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Cass County commissioners approve grants, appointments and naloxone machines; salary schedule fails on tie
Summary
At the Dec. 19, 2024 meeting the board approved multiple motions including Land Bank funding up to $2 million, appointments to the road commission and library board, $13,071 for naloxone vending machines from opioid settlement funds, and a CSLFRF allocation; a proposed change to the commissioners’ salary schedule (R119-2024) failed on a 4–4 tie.
At a Dec. 19, 2024 meeting, the Cass County Board of Commissioners approved a series of routine and policy items and took several formal votes summarized below.
Votes and formal actions
- R114-2024: Resolution recognizing Commissioner Ryan Leland — adopted by roll call.
- R115-2024: Resolution recognizing Commissioner Joyce Locke — adopted (unanimous written/adopted Dec. 19, 2024).
- R116-2024: Resolution recognizing Commissioner Mary Howie — adopted; Commissioner Howie abstained from voting on her own recognition.
- R117-2024: Resolution recognizing Sheriff Richard J. Behnke — read at length and adopted by roll call.
- M159-2024: Motion to change the organizational meeting date (originally Jan. 9, 2024) — motion passed.
- M160-2024: Motion to advance Cass County Land Bank Authority blight-elimination funding up to an amount not to exceed $2,000,000 from the general fund — motion passed; staff noted reimbursement is guaranteed.
- M161-2024: Appointment of Dwight Dye(s) to the Cass County Road Commission for a term expiring Dec. 31, 2030 — motion passed.
- R120-2024: Resolution to amend the environmental health code to mirror protections responding to a contamination plume near Wolf Lake (Kalamazoo County) and to protect wells near the South County landfill — recommended by the Board of Health and adopted by roll call.
- M162-2024: FY2025 budget adjustment for secondary road patrol — motion passed.
- M163-2024: Request from Cass County Clinic to fund naloxone vending machines ($13,071) paid from the opioid settlement fund — motion passed.
- M164-2024: Appointment of Gary Bridal to the Cass County District Library Board (unexpired term ending Dec. 31, 2026) — motion passed.
- CSLFRF allocation: Motion to allocate remaining $15,800 in CSLFRF funds toward the Robin Grant match — motion passed.
- R119-2024: Resolution establishing commissioners’ salary schedule for 2025–2028 (as amended to add $1,000 for the chair and $500 for the vice chair) — after debate, roll call was 4 yes, 4 no; tie vote means the resolution failed and no salary changes were adopted.
Context and next steps
Most routine appointments, grant allocations and recognition resolutions were approved by voice or roll-call votes. The board recorded a contested debate on commissioner compensation (R119) that ended in a tie vote and failure of the resolution. On economic development (Market 1) commissioners asked for better reporting and documentation (discussed separately) before considering contract changes. No closed session occurred; it will be rescheduled in January.
