Berrien County Road Commission could be taken over

NOW: Berrien County Road Commission could be taken over
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“I can’t believe that you people taking over the Road Commission is going to improve the roads or the efficiency,” said one resident of Berrien County at a board meeting Thursday morning.

About a dozen residents stood up to the Berrien County Board of Commissioners Thursday morning after hearing that the board could soon take over the county’s Road Commission.

“We work together all the time, there’s certain factors that maybe they think they can do it better and we don’t have any qualms, problems with any members specifically,” said August Zielke, Chairman of the Berrien County Road Commission.

After 100 years in business, Chairman of the Berrien County Road Commission August Zielke says he isn’t sure where this idea came from, but he and his men just want to get back to work.

“I would hope that they’re looking at efficiency maybe, I think we’re very efficient so it’s up to them. It’s very hard for us to move forward when this sort of cloud is hanging over the edge. We’re here to serve the people of Berrien County and we want the best available service for them,” said Zielke.

Zielke says worries are coming about both with current employees.

“They’re a little concerned like anybody you know, ‘who are we gonna work for, the county board or the road commission as we had,” said Zielke

And potential hires.

“We’re trying to get a managing director hired and the applications, I mean who would put in for a job, leave a good job to better themselves to come to us, knowing that it might only last a month or two or something,” said Zielke.

Either way, he’s ready to take on whatever decision is made.

“It’s just a question nobody knows the answer to. We just hope that the decision will be made as quick as possible,” said Zielke.

Zielke says as of now there will be two more public hearings and after that – he’s hoping a decision will be made. Stay with ABC57 news for the very latest.

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