By By JOHN EBY / Niles Daily Star
CASSOPOLIS – Michigan has another $500 million budget problem looming between now and Oct. 1 and another $700 million shortfall foreseen for the following fiscal year, Cass County Administrator Terry Proctor advised the Cass County Board of Commissioners Thursday.
"Michigan Association of Counties representatives didn't really have any guidance for us on what the Legislature or the governor will be doing about this problem," Proctor said at the commission's first 2007 meeting.
"I encourage everybody to stay attuned as this issue develops in Michigan because there are no easy answers at this point. This is a structural problem in the State of Michigan's budget," Proctor said, compounded by the "huge problem" lawmakers created by ending the Single Business Tax without replacement revenue.
"Discussion yesterday centered on if the Legislature doesn't enact a replacement for it in a very timely manner, which to me is the first quarter of 2007, it's going to be very difficult to implement its replacement," Proctor said. "We all know how quickly the Department of Treasury in the State of Michigan moves on things once the Legislature acts."
He added that he hopes local governments will "keep our legislators' feet to the fire" on the budget issue, saying they were the ones who created the current situation.
Locally, Proctor reported that next week starts training in the Register of Deeds office for its new imaging system, which he said goes live the following week.