To the editor:

Last year Cass County imposed $8,514,100 of taxes on property in Cass County and spent just $7,167,700 on salaries, goods and services.

The different of $1,347,000 was added to net unrestricted reserves.

The year before last, $1,124,000 of unexpended taxes were added to reserves, and the year before that, $982,000 of unspent taxes were added to reserves.

As of last year, Cass County’s audited financial statements showed we had $16,774,000 of unrestricted net assets on hand – more per resident than either Kalamazoo or Van Buren County.

During my review of last year’s audited Cass County financial statements, I discovered we had actually accumulated $18,988,000 of unrestricted net assets – more on a per-resident basis than any county in Michigan.

While last year’s financial statements are being corrected to show the extra $2,204,000 of unrestricted net assets we are also preparing to set the county tax rate for 2010, which will cover taxes due in September.

Meanwhile, we are halfway through our 2010 tax year and have spent $650,000 less than our budget.

It would appear we are heading for another $1.3 million of excess taxes over expenses unless we take corrective action.

On May 20 I will propose to my fellow commissioners that we refund last year’s $1,347,000 of excess tax collection in the form of rebate checks to the working families of Cass County.

I will also propose a reduction of one half of one mill in our county tax rate for the next three years.

For a family living in a $100,000 house the rebate would be $37.65 and the tax reduction would amount to $25 per year for three years.

Government should not be in the business of collecting taxes it has no intention of using.

David Taylor
Cass County
Commissioner
District 7
Edwardsburg