HARRIS, Mich. (WZMQ) – This week, elected officials from all 15 U.P. counties are in Harris for a biannual gathering.
The Upper Peninsula Association of County Commissioners Spring Conference kicked off Thursday at The Island Resort & Casino. Through Friday afternoon, commissioners are learning about recent legislation, sharing ideas, and discussing the issues that are most important to their constituents.
Key agenda items for this spring’s conference include healthcare, the Michigan Land Division Act, artificial intelligence, and the rise of data centers. According to Joe Derocha, Chair of the Marquette County Board of Commissioners, the rapidly changing state of technology has become something municipalities cannot ignore.
“I can speak on behalf of Marquette County for sure,” he said. “We’ve been doing a full upgrade on our IT, making sure that we have the latest and greatest and the best cybersecurity so we protect the data that the County has, including for the courts, the labor, and all of the employees as well. Protecting the taxpayers’ dollars with proper IT and cybersecurity is very important.”
The goal of the conference is for commissioners to leave with valuable information they can use to make decisions in the best interest of their communities.
“I’d like to thank all the commissioners and elected officials across the U.P. that do so much for others,” said Derocha. “Sometimes it’s a thankless job, but we try to do the best we can do at all times.”
The conference was sponsored by UPCAP and Acrisure.
