By By NORMA LERNER / Niles Daily Star
CASSOPOLIS – Cass County Road Commission will now become a five-member board instead of three with health insurance and retirement benefits not to be funded for new members.
In an 11-4 vote Thursday by the Cass County Board of Commissioners, the resolution to increase the size was presented by Commissioner Gordon Bickel Sr., R-Porter Township.
The county board held a public hearing July 19 about increasing the number of road commissioners to five following legislative action to allow the increase.
The consensus of persons who attended the hearing was to allow the increase because it would give more representation countywide.
They also noted two absent on a three-member board would not be a quorum.
Commissioner Minnie Warren, D-Pokagon Township, reiterated a similar remark Thursday, stating that two road commissioners could be having coffee and talk about roads in the county and it would be a quorum, making it a violation of the Open Meetings Act.
Bickel said the two townships he represents were in favor of five members. Commissioner Charlie Arnold, R-Cassopolis, said his constituents supported the increased board.
Commissioner Ed Goodman, D-Silver Creek Township, said Silver Creek voted to stay with three members, but he has been struggling with a decision.
Goodman said he received calls from people who were concerned with things done by the road commission in the past. He said he did not know how much was true or untrue but expressed that the current road board does an excellent job. In support of the matter, he noted two more new people could bring in new ideas and be trained on things since a couple of commissioners may be retiring soon.
Voting against a five-member board were commissioners John Cureton, R-Dowagiac, and Democrats Johnie Rodebush of Niles, Bill Steele of Vandalia and David Taylor of Edwardsburg.
The resolution stated the board would stagger the terms of office so that not more than two road commissioners' terms of office would expire in the same year.
Two new road commissioners' terms of office will expire on Dec. 31, 2009, and Dec. 31, 2011, respectively. After that, renewal terms would be six-years.
It was agreed that the board will receive applications for road commission seats for the next 30 days. All applications will be copied to all members of the board of commissioners and submitted to County Administrator Terry Proctor's office.
In a resolution presented by Dixie Ann File, R-Cassopolis, to discontinue insurance and retirement benefits for new road commission terms, a committee studied insurance and retirement benefits for the road commissioners and presented its findings on June 21.
It was decided the county board may offer an insurance or retirement program but requires that its cost shall be paid by the road commission from county road funds. The resolution stated because of escalating insurance and retirement costs over many years, the county board found that the funds could be better utilized for road repairs.
The resolution stated that the current road commissioners may participate in the insurance and retirement programs until the last day of their current appointments as follows: Robert Powers, Dec. 31, 2010; Clifford Poehlman, Dec. 31, 2008; and Roger Bowser, Dec. 31, 2012. The three current members currently are receiving $27,000 per year worth of benefits for the three part-time appointed positions. Any road commissioners appointed after this date may not participate in the insurance and retirement programs unless voted by the county board in the future.
Cureton didn't go along with the motion to discontinue health and retirement benefits.
"I don't like it. There seems to be a spirit of vindictiveness to these three men who hold these jobs. They didn't ask for them, it came with (the job). It started up many years ago. They haven't done anything wrong," he said.