Introduction
County Data
County Elected Officials
Board of Commissioners
Non-elected Officials
Appointed Boards & Committees
Court System
Otsego County Circuit Court Division, 46th circuit
Otsego County District Court Division, 87th district
Otsego County Family & Probate Division

• Introduction

Otsego County will see several projects getting under way in 2008 as the county looks to rebound economically after several recent manufacturing plant closings.
Ground is to be broken in the spring of 2008 for a new Meijer store at M-32 and South Townline Road in Bagley Township. The 156,000-square-foot store will employ between 300 and 450 workers and is tentatively set to open in the spring of 2009.
With the final design plans sent to Lansing, the county hopes to take bids in February and begin construction in the spring of 2008 for the I-75 crossover project at Milbocker and
McCoy roads.
The project, with an estimated cost of $13 million, consisting primarily of a federal earmark with a percentage of matching state funds, would essentially raise the north and south lanes of I-75 to allow Milbocker and McCoy roads to connect forming a continuous east-west road.
Work also continues on the redevelopment of the former Georgia-Pacific plant, which closed in March 2006. A sawmill, a wood pellet operation and potentially a biofuel company is proposed for the site.
Otsego County remains a favorite winter and summer vacation destination.
With more than 20 golf courses and two ski resorts, as well as the Sportsplex, Community Center, county and state parks, hunt clubs, wooded areas and miles of groomed snowmobile trails, Otsego County offers numerous recreational venues. Abundant restaurants, accommodations, and meeting facilities make Otsego County the ideal corporate meeting destination.
Visit the county on the Web at www.otsegocountymi.gov.

return to top^

• County Data

County Seat: Gaylord
Area: 540 square miles
Population: 23,301
2007 valuation: $1,228,642,292
Tax Levy: The tax levy for Otsego County is 8.0535 mills. This includes 4.0502 allocated operational expenses, .3000 mills for animal control, .1875 mills for Parks & Recreation (was the Community Center), .2500 mills for the bus system, 1 mill for the Commission on Aging, .0625 mills for the county park, .3500 mills for the county Library, .2500 mills for the Sportsplex operating budget, .4000  mills for the county ambulance service, .6464 mills for the M-TEC Center, and .5569 mills for the University Center of Gaylord.
Annual county tax on a home with a $100,000 market value would be approximately $405.02.

return to top^

• County Elected Officials

The following officials serve a four-year term, expiring in December 2008. General number for the county is 731-7520.
County Clerk/Register of Deeds: Susan DeFeyter; 225 W. Main St., Room 110, Gaylord; 731-7500, 731-7551 (register of deeds); e-mail: sdefeyter@otsegocountymi.gov
Sheriff: James McBride; 124 S. Court Ave., Gaylord; 732-3555; e-mail: sheriff69@otsegocountymi.gov. Non-emergency phone: 732-3555; Jail: 731-7288; Fax: 731-7299
Undersheriff: Matt Nowicki; e-mail: usheriff69@otsegocountymi.gov
Jail Administrator: Brian Webber; e-mail: bwebber@otsegocountymi.gov
Treasurer: Diann Axford; 225 W. Main St., Gaylord; 731-7560; e-mail: daxford@otsegocountymi.gov    
Prosecuting Attorney: Kyle Legel; 800 Livingston Blvd., Suite 3D, Gaylord; 731-7430; e-mail klegel@otsegocountymi.gov

 

return to top^

• Board of Commissioners

Meetings are held at 9:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month in the Multipurpose Room at the J. Richard Yuill Alpine Center. This year four meetings will be scheduled at 7 p.m. at various township halls. The schedule may be checked at www.otsegocountymi.gov under “commissioners.” For more information call 731-7520.
District I: Clark Bates (R); 321 E. First St., Gaylord; 732-5879; e-mail: cwbates@verizon.net
District II: Paul Beachnau (R); 586 Sunshine Lane, Gaylord; 705-2320; e-mail: paul@gaylordmichigan.net
District III: Paul Liss (R); 221 Thumb Lake Road, Vanderbilt; 983-4138; e-mail: paullliss@yahoo.com
District IV: Lee Olsen (R); 4385 Oley Lake Road, Gaylord; 732-1484; e-mail: lolsen@voyager.net
District V: Erma Backenstose (R); 6227 Kellogg Drive, Gaylord; 732-9594; e-mail: marieeb@charter.net
District VI: Ken Glasser (R); 2366 Perch Lake Road, Gaylord; 732-7470, work, 732-7551; e-mail: glasserkenneth@hotmail.com
District VII: Douglas C. Johnson (R); 554 McCoy Road, Gaylord; 732-9040, work: 732-1313; e-mail: sjohn554@freeway.net
District VIII: Michael Hyde (R); 2646 Lone Pine Road, Gaylord; 732-7142; e-mail: jmhyde2@yahoo.com
District IX: Allan Bentz (R); 1621 Mt. Jack Road, Elmira; 231-546-3341; e-mail:allanbentz@hotmail.com

 

return to top^ 

• Non-Elected Officials

4-H Youth Agent: Bethany Prykucki; 731-0275; e-mail: prykucki@msu.edu
Administrator: John Burt; 225 W. Main St., Gaylord; 731-7527; e-mail: jburt@otsegocountymi.gov
Airport Manager: Scott Woody; 1185 Van Tyle Road, Gaylord; 732-4218; e-mail:  airport@freeway.net
Animal Control & Civil Process Officer: Angel Oppermann; 200 E. Seventh St., Gaylord; 705-7632; e-mail: aoppermann@otsegocountymi.gov
Building & Zoning Department Land Use Services Director: Joseph Ferrigan; 1068 Cross St., Gaylord; 731-7420; e-mail: jferrigan@otsegocountymi.gov
Bus System Manager: Theron Higgins; 1254 Energy Drive, Gaylord; 731-1204; e-mail: thiggins@otsegocountymi.gov
County Park Manager: Arnie Quay; 1657 County Park Road; Gaylord, 731-6448
Emergency Medical Services Department Chief: Jon Deming; 100 McLouth, P.O. Box 642, Gaylord; 732-9085; e-mail: jon@ocems.com
Equalization Director: William Kerr; 1064 Cross St., Gaylord; 731-7410; e-mail: bkerr@otsegocountymi.gov
Finance Director: Rachel Frisch; 225 W. Main St., Gaylord; 731-7520; e-mail: rfrisch@otsegocountymi.gov
Fire chief: Tim Warren; 811 S. Wisconsin Ave., Gaylord; 9-1-1 (emergency); 732-8859(non-emergency)
Grants & Special Programs (Housing, Grants and Veterans Affairs) Director: Marlene Hopp; 225 W. Main St., Room 213, Gaylord; 731-7570; e-mail: mhopp@otsegocountymi.gov
Michigan Department of Corrections Field Supervisor: Michael Turnbull; 800 Livingston Blvd. Suite 4-B; 731-7640; e-mail: turnbum@michigan.gov
Otsego County MSU Extension Director (interim): Linda Cronk; 800 Livingston Blvd., Suite 4A-2, Gaylord; 731-0272; e-mail: msue69@msu.edu
Otsego County Emergency Management: 9-1-1 Director: Mike Thompson; 732-6670; e-mail: mthompson@otsegocountymi.gov
Parks & Recreation Director: Michael Tarbutton; 315 S. Center Ave., Gaylord; 732-6521; e-mail: mtarbutton@otsegocountymi.gov

 

return to top^ 

• Appointed Boards & Committees

Construction Board of Appeals  731-7400
EMS Rescue 732-9085; Jon Demming, chief
Commission on Aging 732-1122; Jack Thompson, president of board of directors
Housing Commission 731-7570; Marlene Hopp, director
Library 732-5841; Philip Curtiss, chairman
Parks & Recreation 732-6521; Chad Dutcher, chairman
Department of Human Services 732-1702
Planning Commission 731-7420; Don Tober, chairman
Zoning Board of Appeals 731-7420; Richard Sumerix, chairman
Northwest Michigan Community Health 732-1794
Jury Board 731-7500

 

return to top^ 

• Court

The 46th Circuit Court Trial Court in Otsego County is divided into the following divisions: Circuit, District and Probate. It operates within two different court locations within the greater Gaylord area.
Judges may hear cases in any of the divisions — circuit, district or family and probate. Those judges include:

 

Hon. Patricia A. Morse,Chief Judge, term expires December 2014
Hon. Janet M. Allen, Trial Court Judge, term expires December 2010
Hon. Michael K. Cooper, Trial Court Judge, term expires December 2012
Hon. Dennis F. Murphy, Trial Court Judge, term expires December 2014

The Court Administration office oversees the circuit, district and family and probate court. Contact information is as follows:
Rudi Edel, Trial Court Administrator, 800 Livingston Blvd., Suite 3B, Gaylord; 731-0228

return to top^ 

• Otsego County Circuit Court Division, 46th circuit

The Circuit Division handles all civil cases involving claims more than $25,000, domestic issues without children, appeals from District Division, criminal cases involving sentences of more than one year in jail and all felonies.
The Circuit Court Room is located at the Otsego County Building, 225 W. Main St., Gaylord.

The court scheduling clerk’s number is 731-0224 or 731-0225.
Court clerk 731-7500
Assignment Clerk 731-0223
ADR Clerk 731-0223
Probation/parole 731-7641
Friend of the Court 731-7450
Jury information (after 4:30 p.m.) 731-7506
www.circuit46.org

 

return to top^

• Otsego County District Court Division, 87th district

The District Court begins all felony cases and, if a plea is reached, can end felony cases.
This court also handles civil weddings, landlord-tenant disputes, civil cases of less than $25,000, summary proceeding cases, all traffic cases, and criminal cases involving sentences up to one year in jail.
Courtrooms are located in the J. Richard Yuill Alpine Center at 800 Livingston Blvd., Suite 1C (just off Old 27 North), Gaylord.
The following court contacts are located at the court’s 800 Livingston Blvd. office.
District Division Supervisor  731-0209
Court Clerk  731-0209
Civil division  731-0239
Small claims division  731-0216
Traffic division  731-0208
Criminal division  731-0217
Probation department  731-0215
Juror information line (after 4:30 p.m.), 731-0236
Magistrates: Call the Traffic division for on-duty magistrate 

return to top^ 

• Otsego County Family & Probate Division

These divisions handle juvenile cases, court cases for the mentally ill, conservatorships, guardianships and oversee the distribution of assets of deceased residents of Otsego County.
The courtroom is located in the J. Richard Yuill Alpine Center, 800 Livingston Blvd., Suite 1C, Gaylord (just off Old 27 North).
Juvenile Register  731-0214
Probate Register  731-0204
Family Division Supervisor  731-0210

return to top^