At the Oct. 15 Eaton County Board of Commissioners meeting, resident Jim Billig urged county leaders to act on what he described as “extremely high drain assessments” issued by the Eaton County Drain Commission.

Billig said many assessments he’s seen are $20,000, $40,000 and $60,000 or higher and said his own assessment is $40,000. He told commissioners he has contacted state officials and urged local leaders to seek help for property owners struggling to pay large, lump‑sum drainage assessments that in some cases he said exceed household assets.

“I think this is a crime as far as I’m concerned,” Billig said, and criticized partisan responses, saying relief should not be a political issue. He asked commissioners to use their offices to pursue assistance for residents, including meeting with state representatives.

The board did not take formal action on the public comment during the meeting; commissioners and staff did not outline any immediate next steps on the record. Billig encouraged other affected residents to contact their representatives and offered to meet with officials to discuss cases.

The comments focused on the assessments and the Drain Commission’s role; no specific statutory remedy or county program was proposed at the meeting record. Commissioners did not provide a formal response on the transcript and did not schedule a follow‑up item.