a helping the offender function in society.

We support the Michigan Department of Corrections Code for Jails in its requirements for physical health testing and its requirement that there be a general purpose room and areas for exercise.

Diagnostic screening and testing for offenders should be available to design a correctional program appropriate for the individual. Referral to other agencies and contracting for services wherever possible should be used throughout the correction process.

We favor guided rehabilitation programs for those confined to the jail, based on diagnostic screening and testing. These programs could include counseling, education, recreation and exercise, and work-related programs. Local clergy should be available at the jail on a regular basis for religious counseling.

An important priority is helping the offender become employable through job counseling, job training, skills training and work programs. A skills center is a valuable aid in working toward these ends.

We support expanded probation services and favor the establishment of a program center to aid in the rehabilitation of offenders placed on probation and parole. Work opportunities are an important facet of such a center.

Facilities should be provided to separate pre-trial detainees and those taken in protective custody from the inmate population of the jail. For the protection of all detainees, care should be taken in assigning them to appropriate cells.

The jail should provide visiting arrangements, consistent with security needs, that insure privacy. Visiting hours should be flexible.

There is a role for volunteers in the correctional process, but ongoing and necessary programs should not be dependent on volunteers. Citizen advisory boards should be used as vehicles for community education and citizen involvement. These boards could be concerned with development of probation programs, jail rehabilitation, physical facilities, and the community re-entry of former offenders.

The League of Woman Voters of the Midland Area supports the use of federal funds within Midland City and Midland County. We urge public officials to aggressively seek public opinion and to set priorities for use of federal funds reflecting the wishes of the constituent community’s citizens. We urge each citizen to accept his/her responsibility to participate in decisions concerning the use of the funds and to monitor the progress of funded projects.

We support the use of all appropriate means and methods by City and County officials to make available to the public frequent reports of the progress of projects funded by federal funds.

(The ESA was previously known as the ISD)

The League of Women Voters of the Midland Area believes that the Midland County Educational Service Agency (ESA) can serve an essential role in the delivery of educational services in this area. We do not wish to see the Midland ESA dissolved and integrated into a large regional unit. The constituent district school boards and the ESA Board should make every effort to cooperatively develop programs and services that recognize the differences in the local districts in order that the Midland ESA may function effectively for the benefit of all.

The functions of the ESA include:

1. Transmitting data from state and local and vice versa;
2. Facilitating cooperation between local districts;
3. Providing services to meet the needs of the local districts; and
4. Enforcing standards set by the state.

We recognize that the types of services provided by the ESA should be those agreed to by the constituent districts. We believe that instructional support services should have a high priority. Instructional programs, career and technical education and special education should all be areas of concern for the Midland ESA. Administrative services, with the exception of those mandated by the state, are of low priority. Services should be distributed to local districts on the basis of need, as identified through cooperation by local districts. The ESA should be responsible for program, policy and budget for these services.

We support area-wide millage for Career and Technical Education. The millage should be used for programs coordinated by the ESA. It should not be returned directly to local districts for independent use. The ESA should examine all alternatives, including a skill center and facilities dispersed throughout the district, and present the most efficient plan to the voters. Existing facilities should not be duplicated. The ESA should actively seek the cooperation of local districts in all phases of policy making, but should have ultimate responsibility for program, policy and budget, whether programs are operated directly by the ESA or contracted to local districts.

We support area-wide millage for special education. The millage should be used for programs coordinated by the ESA. It should not be returned directly to the local districts for independent use. The millage should be used to support and improve programs throughout the local districts. The ESA should actively seek the cooperation of the local districts in every phase of decision making, but should have the ultimate responsibility for program, policy and budget, whether the programs are operated by the ESA, the local school board or contracted to local districts.

League principles of openness and efficiency in government should be applied to the Midland ESA.

The League of Women Voters of the Midland Area endorses the council-manager form of government for the City of Midland and supports election by wards. There should be ample opportunity for citizen participation in city government and the public should be adequately informed of such opportunities. All meetings of the City Council should be open to the public, in accordance with the State of Michigan Open Meetings Act of 1976.

Council-Manager Form of Government

The administrative power of Midland City government should be in the hands of an appointed administrator. The council-manager form of government is best for the City of Midland. The current petition procedure for candidacy is satisfactory and no change should be made in the required qualification of Council members. Council members should be elected by wards. The mayor should have no extraordinary powers beyond those prescribed by the Midland City Charter*. The city council should be the policy making body of the city. The current procedures for charter amendment and revision are adequate, as is the correct procedure for recall of elected officials. City council members should be adequately compensated. 

*Midland City Charter – adopted November 7, 1944, reprinted 1967 (available online: https://www.cityofmidlandmi.gov/436/City-Charter)

City Council – Citizen Participation

To insure full public knowledge of City council actions, all City council meetings, both regular and special, should be publicized as widely as possible including, but not limited to, the following outlets: City calendar; newspapers; postings in city Hall, Library, County Building (if permitted); MCTV; City web site. The City newsletter should contain an updated calendar. Notices of meetings of the City Council should be published in the newspaper in consistent form and location.

Agendas and background information should be made available to the public as soon as possible, no later than the Saturday preceding a Monday meeting. Full packets should be available at City Hall or the Library and also readily available at the time of the meeting. We recommend an agenda format in which brief explanatory material is provided for the items listed.

We believe the Council is responsible for communicating to the public the background and estimated consequences of policy decisions. Open council meetings alone are not sufficient for this purpose. We recommend the use of the city newsletter, the media, MCTV and any other means possible to reach the widest possible public.

Citizens should be encouraged to make their views known by citizen comment during Council meetings, public hearings, meetings of advisory boards and commissions, communications through City Manager or department heads, personal contact (with Council members), focus groups, neighborhood groups and any other means available. We approve of the current practice of providing a time for open comment at City Council meetings, as well as comments directed to specific agenda items. To make the procedure more welcoming, we recommend that a pamphlet be available to explain Council procedure and the role of citizens. In addition to legal notification requirements, public hearings, both for the Council and for advisory boards and commissions, should be broadly publicized. Pertinent information should be included in the hearing notice. Debate format should be defined (time limits for example) in advance, preferably in the original announcement.

All meetings of the Council should be recorded by minutes or notes, which should be made available to the public promptly in the newspaper and/or at City Hall, at the Library and on the web site.

Advisory Boards and Commissions

The LWV believes that advisory boards and commissions perform an essential role in providing avenues for citizen input and participation and that all such boards and commissions should ultimately be responsible to the City Council. Therefore a direct line of communication with the Council is necessary for all such boards. Reports on key issues should be made directly to City Council. If a member of the administration is presenting the report, at least one member of the board or commission should attend the meeting. Routine reports or minutes should be included in the Council packets. Joint meetings may not be necessary.

Notices of opportunities to serve on boards and commissions should be widely publicized. Descriptions of the responsibilities and terms of appointment should be included in the announcement. Application forms should be available at City Hall, the Library, from Council members, from department heads and on the web site. Council members, from department heads and on the web site. Recommendations for appointment may be made by the administration, but the ultimate selection for all boards should be the responsibility of the City Council. In the interest of the broadest citizen input, appointment of an individual to more than one board at a time should be discouraged.

It is the responsibility of advisory boards and commissions to gather information, to hold hearings as needed and to make recommendations to City Council. Although the administration may provide much of the information, we encourage the use of alternate sources, especially citizen input. The experience of other communities should also be considered.

Notices of advisory board and commission meetings should be widely publicized (via our recommendations for City council notices). Minutes should be written and published as soon as possible after the meeting and made available to the public at City Hall and the Library. They should be included in the agenda packets for Council members as soon as they are written.

MCTV

Live broadcasts over MCTV should be made of City Council meetings, Planning Commission meetings, budget hearings, and other meetings as requested by the body concerned or in response to public demand. Other meetings of advisory boards and commissions should be taped for later cable casting. Video streaming should be employed when appropriate. The City should continue to provide informative cablecasts such as budget explanations and department overviews.

The League of Women Voters of the Midland Area supports efficiency and citizen participation in Midland County government. We strongly encourage cooperation among all units of government within the county, especially between Midland City and County.

We encourage the Board of Commissioners to focus on setting policies and priorities.

We support adherence to rules and policies which promote effective and orderly governance by the Board such as:

1. Regular review and adoption of rules and policies.
2. Orderly procedures and assignment of responsibilities in budget preparation and implementation:

   a. The Board is responsible for establishing priorities and adopting or changing the budget.

   b. The Administrator/controller and department heads are responsible for implementing the budget.

3. The adoption of an annual capital improvements budget with the same procedure including citizen participation at public hearings, as for the operating budget.

We recommend increased emphasis on long-range planning.

We believe that the Board of Commissioners should promote communication with the general public.

We recommend that:

1. The agenda of Board meetings be publicized in advance;
2. Minutes of Board meetings be published promptly;
3. Other reports, such as standing committee minutes, department reports and financial reports be readily available on request;
4. All meetings of the Board of Commissioners and of the standing committees be open to the public with as few exceptions as possible for the discussion of such matters as personnel or real estate transactions.
5. The Board hold well advertised public hearings in addition to the regular public comment period during Board meetings prior to making any major policy decisions.

Position

The League of Women Voters of the Midland Area supports the principle of availability of safe, decent, desirable housing in sound neighborhoods for all Midland County residents. We support dispersed socio-economic diversity throughout the city and townships. We support the use of zoning as a tool for provision of affordable housing for all people in the City and in the townships.

We believe that local governmental bodies should assume responsibility for ensuring the availability of a reasonable quality of housing in Midland County. Governmental subsidies should be utilized to the extent that they are economically reasonable. The government should also facilitate the effective use of the services of local public and private agencies for rehabilitating substandard housing where reasonable and for relocating those inadequately housed or displaced. No clearance should occur unless relocation sites are available. We support the use of effectively enforced housing codes by local units of government throughout the county. These housing codes should require compliance periodically for rental property and at the time of sale for owner-occupied housing.

We support publicly and privately subsidized housing. We believe admission requirements should be based upon need. We encourage residency requirements which do not discriminate between city and township residents. We support multiple housing development with either governmental or private management that will meet local housing maintenance standards.

We support the availability of semi-protective housing facilities that will enable the elderly and handicapped to continue independent living. We support economically reasonable services for those who need assistance to continue to reside in owner-occupied homes.

We support City and County housing commissions which coordinate and cooperate with all other agencies involved in housing needs. We support a joint City-County commission when appropriate.

Position

The League of Women Voters of the Midland area affirms the importance of a professional police force with a positive relationship between the Midland Police Department and the community.

We support:

1. Competitive wage and benefit packages for police personnel;
2. A satisfactory department promotion system;
3. Consideration of pre-employment personality profile screening as an additional hiring tool;
4. Encouragement of continuing education with the police department, including bonuses and payment of fees.
5. In-service training and seminars for all police personnel, provided by qualified instructors;
6. Additional training beyond the minimum basic training curriculum recommended by the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards, in dealing with such situations as family violence, juvenile crime, rape, developmentally and emotionally impaired individuals;
7. Encouragement of police officers to work toward academic degrees;
8. Coordinated efforts between the police department and other law enforcement and community agencies;
9. A separate juvenile office, as per state regulations;
10. A designated crime prevention program with adequate funding for the required staff;
11. Positive police visibility in the schools and the community;
12. A communications policy that balances the rights of the community to public information with individual rights to privacy and legal protection.

Position

The League of Women Voters of the Midland Area believes that the thoughtful and active participation and support of informed citizens is the top priority in the development and implementation of Midland City and County planning.

We support:

Position

The League of Women Voters of the Midland Area reaffirms the Michigan League of Women Voters’ state-wide position for Children and Youth and recommends these additional characteristics for the services of at-risk youth.

To effectively meet the needs of youth in our community, the League of Women Voters of the Midland Area:

1. Supports and encourages development of facilities and programs to meet the social and recreational needs of youth;
2. Supports productive communication among all agencies serving youth;
3. Supports the development of an information guide describing the current community programs, services and contact personnel available for youth;
4. Supports a variety of shelter care facilities to provide individual and group care for long-and-short term placement for at-risk youth;
5. Supports the concept of a regional detention facility for detention and treatment of Midland County residents; 6. Supports increased employment opportunities for youth; 
6. Supports employment by the City and County of qualified youth officers who have specific education and training in working with youth; such an officer should assume the primary responsibility for youth involved with law enforcement;
7. Supports expanded efforts on the part of law enforcement personnel to promote positive attitudes toward the law among youth;
8. Supports a low ratio of students to counselors in the public schools;
9. Supports curriculum development in the areas of: self-worth, parenting and family living for implementation in grades K-12;
10. Supports and encourages direct communication among school personnel who are counseling youth within the area schools;
11. Supports the alternative education programming;
12. Supports diagnostic and screening services for at-risk youth;
13. Supports a county forensic interviewer for abused or victimized children, housed in a non-threatening environment.

Position

The League of Women Voters of Midland re-affirms the Michigan League of Women Voters’ state-wide Position for Juvenile Justice as part of the Children and Youth Position and recommends these considerations for a Juvenile Justice Facility.

To effectively meet the needs of youth in our community the League of Women Voters of the Midland Area supports these considerations:

1. We strongly support the philosophy behind the current legal mandate to place youths in the “least restrictive setting” possible.
2. We support a facility designed and administered primarily for local Midland County cases.
3. Because of the range of services necessary for adequate treatment, a juvenile facility should not be limited to detention only.
4. We prefer that a juvenile facility be administered by an autonomous board with balanced representation from the Board of Commissioners, the Family Division of the Probate Court of the 42nd Circuit Court, and citizens at – large as community representatives.
5. We recognize that education, recreational and medical facilities are required by law and support that requirement. Because juveniles need to be familiar with what is available in the local community and to avoid unnecessary duplication, we strongly encourage the use of community facilities.
6. We support counseling and treatment, clinical, diagnostic and assessment services as inherent parts of on-site treatment. These services should be provided in cooperation with community agencies.
7. We support aftercare as one of the most important components of treatment.