Due to circumstances beyond our control, the County of Cass is strongly considering not funding the county parks starting Oct. 1, 2005.

This decision will impact your county parks in many ways, such as a reduction in services and in many cases the closure of parks. If you feel strongly about this issue please contact your local county commissioner, and/or the county administrators office
at (269) 445-4420, or the Cass County Parks Department at (269)445-8611.

This issue is a passionate subject for many who live and visit Cass County. The Cass County Parks Department encourages respectful and courteous inquries only.

Information found at TK Lawless by a local rider. Just wanted to pass it along.

JmZ

Due to circumstances beyond our control, the County of Cass is strongly considering not funding the county parks starting Oct. 1, 2005.

This decision will impact your county parks in many ways, such as a reduction in services and in many cases the closure of parks. If you feel strongly about this issue please contact your local county commissioner, and/or the county administrators office
at (269) 445-4420, or the Cass County Parks Department at (269)445-8611.

This issue is a passionate subject for many who live and visit Cass County. The Cass County Parks Department encourages respectful and courteous inquries only.

Information found at TK Lawless by a local rider. Just wanted to pass it along.

JmZ

Thanks for the heads up, Jim. I just put similar information on the MMBA web site. http://mmba.org/viewtopic.php?p=202022#202022

Thanks for the heads up, Jim. I just put similar information on the MMBA web site. http://mmba.org/viewtopic.php?p=202022#202022

Some more details

Future of T.K. Lawless & other Cass County Parks in Question
Posted by: jwbynum_1999 on Wednesday, August 03, 2005 - 11:36 PM

I sent Scott Wyman, Director Cass County Parks, an email asking about the notice posted at T.K. Lawless Park to get more information and find out what supporters of the parks could do to help. The following is the response I received:

First of all thanks for your concern. It is no secret that many county and state agencies are having financial problems and we are no different. The problem is that county parks are not a mandated service so our county government has no obligation to fund us at all. It seems we have always had to fight for some type of funding. In 2002 we tried for a .25 millage for county park operations, but it failed by a narrow margin each time. I guess the bottom line is that the county parks do not generate enough money to support themselves so we need help from county government. Most years they at least come up with some type of appropriation, but this next fiscal year (Oct. 1, 2005) they tell me they can not. It has not been voted on yet, but it does not look good. I will say that we do have some options at Lawless that we can do before we have to close it, but I can only do so much without funding from the County of Cass.

News: Budget Cut for Cass County Parks Department
Posted by: jwbynum_1999 on Thursday, September 22, 2005 - 06:52 AM

The following is an email I received from Scott Wyman, Director Cass County Parks, with an update on the state of the parks department in Cass. You can read more about this here. (http://www.nimbabike.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=59&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0) .

Just wanted you to know that the County of Cass cut our budget by 50%. It hurts, but I should be able to keep Lawless open with a little more tightening of the financial belt. The only problem with that is, I am running out of notches. Thanks again for your support and the support of your members. Those who called or wrote letters on our behalf, I believe, made a big difference in the amount that we did get. Some agencies we hurt much worse than us, and some recieved no funding at all. We are working on more stable funding for the future, so until that funding occurs, we will take one day at a time. See you at the park.

Thank you,

Scott Wyman, Director
Cass County Parks

How to help Lawless!

Thanks to Scott Wyman for the update. Those of you who ride the trail at TK, please refer to the comment posted after the news piece. I don't mean to preach, and I know that every Tom, Dick, and Hairy who asks for $20 is not guaranteed payment, but I hope a lot of us can spring for the annual park pass from Cass County for TK. Think of it as a quiet show of support.

End Forward

JmZ

News: Budget Cut for Cass County Parks Department
Posted by: jwbynum_1999 on Thursday, September 22, 2005 - 06:52 AM

The following is an email I received from Scott Wyman, Director Cass County Parks, with an update on the state of the parks department in Cass. You can read more about this here. (http://www.nimbabike.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=59&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0) .

Just wanted you to know that the County of Cass cut our budget by 50%. It hurts, but I should be able to keep Lawless open with a little more tightening of the financial belt. The only problem with that is, I am running out of notches. Thanks again for your support and the support of your members. Those who called or wrote letters on our behalf, I believe, made a big difference in the amount that we did get. Some agencies we hurt much worse than us, and some recieved no funding at all. We are working on more stable funding for the future, so until that funding occurs, we will take one day at a time. See you at the park.

Thank you,

Scott Wyman, Director
Cass County Parks

for the info.

How to help Lawless!

Thanks to Scott Wyman for the update. Those of you who ride the trail at TK, please refer to the comment posted after the news piece. I don't mean to preach, and I know that every Tom, Dick, and Hairy who asks for $20 is not guaranteed payment, but I hope a lot of us can spring for the annual park pass from Cass County for TK. Think of it as a quiet show of support.

End Forward

JmZ