Voting in favor:
Sauger
Moceri
Doherty (changed from "No")
Flynn, David
Mijac
Lampar
Brdak
Bruley
Camphous-Peterson (changed from "No")
Kepler
Accavitti
Crouchman
Boyle
Tocco
Flynn, Joan
Chairman (and County Executive wanna-be) Gieleghem

Voting against:
Duzyj
DiMaria
Rocca
Szczepanski
Carabelli
Brown
Rengert
Torrice (sorry Nick, no pictures of her)
Vosburg
Sprys (good of him to show up)

(Why, what is this notice doing in the lobby of a public building???)

Despite the wet weather, the Ninth Floor of the Macomb County BoC meeting was packed with people for the 5:30 public hearing on the tax increase that stretched WAY past the 7:00pm start time of the General Board Meeting.

Spilling over into an adjacent room, people had spoke in support of and against raising the taxes 9%. Union members/supporters who had thought that the meeting was merely a formality for the concessions that they had given Macomb County were a little taken aback by the number of Red & White T-shirts with "Recall Tax Hikers" in attendance.They also didn't count on the number of residents whom had spoke during the public comment section of the meeting AGAINST raising taxes.

But in the end, the union members hopes weren't dashed. Wanting to pay back the unions for their concessions, the board finally approved tax hike to 4.56 mills, 16-10.

Now the big question here is, by not addressing WHY they are spending more money than they are taking in, coupled with an article (from a Democratic Commissioner, no less) citing that taxable values are falling dramatically in Macomb County, what will the Board do to balance their budget next year?

Stay tuned...