By By MARCIA STEFFENS / Cassopolis Vigilant
CASSOPOLIS -- The Village of Cassopolis Board heard a summary of its audit and a presentation of the county's economic survey in its new chamber offices in the Cassopolis Municipal Building, above the Standard Federal Bank Monday.
Records, furniture and equipment have been moved in, with only a few things left in the storage at the old Village Hall, said VIllage Manager Art Sciorra.
Soon, thanks to the donation of Standard Federal, a new sign will proclaim the location of the village offices.
The village takes up the whole second floor and an elevator is available at the entrance on Broadway. At the far drive-through, there is a place to drop off sewer and water payments. The new address has been changed to 117 S. Broadway, Suite 100, Cassopolis.
A ribbon cutting will be at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 20, with an open house following until 8 p.m.
Additional dates in the village include the lighting of the Hospice Tree at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 26 during Hospice Month, followed by the traditional Christmas tree lighting by Stone Lake at 5 p.m.
Petitions with signatures of those wishing to run for the council seats which will come available are due back in the clerk's office by 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 25.
Along with the President's position, three council seats for four years, one for two years, and the clerk's and treasurer's position are up for a vote.
Also on the evening of the 25th will be a meeting of the committee which is working on changing the village's status to a city.
Tammy Mazure of Yeo and Yeo, the village's auditors, summarized the village's audit, presenting graphs on how the general fund balance has continued to grow the last five years.
Unfortunately, as buying power has decreased, the number of days the village could operate on its general fund balance has decreased from 218 days in 2001 to 158 in 2003.
Other graphs showed by percentages how the village budget is divided between public safety, general government, public works, recreation and economic development.
Actual revenues for each of the past four years have been more than the village's expenses, the audit showed.
Terry Proctor, Cass County Administrator and Ron Francis of the county's Economic Development, presented an overview of the Industrial Market Analysis and Economic Assessment.