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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Genesee County commissioners schedule hearing on merging clerk and register of deeds offices; Bogardus now opposes merger
Published: Friday, May 27, 2011, 7:00 PM
By Ron Fonger | Flint Journal The Flint Journal
GENESEE COUNTY, Michigan -- County Register of Deeds Rose Bogardus, who campaigned on her support of merging the register and clerk offices, says she's changed her mind and no longer believes consolidation makes sense.
"I just think it's a terrible idea," said Bogardus, who was elected register in 2008 and said she plans to retire after one term -- regardless of what happens with the merger.
Bogardus' comments come just as the county Board of Commissioners is planning a June 8 public hearing on merging the two offices, a session that will clear the way for a final decision on the consolidation on June 22.
Commissioners on Wednesday voted to hold the public hearing at 9 a.m. June 8 in the third-floor auditorium of the county administration building, 1101 Beach St., Flint.
"It will move forward," said Commissioner Archie Bailey, D-Flushing. "We've done all our homework. As of Dec. 31 (2012, one of those positions) will no longer be in existence."
Candidates and commissioners have sporadically talked about merging the two offices for decades because of the potential for cost savings by eliminating a department head, but political support for the idea had been slow to build until the 2008 death of former register Melvin McCree.
Almost a year ago, commissioners took a non-binding vote to merge the two offices, and some board members made a last-ditch effort to combine the two departments into one after McCree's death but ran out of time before the election later in 2008.
Bogardus has hinted previously that she was reconsidering her support of a merger although she told voters during the 2008 campaign that she was the right candidate to oversee the transition and that the county could no longer afford to do business as usual.
She said last week that a merger would bring hidden costs, including the potential for increasing the salary of the new clerk-register because of additional responsibilities.
In June 2010, commissioners approved a $15,000 annual boost in Sheriff Robert Pickell's salary after he took over oversight of what was the county's Emergency Management & Homeland Security Department.
Bogardus said she has studied merged clerk-register offices elsewhere in Michigan and fears her office would take a backseat in a consolidation even though it provides critical services recording deeds and mortgages.
She criticized commissioners for not pushing to reduce the number of board members when the county Reapportionment Commission was considering the issue last month and said she has no personal interest in what happens because she will not run for office again after this term.
"I'm going to be 69 years old, ad I'm ready to retire," she said.
The clerk and register of deeds each earn more than $82,000 annually, and the savings from one of those salaries is worth making the move, said Clerk Michael Carr, who said he's still considering whether he would run to lead a combined department.
"I still support it ... I still think it's worthwhile ... but I don't think there will be great savings," Carr said. |
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Sat May 28, 2011 7:14 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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EbenezerScrooge May 27, 2011 at 7:10PM
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Bogardus is going back on a promise to help consolidate the Clerk and the Register of Deeds? Who could have seen that coming? It's kind of like the Board of Commissioners not being reduced to five members. Reducing the BOC is the right thing to do with the smaller population we have in Genesee County, but in the end politics won. It's all politics. Did you really thing she was going to help phase out her's or Carr's job? Now you're being silly.
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Jayare2010 May 27, 2011 at 7:18PM
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Gosh, is anyone really surprised! Politicians do NOT eliminate their own jobs unless they have another already lined up. And, Bogardus is a politician. As for Michael Carr not being sure if he would run to head a combined County Clerk/Registers office - GET REAL!!! The godfather of the Genesee Country Democrate mob family will easily appoint some toady to run things for him while he manages the County for the benefit of party members and union bosses. Bogardus must pray Carr doesn't make her an offer she can't refuse.
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JohnofGB May 27, 2011 at 7:33PM
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Regardless if the county commissioners combine the offices or not, one thing is apparent. Rose Bogardus needs to be replaced. I would hope the commissioners take a stand and combine the two offices and permanently retire Bogardus.
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EbenezerScrooge May 27, 2011 at 7:50PM
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The County Clerk and the Register of Deeds are both elected positions. The Board of Commisioners can't choose who can run for the offices (or office if they are combined). They can combine the offices at the end of the term of the Clerk and Register of Deeds, but they can't "retire Bogardus". That is up to the voters in this county to decide.
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jorgefilet May 27, 2011 at 9:57PM
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Why are these elected positions?
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babe72 May 27, 2011 at 7:49PM
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The taxpayer should have the say ,not the selfserveing. Why would you let the employee set the wages,benefits,and how many employes????? Please ,how many think this should be put on the ballot? The taxpayer should rule!!!!
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shar580 May 27, 2011 at 7:56PM
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Bogardus was ONLY elected because she said the two positions should be combined. Do WHATEVER it takes to get her out!! What a WASTE of money.....I hope the voters have smartened up and NEVER vote her in to ANY position again.
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shar580 May 27, 2011 at 7:56PM
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Bogardus was ONLY elected because she said the two positions should be combined. Do WHATEVER it takes to get her out!! What a WASTE of money.....I hope the voters have smartened up and NEVER vote her in to ANY position again.
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427435 May 27, 2011 at 9:00PM
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Rosie decided to be against the merger the day she won the election. If you remember years ago she was against turning the old Montgomery Ward building into the government offices that it is today .... wanted to build a new building. Rosie only cares about Rosie and I would not be surprised if she changes her mind and runs for office again.
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Jay May 27, 2011 at 9:09PM
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This woman is not playing with a full deck. What a joke! What a joke! Unfortunately, the joke is on us, the taxpayers. I seriously wonder if she is plagued with dementia.
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jacksondm May 27, 2011 at 9:19PM
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The job can't legally be eliminated until 2012 anyway -- so Rose Bogardus won't be there since she isn't planning to run. The Clerk, mark my words, will create a new deputy position to oversee the responsibilities of the Register of Deeds -- and there will be virtually NO cost savings. One might suspect that there is a lot of anti-Rose feeling among the Commissioners and THAT is what is driving the issue -- NOT whether or not it's good government policy. As for cost savings, I'm still waiting for the Commissioners to follow suit with the legislators, the Flint Council and several other local officials and take a 10% pay / benefits cut - - - just like they want all the other County employees to do.
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jacksondm May 27, 2011 at 9:25PM
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BTW, Ebenezer, we only have a 2% drop in County population: how does that justify a 44% drop in citizen representation on the Board? NO OTHER Michigan county with our size population has a Board smaller than nine -- and some have larger County Boards. It's called CITIZEN representation. If they want to cut costs -- cut their pay (they CAN to that!)
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flushed May 27, 2011 at 9:50PM
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Unfortunately elected officials from township boards to the governor cannot reduce their own salaries while in office during their term. It is a weird and quirky little rule put in place by non other than office holders. However they can reduce the salaries of the next elected person in their elected position at the time they leave office. A convoluted and expensive mess which can only be fixed by a change in the compensations laws/rules regarding elected officials. Do you suppose they will do it? Not! Finally, I wonder if Rose is eligible for a retirement stipend after only one term in office. She does say she is ready to retire. I bet she is eligible.
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EbenezerScrooge May 28, 2011 at 2:08AM
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This county only has a drop of 2% of it's population? Since when? Since the last census? How long has the Board of Commissioners been a nine seat body and what was the county's population at that time? I admit I don't know those answers, but I'm willing to bet that the county has lost a heck of a lot of population between the time when the BOC became a nine seat body and today. Flint looks like a ghost of it's former self! Michigan and Genesee County are in a battle for their financial survival and sometimes dramatic measures must be taken. This board has asked everyone to sacrifice. The public must sacrifice with less services. The employees must sacrifice with layoffs and less compansation. What has this board sacrificed? NOTHING. Their additude is "do as I say, not as I do." SPLENDID LEADERSHIP!
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jacksondm May 27, 2011 at 11:48PM
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Actually, the Flint Council asked for and got a waiver in order to reduce their salaries during their current term. The County Board could do the same. In fact; I'm not sure that the County Board even operates under the "Officers Compensation Commission" rules like the City and the State do. Other township and city locals have cut their own salaries in mid-term and I believe that the County Board could do the same. |
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Sat May 28, 2011 7:17 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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retired-now May 28, 2011 at 5:03AM
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She needs to hire a lawyer and sue the county. She is good at that. And don't forget to turn the lawyer's fee to the county to pay.
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hughgardon May 28, 2011 at 5:37AM
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Who wrote her Wikipedia profile? One of the MLive trolls? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_Bogardus Regardless, this woman needs to go - or suffer a fatal heart attack.
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jacksondm May 28, 2011 at 7:09AM
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The 2010 Census shows just over 2% drop from the previous census -- big population shift out of Flint - but 2% drop in COUNTY-WIDE population. The Board, at one time (called The Board of Supervisors at the time) had 61 members -- then 19 - then 17 - then 14 - and now 9 members. It's been nine for only a relatively short time -- either 10 or 20 years - not sure which. (The only time it's changed is after a census.) Check out an opinion essay at eastvillagemagazine.org -- click on "opinions" and scroll down 4-5 articles to County Board comments.
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djfx May 28, 2011 at 7:21AM
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Rosie Won'tguardus and Jamie Curtis....a marriage made in heaven....Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha ahh...LOL!
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DWCBOB May 28, 2011 at 10:11AM
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It's a good thing I have a spare keyboard to use while I clean all the coffee out of my former best keyboard.
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bluesky101 May 28, 2011 at 8:27AM
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HEY VOTERS OF GENESEE HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR REPRESENTATIVES NOW????????????
Maybe next time you will vote with a brain and not for someone who opens mouth and spews out what you want to hear.....
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mushmorton May 28, 2011 at 8:56AM
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The faster we get UAW/MEA Rosie and Jeff "Wrong" Wright out of public office the better all the Genesee County folks will be. These 2 bumbling clowns couldn't grab their butts with both hands.
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fred081646 May 28, 2011 at 10:11AM
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They couldn't pour pizz out of a boot with directions marked on the heel.
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mushmorton May 28, 2011 at 10:34AM
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I agree Freddy....but this is what you get when the UAW zombies follow the voting advice of the hillbillies over at the UAW-1C office. It's been that way in Genesee County for the last 40 years.
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Flintresident1943 May 28, 2011 at 11:53AM
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If Miss Bogreedy back out of combining the register of deeds and county clerks office I will campaign to get her defeated in her next election. I will also look at those that let get away with her BS
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Governmentcheese May 28, 2011 at 5:34PM
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I recall listening to Rose WontGuardUs' campaign platform to merge the two offices and noting at that time that she would renege on her promise. Rose has always been about just Rose. Everyone close to County government knew that as soon as she got her big $80,000 salary she would conveniently forget her promise. Retire already Rose - we are so over you already! |
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Sat May 28, 2011 7:26 pm |
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