CASSOPOLIS — Cass County commissioners lashed out at lawmakers after attending the Michigan Association of Counties (MAC) conference.
“We do not have a lot of friends in Lansing,” Commissioner Dale Lowe, R-Howard Township, said Thursday night. “Legislators have their minds made up. Talking to our senator, you might as well talk to that post,” Lowe said for the benefit of the Sen. John Proos staffer in the audience. “He listens, but has no sympathy for the county. Our Rep. Matt Lori listens, but doesn’t want to comment on or commit to anything. Our lieutenant governor (Brian Calley) says, ‘We’re not going to take all of your personal property tax, just some of it. Down the road we’re going to give some of it back.’ In 2016! That’s two elections down the road.
“We swallowed this once before and we’ve been losing money ever since. We can’t afford to lose any more money.”
Lowe felt more friendship from the Senate minority leader when she remarked money should not be taken away without a constitutional guarantee.
Lowe said, “We need to convince legislators we need help. We need to be beating on these people.”
Commissioner Robert Wagel, R-Wayne Township, agreed.
“Every commissioner should be concerned,” he said. “We made a deal with the state Legislature a few years ago to tax the citizens of this county until we came back into formula. Then the governor and Legislature said they’d give us only $700,000 — not the $1.1 million we have coming to us — unless we jump through hoops. We’re accountable and transparent, but that wasn’t part of the deal. Commissioners in 83 counties saved this state billions of dollars.
“It’s time the state Legislature faces up to reality,” Wagel said. “They have collected $641 million. We should not have to tolerate what the state is trying to do to county boards of commissioners and our citizens. The governor’s proposal allocates $125 million, which is $42 million short of the $167 million it should be. This was a hot issue at every MAC meeting as well as personal property tax.”
“I’ll have to echo Commissioners Lowe and Wagel,” said Gordon Bickel, R-Porter Township. “These legislators say, ‘We weren’t in office, so we didn’t make that promise.’ They won’t be there in two more elections, either. They’re polite, but don’t say anything.”
“They don’t even follow the constitution, so what good is a constitutional guarantee?” asked Vice Chairman Ed Goodman, R-Silver Creek Township.
“The state has got to find road funding and not keep putting it off,” Robert Ziliak, R-Milton Township,  said.
Commissioner Johnie Rodebush, D-Howard Township, said, “Voter apathy. We might call and complain, but unless some get out and vote to change things, it’s not going to get any better.”