By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
CASSOPOLIS - Both public comments on the proposed 2005-06 Cass County budget Thursday night pertained to limiting the Board of Commissioners.
Frank McKaye of Penn Township criticized the apportionment expansion of the board from seven members in the 1990s to 15 during this decade.
County Administrator Terry Proctor explained that the apportionment process determined the number of commissioners.
A five-member apportionment committee consists of the county treasurer, the county clerk-register, the prosecuting attorney and the chairmen of the Republican and Democrat parties.
Then-Clerk-Register Ann Simmons and GOP Chairman Bill LaBre also served on the panel.
Teter said at the time that the panel's intent was to encourage more citizen involvement in government by creating more seats at the table and "it will be a sad commentary if those opportunities don't get used."
McKaye concluded his remarks by saying funds saved by whittling the commission down to size should be applied to the parks budget, reduced almost by half to a year's appropriation of $48,750 effective Oct. 1.
Circuit Court clerk Paulette Nodruff, president of the Cass County Independent Employees Association, spoke on behalf of union members.
One observer in the audience was Dowagiac's state Rep. Neal Nitz, R-Baroda, a former Berrien County commissioner for 10 years. "I know what's involved and what you're going through," he said. "Tough times both at the state and at the county and township levels. The economy isn't turning around as quickly as everyone would like it to and with the price of petroleum products skyrocketing, it makes it even harder to make ends meet."
At the urging of County Treasurer Linda Irwin, commissioners adopted an ACH (Automated Clearing House) policy for electronic transactions.
Commissioner Johnie Rodebush, D-Howard Township, voted against the policy after questioning the security of such transactions.
Proctor said the budget has been in what he calls the "review process" since Aug. 3, when his $15.7 million spending proposal was dispatched to the Board of Commissioners.