County Commission

A Three Rivers resident has been reappointed to the St. Joseph County Road Commission Board. Members of the county commission last week agreed to retain Dave Allen for a six-year term. Allen’s reappointment to the five-member road commission board was endorsed by its chairman, John Bippus. A Florence Township resident last month encouraged county officials to consider other candidates. Tim …

A labor agreement with the St. Joseph County Fraternal Order of Police corrections sergeants divisions was approved Tuesday by the county’s board of commissioners. The three-year agreement includes no pay raise in 2016, but a 2 percent increase in 2017 and again in 2018. Shift assignments will be made at the discretion of Sheriff Brad Balk and wage parity will …

St. Joseph County’s proposed 2016 fiscal year budget reflects a 2.3 percent decrease from its 2015 adjusted amended budget. In advance of the county’s new fiscal year starting Jan. 1, members of the county’s board of commissioners staged a public hearing Tuesday on the proposed $16.5 million general-fund budget. The proposed budget is less than the 2015 adjusted amended budget, …

Florence Township Supervisor Gordon Evilsizor returned to the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners Tuesday and made a familiar appeal. Making his fourth appearance in three months before the commission, Evilsizor urged commissioners to consider earmarking $1.5 million to reconstruct a stretch of Constantine Road. He said the timing of his request is by design, as commissioners are poised to …

A Jackson County judge Monday dismissed a series of claims, filed by the board that oversees the County Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services of St. Joseph County, against the county commission. During an hour-long hearing in Jackson County Circuit Court, Judge Robert LaFlamme granted a motion for summary disposition. The move essentially means a victory for the county …

A public hearing on the county’s 2016 fiscal-year budget highlights this afternoon’s St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners meeting. Also on the agenda is the annual report from the Economic Development Corporation, and discussion and possible action regarding a labor agreement with the correction’s sergeant’s division of the Fraternal Order of Police. The meeting starts at 5 o’clock in the …

A Florence Township resident advised members of the county commission to be cautious in whether to reappoint a member to the St. Joseph County Road Commission Board. Tim Carls, a fixture at the twice-a-month county commission meetings, told the board last week he has reservations about the reappointment of David Allen. Carls said Allen is busy professionally as well as …

A Sturgis woman was appointed to a county panel last week. Members of the county commission Tuesday agreed to select Jenny Sue Fair to replace Dennis Bradley on the St. Joseph County Jury Board. Bradley recently resigned from the post. Fair’s term will expire April 30, 2019.

St. Joseph County’s Board of Commissioners approved nine personnel matters Tuesday. Joshua Simmons was hired as deputy equalization director at a rate of $55,000 a year. Also hired were Valerie Casterline as deputy county clerk/elections specialist at $17 an hour, and Melissa Patch, who was brought aboard as a part-time deputy register of deeds at a rate of $14 an …

Six months after allocating funds toward the purchase of a Burr Oak Township property, members of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners have formally committed to the transaction. Tuesday’s purchase agreement centered on what has been called the Stewart Lake parcel. The 126-acre property includes a body of water and will be managed by the county’s parks and recreation …