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CASSOPOLIS — The Cass County Board of Commissioners on Thursday approved committee, board and commission assignments for the 2024 calendar year.

Mostly mirroring the 2023 assignments, each commissioner will serve on at least one standing committee and at least one board or commission. Standing committees are comprised of County commissioners, elected officials and County employees, and are designed to review and discuss board business before action is discussed by a committee of the whole.

Standing committee assignments are as follows:

• Appointments Committee: Jeremiah Jones (District 4, board chair), Joyce Locke (District 3), James Lawrence (District 2)
• ARPA Committee (ad-hoc): Jeremiah Jones, Roseann Marchetti (District 7)
• Capital Project Committee: Jeremiah Jones, Ryan Laylin (District 1), Matthew Newton (Administrator), Jennifer Rentfrow (Finance Director), Monica McMichael (Clerk/Register), David Reiff (Facilities Director)
• Policy Committee: Mary Howie (District 5), RJ Lee (District 8), Joyce Locke, Roseann Marchetti, Matthew Newton, Jennifer Rentfrow, Beth Daly (HR/Payroll Director)
• Salary Committee: Jeremiah Jones, Samuel Barrera (District 6), Mary Howie, RJ Lee, Matthew Newton, Jennifer Rentfrow, Beth Daly
• Surplus Property Committee: Ryan Laylin, James Lawrence, Roseann Marchetti

Descriptions of each standing committee can be found at casscountymi.org/1500/BOC-Committees.

County commissioners also represent Cass County on many regional boards and commissions which impact Cass County residents.  Those assignments are:

• Ryan Laylin, District 1: Parks and Recreation Commission, SMART Committee, Workforce Development (Kinexus) Chief Elected Officials Board
• James Lawrence, District 2: Community Corrections Advisory Board, Local Emergency Planning Commission, Niles Area Transportation Study, SMART Committee, Southwest Michigan Community Action Agency
• Joyce Locke, District 3: Parks and Recreation Commission, SMART Committee, Woodlands Board
• Jeremiah Jones, District 4: Central Dispatch Authority, Land Bank Authority, Pokagon-Dowagiac Local Revenue Sharing Board, SMART Committee, Southwest Michigan Substance Abuse Advisory Council, Van Buren/Cass District Board of Health, Woodlands Board
• Mary Howie, District 5: Area Agency on Aging Board, SMART Committee, Solid Waste Planning Committee, Van Buren/Cass District Board of Health
• Samuel Barrera, District 6: Economic Development Corporation and Brownfield Redevelopment Board, Michigan State University Extension, Cass County Planning Commission, SMART Committee
• Roseann Marchetti, District 7: Human Services Coordinating Council, Niles Area Transportation Study, SMART Committee, Cass County Planning Commission, Southwest Michigan Planning Commission, Workforce Development (Kinexus) Chief Elected Officials Board
• RJ Lee, District 8: Southwest Michigan Behavioral Health Substance Use Disorder Oversight Board

A full overview of boards and commissions to which the Board of Commissioners appoints members can be found at casscountymi.org/1283/Boards-and-Commissions.

Three commissioners were also selected as liaisons between the board of commissioners and four different agencies:

• Cass County Council on Aging: Mary Howie
• Negotiations: Jeremiah Jones
• Prison re-entry board: James Lawrence
• Veterans Advisory: Jeremiah Jones

Commissioner Lee was again appointed as the County parliamentarian.