By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent
THREE OAKS – Berrien County has a new road department director after action last week by the Berrien County Board of Commissioners. County Commissioners met at the Froehlich’s Event Center in downtown Three Oaks in one of their five night meetings scheduled for this summer.
The new road department director is Mark Heyliger, a Buchanan Township resident and Army veteran. He is a South Bend native and had been a candidate for one of two new Buchanan Township Trustee positions this August until his county appointment. His wife, Wendi, is the Buchanan Township Clerk.
His salary will be $97,267 and he will start his new post Aug. 1. He was one of around a dozen people who applied for the job. He was the unanimous choice of the county’s interview committee. Committee members were Board Chair McKinley Elliott, Vice-Chair Teri Freehling and Committee Chairs Jim Curran, Robert Harrison and Mamie Yarbrough.
In his new role, Heyliger will oversee all activities of the Berrien County Road Department, including the design, construction and maintenance of roads and management of equipment. He also will recommend policies on county roads to the county commission and ensure implementation of approved policies, establish internal procedures for the department and serve as a liaison for other governmental agencies and community groups.
“Mark brings a strong background in leadership and project management to the County,” Berrien County Administrator Brian Dissette said. “His extensive military career underscores his ability to manage teams effectively and achieve solid results. We are pleased to welcome him to the team and work together to serve our community.”
Prior to joining the Berrien County Road Department, Heyliger served in the U.S. Army for 30 years. He has more than 15 years of military leadership and has served in a variety of locations and roles, most recently as a corps operations sergeant major. He has received numerous awards and recognitions for his service, including a Legion of Merit award.
Throughout his military career, Heyliger specialized in project management with a wide variety of experience in planning, operations and logistics. He was deployed on multiple occasions, serving in Afghanistan, Iraq, Haiti and Kosovo.
“I am pleased to take on this new role with Berrien County,” Heyliger said. “I enjoy the opportunity of putting together a plan and executing it. I am looking forward to leading the Road Department and serving the needs of our residents.”
Heyliger holds a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from Excelsior University. A native of South Bend, he and his wife, Wendi, have returned to the region to make their home in Buchanan, Michigan.
Besides his own military career, he is the grandson of 1st Lt. Frederick “Moose” Heyliger who was a World War II veteran serving in the 101st Airborne Division’s “Screaming Eagles” whose exploits were recounted in the “Band of Brothers” book and mini-series.
The permanent road department director position has been vacant since early 2021 when then director Jason Latham was put on administrative leave and then left county employment. No reason was ever given for his departure.
In the year and a half since then, the position was filled temporarily by retired Niles Public Works Director Neil Coulston and then Chris Cook of Abonmarche. Road Department engineering supervisor Kevin Stack has been the interim director since January and will return to his former duties.
County Commissioners also heard from Berrien County Treasurer Shelly Weich and Berrien County Register of Deeds Lora Freehling about their concerns relative to proposed state legislation. The county board then passed a resolution opposing that legislation.
The resolution notes that the legislation is being pushed by the Zillow real estate company and could undermine the integrity of the county treasurer and register of deeds offices across the state. The proposed legislation would force counties to provide official records at little or no cost.
The resolution goes on to note that such a move would mean a loss of revenue for counties and an additional burden placed on taxpayers as they have to pay more to maintain the treasurer and register of deeds offices.
The legislation which is a four-bill package that has passed the Michigan House of Representatives is opposed by the Michigan Association of County Treasurers, Michigan Association of Registers of Deeds and the Michigan Municipal League.
Organizations in support of the legislation include the Michigan Realtors Association and the Michigan Chamber of Commerce.
A legislative analysis of the proposed legislation stated that it would expand what records counties must provide at a reduced cost. Doing so would mean that counties “would likely realize a reduction in revenues.”
A letter to the county board from Freehling and Weich noted that both area state representatives, Brad Paquette and Pauline Wendzel, voted no on the bill. The county resolution approved last week will now be sent to Paquette, Wendzel, State Sen. Kim LaSata, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Senate and House majority leaders.
The county board returns to its regular Thursday morning schedule this week, with committee of the whole at 8:35 a.m., committee meetings at 9:15 a.m. and county board meeting at 10:30 a.m. at the Berrien County Administration Center in St. Joseph.
Two more night meetings are on the schedule this year. The Aug. 4 meeting is set for the Niles District Library on East Main Street in Niles. The Sept. 1 meeting will be at the Lincoln Charter Township Hall on West John Beers Road in Stevensville.
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