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Free Soil Community Center
By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
PERE MARQUETTE TOWNSHIP — Mason County officials are considering temporary management agreements with two of the county’s four senior centers, a move that would give county government a more direct role in the day-to-day operations of the facilities.
The Mason County Board of Commissioners’ Finance, Personnel and Rules Committee is scheduled to consider a temporary management agreement with the Free Soil Area Senior Center Board during its meeting Monday, Nov. 2.
The committee also recommended a similar agreement with the Tallman Lake Senior Center Board during its Oct. 20 meeting.
Mason County has four senior centers, each of which has historically operated autonomously. The centers have different ownership arrangements.
The Scottville Area Senior Center is owned by Mason County Central School District, while the Ludington Senior Center is owned by the City of Ludington. The Free Soil Area Senior Center and Tallman Lake Senior Center are each governed by separate nonprofit boards of directors.
Although the centers operate independently, they receive allocations from Mason County’s senior services millage.
Under the proposed agreement with the Free Soil Area Senior Center Board, Mason County would assume responsibility for the center’s financial management, staffing, general operations, records management and marketing.
The agreement calls for the Free Soil Area Senior Center Board to assign its senior millage funding allocations to the county and provide all available financial records and documentation of the board’s other funds. The move seems to contradict the board of commissioners’ stance in recent years to avoid having a centralized authority operate the senior centers.
The county’s responsibilities would include financial management and fiduciary services for senior millage allocations beginning Oct. 1, 2026, along with monthly reports detailing the center’s activities and finances.
County government would also oversee staffing, general operations and promotion of the center and its programming. Fundraising activities would remain outside the county’s responsibilities.
The proposed agreement would expire March 31, 2027, unless either party provides written notice of termination at least 30 days in advance.
The agreement does not propose transferring ownership of the senior center to Mason County.
Tallman Lake agreement
During the committee’s Oct. 20 meeting, County Administrator Kaitlyn Szczypka reviewed a proposed temporary management agreement with the Tallman Lake Senior Center Board.
Commissioners Janet Andersen and Steve Hull voted to forward the agreement to the full Mason County Board of Commissioners for consideration. Commissioner Ron Bacon was absent from the meeting.
The Finance, Personnel and Rules Committee is scheduled to meet Monday, Nov. 2, at 9 a.m. in the conference room at the Mason County Airport Terminal, 5300 US-10.
The committee may make a recommendation to the full Board of Commissioners regarding the Free Soil agreement.
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