CASSOPOLIS — Republicans’ plan for a seven-member Board of Commissioners approved 4-1 Monday by the Cass County Reapportionment Commission should save $589,943.04 over eight years, computes Treasurer Linda Irwin.

Irwin, Clerk-Register Barbara Runyon and Prosecutor Victor Fitz joined GOP Chairman William LaBre in adopting the seven-member plan, while Democratic Chairman David Taylor, a former commissioner, preferred the five-member plan of which he was the architect.

“I will say that I’ve looked at seven, and seven is not unfair,” Taylor said.

The panel, which meets every 10 years to redraw political boundaries with new census data, adopted a plan which still splits Dowagiac between districts, but is “cleaner” in other parts of the county, Runyon said.

She and Fitz felt five members is too few. City Clerk James Snow spoke on behalf of seven. Commissioner Gordon Bickle, R-Porter Township, advocated nine. Commissioner Charlie Arnold, R-Cassopolis, and a former Porter Township official favored retaining 15.