CASSOPOLIS – Cass County’s primary roads will receive more attention and local roads less in the 2010 fiscal year as reflected in the Cass County Road Commission’s 2010 budget.

Recent passage of the $6.8 million budget for 2010 is an increase over the $6.5 million amended budget of 2009.

It is anticipated that state and federal monies will account for $1.6 million in 2010 while $1.2 million has been targeted for local (or township) roads.

In 2009, the road commission completed $940,000 worth of projects with state and federal funds and about one half of that involved federal stimulus money that was used for the chip and seal process on primary roads.

The remainder was spent on asphalt overlays for primary roads.

The commission completed $1.7 million of work on local roads.

In 2010, $4.2 million will come from the Michigan Department of Transportation, a decrease of 2 percent from the $4.3 million received in 2009.

However, officials expect an actual 25-percent reduction in township road work for a total of $854,600.

The decrease is directly related to Michigan’s financial situation and the drop in revenue sharing that the townships are expected to receive.

With the anticipated loss of income from the townships, the road commission expects to shift its work on local roads from new paving projects into maintenance work such as chip and seal, which is substantially cheaper.

Changes in the 2010 budget over 2009, however, also involve the acquisition of new equipment by the road commission, which is expected to aid road crews in completing their work faster and more efficiently.