UPCOMING MEETINGS AND FORUMS

ST. JOSEPH – With winter property taxes taxes due in most municipalities in mid-February, taxes are on the minds of many area residents and government leaders.
A program next week sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Berrien and Cass Counties will explore the issues of taxes and budgets in Michigan. Meanwhile, Berrien County Treasurer Bret Witkowski is once again making himself available at locations throughout the county to help people find ways to avoid foreclosure.
Next week’s meeting is set for Wednesday, Feb. 8 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the community room at the Niles District Library, 620 E. Main St., Niles. Witkowski along with Cass County Treasurer Linda Pruett will be speaking on the different aspects of taxation and budgeting.
The forum is part of the league’s effort to develop a new consensus position statement on “Government Finance”. People are asked to come with any and all questions they about budgets and taxes. League members will then take the information gathered to develop the new position statement.
On taxes, Witkowski will again be meeting with residents at locations around the county starting this Saturday in Niles. He will meet with residents at the Niles District Library, 620 E. Main St. from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in an effort to help them save their homes and not be foreclosed on in March.
Future meetings with residents are set for Thursday, Feb. 9 from 4-7 p.m. at the Coloma library and for Saturday, Feb. 25 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Benton Harbor library. People can call Witkowski’s office at (269) 983-7111, ext. 8569 in St. Joseph to learn more about the three meetings.
He started going out to different parts of the county in early 2016 and received such a good response that he has continued them this year. This year, more than 1,000 properties where taxes have not been paid for two or more years are at risk of foreclosure in March.
As he noted in an interview with the Berrien County Record last fall, his goal is to help people in any way he can.
“What is my goal as treasurer, is it to own property or collect funds?” he asked. “If people work with me, I work with them. We have 586 people on payment plans and a 92 percent success rate. I enjoy that aspect of my job. It saddens me to have a situation where I can’t help and we have to foreclose.”
In news on another subject, two south county communities will hold public forums on a contentious issue this month. Communities throughout the state of Michigan are debating what to do in light of a new state law that allows communities to have medical marijuana related facilities in their towns.
The Buchanan City Commission will have a joint meeting with the city’s planning commission on Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. at City Hall on Red Bud Trail. Assistant City Attorney Rick Racht will be on hand to talk about the new state law and what it can mean for communities.
The issue has become controversial in Buchanan with people speaking out on both sides. While some view it as a matter of encouraging new businesses and see the legalization of marijuana as inevitable in coming years, others think it would harm the community’s small town charm and quality of life.
In Niles, the City Council will host a public forum on its proposed new medical marijuana ordinance on Thursday, Feb. 23 at 6 p.m. The meeting will be held in the council chambers inside the Niles Fire Station complex on East Main Street.
The purpose of the forum is to receive comments from city residents and owners of businesses in the city on the proposed operation of medical marijuana facilities in the city. The council will review the new state law and how the law may affect the city.
The forum will also serve to educate people about the different types of medical marijuana facilities that could be operated in the city, the impact such businesses may have on the community, how licensing and tax revenue generated may be used and what restrictions can be imposed on such facilities.
Some area communities have declined to change their ordinances, while others like Buchanan and Niles are looking at the possibility of allowing medical marijuana facilities in their cities because of the potential for revenue from fees and licenses.