The Hagar Township Board of Trustees is exploring its legal options after getting what it considers an unsatisfactory response to its request for relief on drainage charges from Berrien County.
We reported last month that the township has received complaints from residents about charges related to projects involving the Perry & Beach Drain and the Koranda Drain. It sent a letter to the Berrien County Board of Commissioners seeking a pause on any new charges, a refinancing of the loans for those projects, a forensic audit, and a formal accounting of all drain-related expenses it’s facing.
Hagar Township Supervisor Izzy DiMaggio told us how the county responded.
“They just denied everything.” DiMaggio said. “They basically said that they had no control, which is which we believe is totally false. I’ll give you one example. We asked for a forensic audit. The county could have done that.”
The township board voted Monday to consult counsel about its options.
“We haven’t taken action to file a lawsuit or anything at this point, but the board has authorized us to go ahead and meet with litigators. Apparently, there’s somebody up in Genesee County that had some success against a drain commission decision and charges.”
DiMaggio says the former Berrien County Drain Commissioner borrowed more than was needed for the projects and at unnecessarily high interest rates. That’s led to high assessments for some residents.
DiMaggio says it was a packed house at Monday’s meeting and no one objected, so he believes the board has the support of the public. More action could come if consultation with counsel suggests the township has options.
