By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
CASSOPOLIS - Before Cass commissioners set 2005 tax rates Sept. 1, County Administrator Terry Proctor expanded on his remarks from the previous Thursday on the "revenue problem" and why spending has not increased as much as it might appear.
Proctor also pointed out the impact of the 16-year jail debt and operating millage retired in 2001.
That millage not only financed construction of the jail, secondarily it covered the increased cost of operating a larger jail than the 1958 facility.
On the expenditure side, costs have been contained to where "we're short-staffed," Proctor said. "An issue came up at last week's budget meeting on 'why the big increase between our last 12-month year of about a $13 million budget and, proposed for next year, a $15 million budget?'
The county board established tax rates of 4.8307 mills for general operations, plus 0.9329 mill for the Council on Aging and 0.4931 mill for drug enforcement.