CASSOPOLIS — A proposed fee for county cremation permits sparked disagreement between several leaders during the commissioner’s committee of the whole meeting Tuesday morning.

Cass County Clerk Monica Kennedy, standing in for Cass County Sheriff Richard Behnke, presented a proposed $20 charge for all cremation permits issued for deceased county residents during the meeting, which took place in the Kincheloe Room inside the county building. The proposition received support as well as scorn from several commissioners, who shared their thoughts about the idea.

Kennedy said that she recently brought up the idea of assessing a fee for cremation permits to Behnke, whose office handles the work involved in issuing the documents, following a statewide survey the county participated, in which clerks were asked if their offices issue cremation permit fees, and, if so, how much do they charge. According to the results of the survey the county clerk handed to commissioners Tuesday, 23 counties in Michigan charge for the issuing of these permits, requiring payments ranging from $5 to $100.

After bringing the issue to Behnke, the sheriff came up with a suggested price of $20, placing it on the lower end of the range that other municipalities charge.

Donna Dominiak, Behnke’s administrative assistance, said that the sheriff’s office is responsible for several administrative duties in order to issue cremation permits. For example, when a funeral home sends a permit proposal to the county, officials must verify information on the death certificate and must call in the medical examiner to sign off on the cremation process, Dominiak said.

While she did not have exact numbers on hand, Administrator Karen Folks said the number of cremations for county residents has increased dramatically over the past decade, requiring a greater amount of time to be spent on labor associated with issuing permits for the work.

District 6 Commissioner Michael Grice said he was in support of the idea, as it would help generate additional money for the county.

“We are always beating up departments, saying ‘revenue, revenue, revenue,’” he said. “Insurance policies will cover these fees. Most people have life insurance, be it a small or large policy.”

However, several commissioners expressed distaste for the proposal.

“I don’t think we should be charging for it,” said District 1 Commissioner Terry Ausra. “We haven’t [before], and most counties don’t. Our residents have all been taxpayers, for the most part. To take $20 from them, at the time of death, seems kind of cold to me.”

Kennedy responded by saying that, since the release of the survey, many other counties in the state are considering enacting cremation permit fees. By this time next year, there is a good possibility that most counties will have some sort of charge in place, she said.

“We are not most counties,” responded District 2 Commissioner Dixie Ann File. “I don’t approve either. It’s another added expense. Most people choose cremation because it’s cheaper. Why add more expense to it?”

The board will vote on whether to enact the fee during its regular meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at the county building.