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Kalamazoo County To Decertify Agency That Targets Poverty

Greyson Steele
/
WMUK

Kalamazoo County commissioners have decided to decertify the Community Action Agency, known as CATAB. 

Tuesday’s vote was six-to-four. The agency is one of only a few in the state run by county governments. They target poverty using annual state grants. The last two years, Kalamazoo County’s community action agency left $259,000 unspent.

County Commissioner Michael Seals says the agency must change to better serve the county’s poorest residents.

“If we can’t do it, then we need to send it back to the state and let them figure out where to put it...because it is clear to me, under our leadership, we have not been able to get that organization to the point where it needs to be.”

Seals says there have been problems with CATAB for years. 

“It’s time that we do something to get things under control, and I don’t know exactly what that means, but I do know that in order for the citizens to get the best service from them, we need to fix it.”

Seals says county officials will begin working toward decertification. He says public hearings on the issue will be held to hear from residents. County commissioners are expected to revisit the issue at their next meeting on September 18th.

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