New Ontonagon village council president giving update on MERS

ONTONAGON – The Village of Ontonagon’s new council president, Pamela Coey, provided a series of updates after a meeting with the council last night.  She says her main goal is to tackle the village’s Municipal Employment Retirement System of Michigan known as the (MERS) pension obligation, which stems from the sale of Ontonagon Memorial Hospital in 2007.  A two-mill proposal aiming to handle the debt was voted on during the Aug. 2nd election but failed to pass.  Coey says quote We’re going to get a grant from the state government for $3.1 million,” And then I believe there’s a second grant out there that will be available in 2023 that should bring it up to around $5 million, so we’re a little over 60% funded on it.” According to Coey, the two grants that would substantially reduce what is owed.