Property Tax Hike, CBS Station Switch, Townhome Move-in, Domino’s Expansion, and Aaron Rodgers’s Future

The Latest From Marquette, MI by Brian Cabell

LOOKS LIKE MARQUETTE residents may be facing a property tax hike. The millage rate has been stable for the last decade, but limited revenue and increased costs may force a change… “It’s a strong possibility,” says City Manager Karen Kovacs. “We’re looking at all options, but we have a real need to increase revenue”…Realistically, a millage increase for the average homeowner might range from $85 to $226 a year…

“The honest truth is that we have already cut all the ‘fat’ we could from the current city budget,” writes Commissioner Cody Mayer on his Facebook page, “but we are still projecting a deficit this year”….So what could you cut to avoid a property tax increase? Police? Fire? Roads? Parks?…No easy decisions.

STATUS UPDATE ON converting the old hospital property to an affordable housing development: “We have the right people looking at this and they’re using the right tools,” says Kovacs. She’s cautiously optimistic...The City Commission and the NMU Foundation, which is spearheading the redevelopment plans, are planning to meet sometime next month to determine how to get that property razed and ready for a new development.

FUNNY STORY (AT least in retrospect) about Kovacs’ arrival in town eight months ago…She and her husband were trying to buy a house, when the market was red-hot, and they couldn’t find one—they were outbid when they made offers…She was living in a hotel, but then the tourists flocked in. She had to move…And she was microwaving her meals in her office…Ahh, the glamor and glory of finally getting that dream job in the dream city…Postscript: She and her husband did finally buy a house, and he’s found a new job.

WELL, WE NOW have four television stations broadcasting local newscasts in the U.P…It comes about because WJMN (Channel 3) lost its CBS affiliation a week ago. “We were negotiating with CBS for the last few months,” says WJMN General Manager Mike Smith, “but we couldn’t reach agreement”…CBS wanted more money than WJMN’s parent (Nexstar) was willing to fork out.

So now, WJMN is going independent—while increasing its local newscasts. From 6-7 pm and 10-11 pm every evening, five days a week. Yeah, they’re planning on a larger news staff…The rest of the programming there? Syndicated programs, and older, classic TV shows.

Meantime, we have a new CBS entry on the scene: WXMQ (Channel 19, although the channel varies depending on who your carrier is)…The parent company is Lilly Broadcasting, out of Erie, Pennsylvania, which owns and operates a handful of TV and radio stations in Pennsylvania, New York and the Caribbean…

They’ve already started “local” newscasts at 6 pm and 11 pm, but the newscasts are actually coming out of a studio in Pennsylvania… “Our goal is to establish a local presence there soon, boots on the ground,” says John Christianson, Lilly’s COO…They’re looking for a studio—most likely in the Marquette area, and they’re now hiring a local staff…They’re taking applications.

WE’VE ACHIEVED SOME stability on our Covid rates in Marquette County. Nothing to cheer about, though. The number of cases is finally starting to drop, but hospitalizations of Covid patients (mostly unvaccinated) are climbing again…Eight deaths from Covid in the last two weeks…The positivity rate? A sky-high 37%.

Not a good time to be in prison…The Marquette Branch Prison reported more than 200 active cases of Covid among its inmates last week.

And how’s this for craziness? Bridge Michigan, the independent news organization, reports that some insurers are covering the cost of ivermectin as a treatment for Covid in humans…Ivermectin, of course, is best known as an anti-parasitic drug for animals, and was touted early in the pandemic as a cure for Covid…Subsequent studies have shown overwhelmingly it’s ineffective as a treatment.

THE FIRST RESIDENTS should be moving into the Gaines Rock Townhomes in February, just a month behind schedule. “We’ve had to struggle through the cold and Covid, but we’re getting there,” says RE/MAX broker Fran Sevegney…16 of the 26 units are now under contract…Prices range from $350,000 to $600,000.

BANK BRANCH CLOSURES nationwide hit a record high last year—up 38% from 2020, according to Axios…Doesn’t seem to be a problem here, though, with our branch openings…And you’d be hard-pressed to find a friendlier, more local-oriented group of banks anywhere in this nation. We’re lucky.

THAT EXPANSION OF Domino’s on West Washington is nearing completion. Best guess, according to an employee, is it’ll be ready by spring…The expansion will include a dining room and a carry-out window.

A BIG WRITE-UP in Forbes on the magnificent winters in Michigan….Quoting: “The vibrant city of Marquette is ideal for winter thrill seekers. Aside from its abundance of outdoor recreation, Marquette also has historic lighthouse tours, charming shops, and a dazzling art scene…” Yeah, and you can also freeze your ass off here.

IT HAS BEEN a cold start to the new year—four degrees below average for January. “It’s been a steady cold, but nothing severe,” says meteorologist Karl Bohnak. Translation: We’ve been in the teens and single digits, but nothing much below zero…Bohnak, in case you hadn’t heard, is writing a weekly column, “Karl’s Korner”, in which he discusses weather, past, present and future…He’s allotted 200 words per column which, for a prolific writer like Bohnak, amounts to little more than a tease.

HAS AARON RODGERS worn out his welcome in Green Bay…and the UP? Talking to fans (not all of them, for sure), you get the sense that maybe he has…And it’s not just the vaccination controversy and his careful deceitfulness about it; it’s also the never-ending drama, his oh-so-deep thoughts and emotions, his ambivalence, and ultimately his self-centeredness…He’s probably better suited temperamentally for an individual sport….Oh, and there’s also that minor issue of He Can’t Win the Big Game…

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