By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
CASSOPOLIS - The Board of Commissioners on Thursday asked the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) to transfer administrative responsibility and all state and federal funds allocated to the Lakeshore Coordinating Council for Cass County to the Kalamazoo Community Mental Health Services Board for substance abuse administration, treatment and prevention services.
Commissioners further resolved to request that the MDCH transfer governance designation for Cass County services from the LCC, a five-county alliance based in Grand Haven, to the Kalamazoo Community Mental Health Services board.
Only Dowagiac's commissioner, John Cureton, dissented in an 11-1 vote.
Cureton and Taylor have been Cass County's liaisons to the LCC.
Cureton, who offered two amendments the board defeated, characterized the move as a “raid.”
The first of Cureton's unsuccessful amendments attempted to attach a date effective at the beginning of the 2007 fiscal year on Oct. 1, 2006.
Second, Cureton tried to add, “If this resolution passes, the numerical vote shall be included in its submission to the Michigan Department of Community Health.”
County Administrator Terry Proctor said, “This resolution would be mailed to (MDCH). It would not take effect until they decide when it will take effect. It is not a purview of this board to decide when it takes effect, it's the state department.”