The Alpena County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution that states the county will attempt to withhold payments to the state to match payments the state hasn't sent the county.

Chairman Cam Habermehl wasn't sure if the county would be able to actually withhold the payments - the resolution states the county would "explore every legal means of withholding" payment - but hopes the resolution raises the eyebrows of legislators in Lansing.

"I think it's more sending a message to the state ... do I think we can actually (withhold payments), probably not," Habermehl said.

The commissioners approved the resolution as part of its consent agenda, a portion of their agenda where several items are approved with a single vote, so the matter wasn't discussed amongst board members.

A point of contention between counties and the state has been the fear the state would cut revenue sharing funding, which would cost Alpena County over $300,000 in 2010 and over $700,000 in 2011.

On Tuesday, the Michigan Senate voted to cut revenue sharing by 11 percent to help balance its $2.8 billion deficit.

Considering that losing all revenue sharing funding was a possibility, Habermehl said Tuesday's news was positive.

"I would love to get the whole thing but if we have to take 11 percent (cut) we can operate, we can survive," he said.

Commissioners recently created an emergency financial plan that outlines what cuts may be made in case state funding is cut. During Tuesday's meeting that plan was formally adopted by the board. Habermehl said that does not mean any cuts are definite, only that the plan could be used as a tool if funding is cut.

In other business:

• the board will be investigating what had happened with a study that looked into the consolidation of 911 dispatch centers.

An $8,000 grant to cover the county's cost of the study was initially approved, but later retracted when it was learned that if the study was done and the county didn't implement its findings, Alpena County would have to pay for the entire study - over $100,000.

On Tuesday, a presentation on the consolidation plan was given by RCC Consultants, Inc. It isn't clear how the project moved forward after the board retracted the $8,000 grant agreement.

"I don't remember exactly what happens after we stopped it, that was quite a while ago. It's not a bad thing, it's OK. We actually approved it, but at one point after we approved it and signed it, the state came back and said that - in my opinion they changed the rules. They said if we had the study done with the grant and we didn't implement the study, then we'd have to pay the price of the study ourselves," Habermehl said.

• Republican Lynn Wallace and Democrat Keith Titus were each appointed to the board of canvassers.

• Family Court Judge Thomas LaCross reported that the county won a case against the Michigan Department of Human Services. DHS will pay over $46,000 to the county for reimbursement for the payments the county made over two years to care for a youth.

Sean Harkins can be reached via e-mail at sharkins@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5688.