To the editor:

I am a road commissioner and member of the Better Roads for Cass County Committee and would like to thank the more than 50 county organizations that allowed us to present information as to why county voters need to support the primary road millage and vote yes Feb. 28.

Declining state revenues, over several years, coupled with cost increases associated with petroleum-based products used to maintain the road system, have more than offset the many cost-saving programs initiated by the road commission.

Reduced staffing, selling of road commission land and assets, splitting duties and costs with other government entities, are a few of the initiatives that have lowered costs but still left the road commission with insufficient funds to keep our primary road system maintained at the level needed.

Approximately 10 percent of the millage collected will go directly to the cities and villages in the county for road maintenance. The balance will go for Cass County primary road maintenance and only for primary road maintenance.

The roads that will be repaired in the first three years of the five-year millage have been published and are available at www.betterroadsforcasscounty.org, with others to be added in years four and five.

I urge voters to approve the one mill on taxable property on Feb. 28 to pay for maintenance of our primary roads in Cass County and streets in the cities and villages. These locally raised funds will not leave the county — 100 percent will be spent on roads in the county.

Tom Celie

Better Roads for Cass County