The Hagar Township Board of Trustees is hoping to get answers and a solution to what it believes are some unfairly high drainage district costs faced by residents and the township itself.

We reported this week that Township Supervisor Izzy DiMaggio discovered issues with two drainage projects initiated by a former Berrien County Drain Commissioner. They involved what DiMaggio described as excessively large loans at unnecessary interest rates to pay for the work. He discussed the matter with trustees Monday night.

“The decision was to prepare a letter to the county board of commissioners, to the drain commissioner, stating our concerns, etc, and the injustices that we believe have occurred,” DiMaggio said.

DiMaggio says the letter will be sent to the media soon after it’s delivered by hand to the county.

“The board is very concerned about the whole situation, very upset, feel that the whole process was wrong and that it is unjust, it is egregious, and we need immediate action to remedy the situation.”

The two projects in question involve the Perry & Street Drainage District, where DiMaggio says the former drain commissioner borrowed $595,000 to do an expected $348,000 in work, and the Koranda Drain District, where DiMaggio says the numbers don’t add up.

DiMaggio notes Hagar Township has been trying to get information from the county drain commissioner’s office about project costs for a few years, but only until recently — when George McManus took over — did it start getting answers.