By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
CASSOPOLIS - Cass County commissioners postponed action for two weeks on shifting the medical support grant to the cooperative reimbursement program and approving an $8,682 increase in the county contribution to restore the Friend of the Court office's medical enforcement position.
Commissioner Terri Kitchen, R-Silver Creek Township, made the postponement motion, supported by Commissioner Carl Higley Sr., R-Edwardsburg, so commissioners might reach a "clearer understanding of what we should be doing as a board" by letting a committee of Chairman Robert Wagel, R-Wayne Township, Circuit Judge Michael Dodge, Family Court Judge Susan Dobrich and Friend of the Court Donald Moroz formulate a recommendation.
Faced with the same two-day notice that state funds for collection of child support money for medical premiums were being slashed, Berrien County commissioners last week paid to save two jobs.
As noted in the board's Resolution 60 for the committee to identify "restructuring opportunities," "The state moved a number of Friend of the Court functions that used to be done in the local office to Lansing about two years ago and the local Friend of the Court office has not been sufficiently restructured to reflect the changed functions."
The 16-employee office collected child support of $8,554,284.67 in 2004, $8,518,103.11 in 2003 and $8,623,776.41 in 2002.
In a 9-5 vote, commissioners imposed an immediate hiring freeze on the Friend of the Court office.
Resolution 59 notes the state cut funding for the cooperative reimbursement program without notice.
One employee voluntarily resigned her position effective today.
Voting for the freeze were Chairman Robert Wagel, Vice Chairman Ronald Francis, Cathy Goodenough, Carl Higley Sr., Dixie Ann File, Minnie Warren, Dale Lowe, Robert Ziliak and Johnie Rodebush.
Opposed were Alan Northrop, Gordon Bickel, David Taylor, John Cureton and Kitchen, whose postponement failed. Jack Teter was absent.
Lowe, R-Niles, who voted for the freeze, said, "We need to send a message that we don't need to hire any more people until we have an understanding with the courts."
No voter Taylor, R-Edwardsburg, disagreed. "I don't want to send a message. I'd rather be a peacemaker at this time."
On Resolution 61, the $8,682 stopgap offered by Taylor, Cureton fears it could set a precedent for other offices to feel "entitled" to additional funding.
Vice Chairman Francis, R-Cassopolis, agreed. "I thought the response from the judges was lacking, both in content" and timeliness.
Offices might choose seeking additional funding as the "easiest way out" - and perhaps a recurring dilemma with state cuts likely to continue.
Commissioner Robert Ziliak, R-Niles, said if the office has hourly employees and no overtime, it's probably overstaffed.
Lansing is in such disarray that the Friend of the Court Bureau in the State Court Administrator's Office contacted Cass County "wanting to know why we're not doing medical enforcement," Moroz said. "The deputy Friend of the Court said, 'You terminated all of the contracts.' That person didn't even know. Judges don't want to rush into something. It's our intention that they'll restore the cuts in the budget. That's our hope. But we do not want to make rash decisions at this point in time that are going to adversely affect Cass County citizens."