Open house on road millage Feb. 25

An open house regarding the Cass County Road Commission millage will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Feb. 25 at the Pokagon Township Hall, 30497 Peavine St., Dowagiac.

Revenue sharing
may be adjusted

On Thursday, Gov. Snyder released his proposed budget for next year. His proposal includes about a 5 percent increase in the EVIP (formerly Statutory Shared Revenue) portion of the budget, which could mean as much as $9,000 more for Dowagiac’s general fund next year.
While this number is still nearly $80,000 less than 2010 state funding levels, it is encouraging that further cuts from Lansing are not proposed at this time, according to Kevin Anderson, Dowagiac’s city manager.
Also, additional grant funding for shared services is part of the governor’s proposal. It remains to be seen how the proposed budget will be shifted as it goes through the legislative process.

Tracking the budget

The city’s financi department has set a goal this year to adjust the budget to quarterly. This is important for tracking changes that occur during the year. This item is expected on the Feb. 27 agenda.

Trees removed, trimmed in city

Williams A-1 Expert Tree Service completed its tree removal and trimming projects for the year.
Additionally, the city street department crew removed a number of smaller, dead trees in rights-of-way and the electric line crew removed several trees in and around power lines.
In total, about 34 dead trees have been removed and numerous dangerous limbs removed. These efforts will help keep power on during high winds.