The Cass County Farm Bureau leadership voted unanimously to support the road millage proposal that will appear on the Feb. 28 ballot.
It is one of several recent endorsements  by Cass County organizations for the millage.
If passed, the levy of 1 mill on the taxable values of all properties in the county for five years will raise $1.8 million per year for maintenance and repair of the primary roads in the county and within municipalities.
“Farmers understand the value in good roads to move their products efficiently and safely.” said Cliff Poehlman, a member of the Farm Bureau and a Cass County road commissioner.
“Providing scheduled road maintenance is much more cost effective than waiting for the road to fail and than having to spend three or four times more to restore the pavement.”

More step up
Better Roads for Cass County Committee Chairperson Pete Fournier said the support of the Cass County Farm Bureau is welcome.
Other organizations, such as the City of Dowagiac, the Village of Marcellus, LaGrange Township and McKenzie Highland Farms, also have expressed support for the ballot proposal.
“Asking people to pass a millage in these economic times is not pleasant or pleasing, but the response has been generally favorable,” Fournier said.
Fournier said he believes local residents are beginning to understand that fiscal responsibility for roads is falling on their shoulders because of a lack of action at the state level. Also, wording in the proposal allows the road commissioners to decline accessing the millage if adequate state funding is restored.

Find out more
Open houses, which give the public the opportunity to ask questions about the millage proposal, is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 25 at the Pokagon Township Hall, 30497 Peavine St., Dowagiac, and the Mason Township Hall, 17049 U.S. 12, Edwardsburg.
For more information, go to Betterroadsforcasscounty.org.