CASS COUNTY — From the ongoing mission to renovate the former courthouse building to the new partnership with Michigan State University to help reimagine downtown Cassopolis, Cass County leaders have a lot on their plates as they kick off 2018.

Their first order of business, though? Getting on the same page.

Late last year, Cass County administrators enlisted the services of consulting firm Management Partners to help local leadership develop a three- to five-year strategic plan for the county. This document will help members of the board of commissioners, elected officials and department heads determine their shared mission and values during a pivotal time in the life of Cass County.

To help shape that plan, the county is asking local residents to share their ideas and opinions on which direction they would like to see the region head in the coming years through an anonymous survey.

People may fill out the questionnaire online through the Cass County website, casscountymi.org/StrategicSurvey.aspx. They may also print out a copy of the survey, fill it out by hand and return it to the county building, at 120 N. Broadway St., Cassopolis, or mail it to: Management Partners, 1730 Madison Road, Cincinnati, OH 45206.

Cass County residents, as well as people who own vacation homes or businesses within county limits, are invited to participate.

“We would like to hear from as many people as possible,” said Cass County Administrator Karen Folks. “The ideas we get from county residents will be extremely important in developing this plan.”

People are asked to complete the survey by Monday, Jan. 15.

In December, representatives with the Ohio-based consulting company began working with the county to develop the strategic plan, after months of discussion about implementing such a document among members of the Cass County Board of Commissioners.

Folks said the county has operated without a strategic plan in place for more than a decade, though — with the tremendous changes in county leadership over the years — the administrator believes that this is the perfect time to bring leaders and the community together to determine a clear vision for the future of Cass County.

Folks said that it was important for the county to get assistance with the plan from an experienced firm like Management Partners.

“They have not just the skills, but they come in without any preconceived ideas,” she said. “They are a fresh set of eyes that could lead us in a new direction.”

Several weeks before Christmas, a pair of officials with the consulting firm hosted a series of 50-minute one-on-one interviews with nearly two dozen Cass County leaders, to help gather information for the plan. Just before the holidays, other county employees were given surveys to determine what problems and opportunities they see within the region.