LANSING, Mich. – On January 1, 2023, Michigan’s minimum wage rate will increase from $9.87 to $10.10 per hour as set by Michigan’s Improved Workforce Opportunity Wage Act of 2018 establishing the annual schedule of increases.
Effective January 1, 2023:
The minimum hourly wage will increase to $10.10 per hour.
The 85% rate for minors aged 16 and 17 will increase to $8.59 per hour.
The tipped employee rate of hourly pay increases to $3.84 per hour.
The training wage of $4.25 per hour for newly hired employees ages 16 to 19 for their first 90 days of employment remains unchanged.
There is pending litigation that might affect this minimum wage increase:
In 2018, a petition initiative organized by One Fair Wage sought to allow voters to decide on raising Michigan’s minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2022 and raise the minimum wage for tipped workers to 80% of the standard minimum wage in 2022, 90% in 2023 and ultimately match it in 2024.
The Legislature adopted the legislation and then amended it in 2018, putting in lower wage thresholds that increased the minimum wage to $12.05 by 2030 instead of 2022 and kept the tipped minimum wage at 38% of the standard one. As a result, the state’s current hourly minimum wage is $9.87 and $3.75 for workers who are expected to make up the difference in tips.
The Legislature’s amendment has been challenged in court as unconstitutional. On July 19, 2022, the Court of Claims issued a decision that agreed with that challenge and voided the amended versions of the Michigan Improved Workforce Opportunity Wage Act and Paid Medical Leave Act in favor of their original, unamended versions.
On July 29, 2022, the Court of Claims entered an order staying the effect of this decision until February 19, 2023, to give employers and the relevant state agencies time to accommodate the changes required by the ruling.
The Court of Claims’ ruling has been appealed. Pending final resolution of the appeal, and lifting of the stay, under the potential implementation of the originally adopted petition, the minimum wage rate for 2023 would be $13.03 and $11.73 for tipped employees.
For further information regarding the pending minimum wage litigation, and potential amended minimum wage rates as a result of that litigation, or a copy of the Improved Workforce Opportunity Wage Act and related resources, including the required poster, visit Michigan.gov/WageHour.
On October 10 2022, the board of County National Bank instated a new President and CEO, Joe Williams. Joe has 40 years of banking experience under his belt, starting when he was in high school. In fact, about a week before signing the paperwork to join the marines, the bank Joe had been working at offered a position for him to stay while getting a finance degree. From there, Joe proceeded to stay in banking, working within organizations such as United Banking Trust of Lenawee, and eventually joining the CNB Board of Directors in August 2020.
When CNB was in search of a new President earlier this year, Joe was not the one who initially thought to have his name be considered. It was members of the board and the Chairman who asked Joe to put his name into consideration. As someone who has been a very active community member and in many leadership roles, Joe was the perfect fit to lead an organization like CNB.
When asked what being President & CEO of CNB meant to Joe, he referred to a card with a statement that he has carried with him every day for 25 years. A reminder to choose your attitude every day, and tell yourself, “It’s not about me.”
When I don’t make it about me, it’s about whoever I’m in front of that day. An associate, a client, or someone in the community. – I come in every day and serve every associate. They are not here to serve me; I’m here to serve them.
Joe strives for those within CNB and outside of CNB to understand their “why.” He shared that CNB does not exist to grow revenue, he truly believes that their “why” is to improve the lives of associates, clients, and the community, and ultimately have a positive impact.
There are three things Joe finds most important when it comes to leading the future of CNB:
People matter (Creating a career path or positive work environment for CNB associates)
Clients matter (Giving clients the best experience)
Community matters (Being active and giving back)
Joe is extremely value-driven and wants his values to align with his company and community values. Hoping that, if they all align, they can come alive, and make CNB an attractive place for people to work and bank. He sees his position as one to come in each day and inspire those around him to do their job and do it well, thinking that if he creates a great work environment, his employees are going to be inspired to come back to work tomorrow. No matter what position, Joe wants them to feel as if they can lead from wherever they are.
On Joe’s first day, he gave action cards to each of the approximately 200 employees. On the front, it had an acronym:
C – Choose a positive attitude every day
N – Never settle. Always do the right thing.
B – Believe in one another. Be an encourager.
On the back, there was a quote that Joe sees as his “life quote.” He passed it on to his employees in order to be a mantra for every associate, especially those who are client-facing:
People won’t remember what you said. People won’t remember what you did. People will always, always remember how you made them feel.
Maya Angelou
Joe explained that his family and his faith serve as his moral compass. “It’s not about me,” he repeated, “but what I’m doing for others. – I’ve discovered what my purpose is, and it’s the be the best encourager on planet earth.”
Following Tuesday’s general election where the Democratic Party flipped control of the Senate, the caucuses elected their leadership teams for the upcoming term, beginning in January 2023.
Senator Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) will serve as Senate Majority Leader. Serving alongside her for the Democratic Caucus will be Senator-elect Sam Singh (D-East Lansing), who previously served as House Democratic Leader. Additional members of their leadership team will be announced in the coming weeks.
The Republican caucus announced Senator Aric Nesbitt (R-Lawton) will serve as the Minority Leader. Additional members include:
Minority Floor Leader – Senator Dan Lauwers (R-Brockway)
Minority Whip – Senator Roger Victory (R-Hudsonville)
Caucus Chair – Senator Kevin Daley (R-Lum)
Assistant Minority Leader – Senator Rick Outman (R-Six Lakes)
Assistant Minority Floor Leader – Senator Lana Theis (R-Brighton)
Assistant Minority Whip – Senator Mark Huizenga (R-Walker)
Assistant Caucus Chair – Senator Jim Runestad (R-White Lake)
Associate President Pro-Tem – Senator-elect Joe Bellino (R-Monroe) (He was nominated for this position and will be elected by the entire body)
The House is slated to hold their caucus leadership elections at 3 p.m., including Speaker of the House. MLC will send an update after that takes place.
Homelessness is a sensitive topic; it’s something we know is out there, but to what degree? It may be something that comes more to the surface during the colder months, or perhaps when you see a person in need on the street. At the Interfaith Shelter, they average about 65 clients per night. The Interfaith Shelter is not just a place for the homeless to rest their head for the night, they provide temporary shelter and other essential resources to people experiencing homelessness or poverty. Clients can stay at the shelter as long as they are making positive progress toward their goals. For some, this could be a week or two, while others need a few months to secure housing.
All images from the Jackson Interfaith Shelter on Facebook
The Interfaith Shelter is able to provide a variety of resources to get clients back on track. They recognize that the homeless may need assistance with furthering their education, bettering their mental health, or becoming job-ready. Local organizations and churches within Jackson often come to the Interfaith Shelter to share their resources. Some include mental health screenings by LifeWays. Likewise, the Community Action Agency screens clients for housing and offers a weekly finance class. The College and Career Access Center provides help with resumes, GED preparation, and job hunting. Other talents that are shared with the shelter come from chiropractors, barbers, and even weekly job fairs. What the Interfaith Shelter calls Dinner Church occurs every Wednesday, where eight churches rotate and offer a service right at the shelter, and these services are open to anyone.
On average monthly, the shelter has seen 60 out of 76 beds filled per night, 22 of those being children, this year. The Interfaith Shelter has served about 4,707 meals per month, which are open to anyone who needs them, homeless or not.
Homelessness Awareness Week is November 13-19.
There are many ways to get involved, big and small. The Interfaith Shelter is hosting a fundraiser through the Jackson Culver’s located on O’Neil Drive. You can help by stopping by Culver’s on Tuesday, November 15 from 4-8pm to order a meal, dine-in or drive-thru. A portion of the proceeds made in that time will support the Jackson Interfaith Shelter. While you’re there, you may see some familiar faces from the Interfaith Shelter delivering meals to your table.
Dinner Church
Outside of Homelessness Awareness Week, the Interfaith Shelter is always looking for volunteers and donations. Volunteers can be utilized as meal servers and front desk help, which allows the staff to have more one-on-one time with clients. Donations that are always appreciated include blankets, food, scarves, and hats. Clothing is not accepted at the shelter.
Think of the holiday parties you are hosting or attending within the next few months. The Interfaith Shelter would greatly appreciate any leftover dishes that went uneaten. Maybe you bought one extra bag of chips for the tailgate you attended last weekend. They will surely be enjoyed at the shelter.
There are often questions and clarifications needed surrounding the homeless population. A lot of those questions can be answered on the Interfaith Shelter’s podcast, Shelter Together. On the podcast, they host guests and talk about the reality of homelessness in Jackson County.
For more ways to engage with and stay up to date with what’s happening at the shelter, sign up for their weekly emails here. Otherwise, be sure to follow the Interfaith Shelter on Facebook and Instagram to stay informed.
Barry Webne was once your average employee, facing financial trouble, something most of us experience at some point in our lifetime. With an MBA in accounting, he was titled as the Controller within his company, in charge of all accounting systems. He had reached a point in his life where he felt as if he had his back against the wall financially and was in a position where there was no internal control over him. In 1992, Barry saw an opportunity and took it.
Barry Webne
For four years, Barry embezzled over one million dollars from his company. He described his crime as a sort of addiction, starting small with a thousand dollars here, two thousand there, nothing anyone would ever notice. However, after realizing he could get away with it, it only continued. “Once you start, you can’t stop,” Barry explained, “I was a model employee, everyone was telling their colleagues to be more like Barry.”
After serving six months in prison, he found another accounting job, thinking his crimes were over before he saw the opportunity to steal again. His next crime lasted from 2001 to 2006, when he, once again, embezzled over a million dollars. As a result, aside from spending 63 months in jail, he lost everything, including his family and friends.
Barry is just an example of a crime that occurs all too often. Jackson’s own Peak Manufacturing just experienced a similar situation. A model employee had been embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars at the company for years. She was a close friend of Peak Manufacturing President, Amanda Hutchings. Amanda reflects back on the discovery she found in January of 2021 and stated that it felt like a movie; embezzlement is never something you think can happen to you, but after the story came out, a number of companies reached out sharing that they had experienced a similar situation.
Amanda Hutchings, Peak Manufacturing President
The Jackson County Chamber is hosting a Lunch & Learn on November 7 where Amanda will not only be recounting the story of how Peak Manufacturing was embezzled from but talking about specific accounting procedures and policies your business can implement. Barry Webne will also be speaking, sharing the red flags you can spot before the problem gets out of control.
“It could’ve been stopped. It should’ve been stopped,” Amanda continued, “Embezzlement is preventable. You just have to learn all the tricks and tools to prevent it.”
Amanda’s story is truly a microcosm of what is happening more often than business owners believe to be true. Embezzlement, fraud, and theft is happening now and is happening locally. To learn how you can detect and prevent embezzlement from happening within your own organization, join the Jackson Chamber for a Lunch and Learn on November 7, where both Barry and Amanda will be sharing their experiences.
Barry shared that employers are hesitant to ask questions, and he encourages employers and business owners to ask the hard questions, no matter how uncomfortable it may seem. Your business will thank you later.
I think business owners just need a little encouragement; they just can’t trust all their employees. Ask questions.
JACKSON, MI – The Jackson County Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee (PAC) has announced its endorsements for political office, endorsements are based on legislative leadership and focus on issues concerning the continued growth of our business community.
Jackson has a historic opportunity to choose legislators in newly drawn districts. After interviewing candidates with unique and diverse experience the Political Action Committee (PAC) used parameters such as economic development, infrastructure, workforce development, and regulations as discussion points to determine who best fit the Chamber’s mission and goals.
With these parameters and some debate, the following candidates received the endorsement from the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce PAC:
Tim Walberg (US Representative 5th District)
Tim Golding (State Senate 14th District)
Sara Lightner (State Representative 45th District)
The 1978 addition is sinking and pulling away from the main structure. At some points, there is 6 inches of separation. The Sewer pipes are original and routinely leak raw sewage, often falling on deputies. Several large metal pans catch raw sewage and direct it to buckets which are routinely emptied. Only 5 of 24 electronic door locks work. Dated equipment cannot be repaired as it is no longer produced. Radio transmissions by deputies do not penetrate the solid concrete walls creating severe safety hazards. Heating and cooling is adjusted using vice grips which are propped up by metal poles. Locks on cell doors are failing and repairs are in the thousands for just one lock. Security fencing is inadequate and also sinking. The gate has a 2-foot gap when closed. Costs to repair Wesley Street are higher than a full teardown and replacement of the building.
Millage
The Chanter Road facility, and the north side addition to Wesley Street, was built using a ½ mill increase to property tax. This millage also accounted for additional funding for operational costs at the Chanter Road Facility. The ½ mill millage expired in 2021. The last year of collection is 2022. Costs for building the project are estimated at $51,895,705. ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds can be used for approximately $2 million of the cost. Millage request for the balance of the cost is for 1 mill over 20 years; this is a half mill increase over the expired millage. 1 mill results in a property tax increase of $1 for every $1000 of taxable value. A house worth $200,000 has a taxable value of $100,000. Therefore, the property owner in this example would pay an additional $100 per year in property tax. The effective increase in taxes is really only half that, $50 per year, because of the previous ½ mill millage. – $100 per year = 27 cents per day – $50 per year = 13 1/2 cents per day
Solution
An architectural design firm, specializing in jails, worked with the Sheriff to complete a comprehensive study to determine the needs of Jackson County now and 20 years into the future. This includes: – Demolition of Wesley Street Jail; – A 250 bed jail addition to Chanter Road; – A new, and much smaller, Sheriff’s Office constructed at the Wesley Street location that includes an enclosed sally port, equipped with an elevator, for securely transferring inmates to court. State law requires the Sheriff’s Office be located in the county seat, which is the City of Jackson.
Have you ever thought of the U.S. Airforce to be more than just a branch of the military that flies planes or reminds you of your favorite movie? The Airforce is also an institution that provides education, makes connections, and builds relationships.
Master Sergeant John Riggs, Enlisted Accessions Recruiter has been in the U.S. Airforce since 2008. In 2020, Riggs came to Jackson to begin recruiting for the Airforce. His job is to visit schools throughout southern Michigan to attend class talks, career fairs, and events in order to find eligible recruits that may be interested in joining the Airforce. Riggs is the main recruiter in Jackson County and is constantly reminded of the good the Airforce has done for his life.
Riggs is originally from Atlantic City and determined at a young age that he wanted to be part of the U.S. Military. He even shared that his mom recently sent him a picture of one of his second-grade school projects where he answered the classic prompt “What do you want to be when you grow up?” with “Army man.” 15 days after his high school graduation, he joined the Airforce.
When going through the process of gaining a recruit, Riggs explained that it all starts with a simple phone call. From there, the recruit starts with MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station). All before basic training, a recruit has to pass a series of pre-screenings, as well as armed service, aptitude, battery, and physical tests. This may sound daunting, but it all takes an average of three months before they can move on to basic training.
The Airforce has given Riggs opportunities he had never had before. Education, health benefits, real-world experience, relationships, and lifelong friendships are all something the Airforce made possible for him. As he recruits, he sees himself in the young airmen who are new to the Airforce but is able to give back and provide opportunities to young people who are in the same place that Riggs once was. Riggs has been in the Airforce for 14 years, and now being a recruiter himself, he often reflects on his recruiter when he began his process. He enjoys being a part of the reason former recruits return to their community and come back disciplined, educated, and better overall.
Working for an employer that has several veterans within its own walls, Ron O’Rourke is extremely proud that Monster Motors is sponsoring Jackson County’s recruiting office. Giving back in this way is something that goes beyond a business-to-business relationship. Riggs exchanged an Airforce coin to show respect and thanks for their budding partnership. In the Airforce, the exchange of a coin typically signifies appreciation for a job well done.
Participating in community events has been a large component of recruiting. You may have seen Riggs flying on Aviation Day at the Jackson County Airport, or even volunteering at a local event. If you’re a school looking to have Riggs speak, hosting a career fair or an assembly, he is excited to hear from you.
If you or someone you know may be interested in joining the Airforce, Master Sergeant Riggs is most accessible by phone. Give him a call at 517-945-4218 to set up an appointment to discuss next steps, or simply to see if the military is right for you.
Jackson County is known for a number of unique things: beautiful parks, a bustling startup community, delicious coneys, and an event calendar that is filled to the brim. One of Experience Jackson’s greatest pleasures is being able to build community partnerships to keep that calendar of events as packed as can be. You may have noticed the Experience Jackson logo at the finish line of a race, on the back of a volunteer’s t-shirt, or overheard their name on the mic at an event. You may wonder how those appearances come to be, or how Experience Jackson can partner with your business.
Experience Jackson’s mission is to strengthen the positive perception of Jackson County as a must-visit destination to increase revenues and stimulate economic development and growth for the community.
Photo: Andrew Volk
Bright Walls, in addition to Jackson’s more notable events, is a prime example of what a partnership with Experience Jackson can look like. The financial contribution Experience Jackson has made allows for an artist to paint the back of the shared Experience Jackson/Chamber of Commerce building. Luckily for the Chamber, the entire team and our community get to enjoy the mural on the back of our shared building for decades to come.
With that also comes social media promotion on each end, logoed materials throughout the festival, and other features. Though Bright Walls is showing Experience Jackson a bit of love, Experience Jackson also likes to highlight the organizations and events they sponsor, since it is a partnership after all. Experience Jackson highlighted the Bright Walls Finale in a recent blog, on their social media, and in their monthly newsletter. Sharing who Experience Jackson proudly partners with is one of the many benefits that come with allowing Experience Jackson to get involved in your event.
Photo: Kelli Schweizer
Experience Jackson is also getting involved face-to-face with the festival, with a booth in front of the office and their very own “Chalk Alley,” where children can come to the office the Friday of Bright Walls and create their own masterpieces along the side of the Chamber/Experience Jackson building.
Bright Walls is an excellent example of an event that draws people to Jackson and stimulates economic development. Investing in something that adds another layer of what makes our county great contributes to their mission of attracting people to the area, creating a livelier place to both live and visit.
When a sponsorship opportunity presents itself, the entire Experience Jackson team gets to review it; they decide as a team whether or not they should move forward with a partnership, and in what way. Each partnership is unique and individual and decided on a case-by-case basis. Some sponsorships look like a financial donation, but are not limited to gift baskets, presence at the event via vendor booth, or even an appearance by JACK the Elephant.
If you or your business are hosting an event and are excited about the opportunity to partner with Experience Jackson, you can send a request here. Or, if you or your business are hosting an event and want to publish it to Experience Jackson’s Community Calendar, click here.