Every Cass County Prosecutor has resigned, citing low pay and a toxic environment

CASS COUNTY, Mich. -- After 23 years, longtime Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz has resigned, and at a press conference open only to the media, he outlined several reasons why.

Prior to that press conference, several local officials tried to enter the premises but were told that they were neither invited nor allowed. These included Cass County Sheriff Clinton Roach, and Undersheriff Tim Schuur, who both responded negatively to their removal.

At one point, the sheriff told the man barring the door that if he touched him, "he would go to jail."

The entire angry confrontation was caught on video by ABC57, including the suggestion yelled by the county sheriff to contact him at his office for his side of the story.

When ABC57 reporter Kylee Leahy tried to contact the sheriff on the phone and at his office, she received no response.

Fitz says his resignation has to do with low pay, lack of support, a toxic environment, and differing budget priorities. During the press conference, Fitz shared some explosive statements regarding local commissioners, judges, and law enforcement, including that some elected officials not being able to "stay in their lane." 

One of his Fitz's claims was that public safety has not been prioritized. He went on to explain that his office was denied pay increases by Commissioners and County Administrators, showing that his claim was not being taken seriously.

He shared that a study done had shown that his attorneys were paid 12 percent less than the national average. Fitz added that he made the concession of requesting raises for only two of the six prosecutors, and that the others settled for less than what they deserved, citing loyalty to Fitz and the office.

"So, a little something for both of them would've been about $2000 apiece. We're talking easily under $10,000. Anything like an offer or a solution from the administrator such as that would've kept them there. My other two assistants were being underpaid too, but they said we're going to stay here because we've got four great assistants. We're extremely experienced, ...we can learn from them, so we're going to stay here even though we're not getting paid enough... we weren't asking for money for them. I wasn't asking for any more money, my Chief Assistant who had taken a $50,000 pay cut to come here; she wasn't asking for any more money. We said, "just give us a solution for these two attorneys. There was none that was offered," said Fitz.

In addition to Prosecutor Victor Fitz, every attorney in the Prosecutor's office has also submitted their resignation, meaning that as of Monday, June 1st, Cass County will have no one in the Prosecutor's office.

Fitz said with no prosecutors "all you have is a catch and release program."

"What it means is when somebody is arrested, if there’s no warrant authorized in 24 hours, the person is released. whether it’s disturbing the peace or a first-degree murder."

The State Attorney General's Office has already indicated that they will not be coming in to assist. 

Fitz was transparent about what the process will be like for those whose cases are already making its way through the court system:

"I think initially there will be adjournments but again there are consequences to adjournments. So, there are constitutional rights for a speedy trial, things of that sort and so, but that’s going to be up to the court and my predecessor to determine what happens with those cases."

When asked if there's anything that could be done for Fitz and his attorneys to stay, he stated "Sadly, I think it's a bridge too far. We have been trying for two years, we've been begging, trying to meet to talk with them and the response has been arrogance and dismissiveness and importantly, no solution."

Fitz shared that he had one last hope in April, when a retention resolution made its way to the Board of Commissioners for a vote. The resolution would have allowed elected officials to seek up to three step increases for 'critical employees.'

He continued on, saying an hour before the vote, Clerk McMichael, Sheriff Clinton Roach, and Treasurer Hope Anderson all sent an email to the commissioners about the resolution, asking that the commissioners vote against the resolution. He says the resolution then failed.

He says it was the breaking point for the attorneys. You can watch that Commissioner's meeting here.

After today's announcements, the Cass County Marketing and Communications Manager, Ambrosia Neldon, sent out the following statement:

Statement Regarding Cass County Prosecutor’s Office

CASS COUNTY, Mich. — Former Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz has suggested that the current staffing situation within the Prosecutor’s Office is the result of inaction by the Board of Commissioners and County Administration. The record reflects otherwise.

Over the last several years, the Board of Commissioners approved multiple measures intended to support recruitment, retention, and operations within the Prosecutor’s Office, including retention increases, on-call stipends, additional staffing positions to help reduce workload demands, office modifications, technology improvements, and a countywide classification and compensation study.

Former Prosecutor Fitz participated in the compensation study process and supported the committee’s recommendations, which resulted in compensation increases and additional personnel within the Prosecutor’s Office. Despite those actions, further requests were made that the Board ultimately declined to approve. Following those decisions, the former prosecutor and assistant prosecutors resigned.

The Prosecutor’s Office plays a critical role in serving Cass County, and decisions regarding staffing and compensation have not been made lightly or in disregard of any office or employee. Rather, those decisions have required balancing the needs of the Prosecutor’s Office with the responsibilities of managing an entire county workforce and protecting the long-term financial stability of county government.

Public-sector recruitment and retention challenges are not unique to Cass County or to one profession. Counties across Michigan and throughout the country continue to experience difficulty recruiting and retaining attorneys, accountants, corrections personnel, law enforcement officers, finance professionals, and other specialized public servants. These challenges require thoughtful, sustainable solutions grounded in fairness, consistency, and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.

The current condition of the Prosecutor’s Office is serious, and ensuring continuity of prosecutorial services for the residents of Cass County remains the County’s highest priority. County officials continue working closely with the courts, law enforcement agencies, and state partners to ensure essential public safety and court functions continue uninterrupted while long-term solutions are developed.

Recent public statements surrounding this issue have, at times, included incomplete information, personal attacks, and characterizations that do not fully reflect the broader facts or history of these discussions. While differing opinions are expected, the County remains focused on facts, solutions, and continuity of service rather than public conflict or political distraction. Residents are encouraged to seek information from official county communications and public records rather than relying on emotionally charged commentary or partial narratives presented during an ongoing situation.

Fairness and justice often require difficult decisions, particularly when balancing the interests of taxpayers, county employees, and essential public services. Those principles must guide every office within local government, especially those entrusted with carrying out justice on behalf of the public.

In accordance with state law, Cass County’s next prosecutor will be appointed by Circuit Court Judge Mark Herman. Until that time, County leadership remains committed to ensuring Cass County remains safe, secure, financially stable, and focused on serving the public professionally and responsibly.

As far as the appointing of as new prosecutor, Fitz did provide some insight into that process but says he is not working to find his successor:

"I'm not part of it. My job in it was to notify the Circuit Court Judge and I did, to let him know that again, I'm moving on. He has the statutory authority under Michigan law to then appoint a new prosecutor, and I know that he is pursuing that. He's put out advertisements for it, but that process is up to the circuit court judge."

Victor Fitz was sworn in as the Branch County Prosecutor last week.