The St. Joseph County Drainage Board voted to approve a set of assessments after the surveyor and staff reviewed changes with several landowners.

Unidentified speakers told the board they reviewed assessments with “John and Dee” and that some assessments will increase. Board members questioned which increases trigger a public hearing; staff said certain larger changes historically have prompted hearings and asked Marcel and county staff to verify the threshold and procedure. One board member noted that landowners must be notified when assessments change.

Matt Meersman, director of the Saint Joseph River Basin Commission, addressed the board and said, in his experience across counties, a one-time increase up to about 25 percent is permissible so long as no landowner’s percentage share changes; he said actions that exceed that often involve a public hearing and are typically reported by the surveyor to determine the amount of the increase.

The board approved the assessment changes by voice vote but agreed to follow up with county staff to identify which parcels require formal hearings before notices are mailed.