Establishment of a revolving-loan fund and the hiring of a new administrator were two major accomplishments by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners this year, its chairman said.
John Dobberteen, a Sturgis resident completing his 15th year as a commissioner, said 2013 was a step forward for St. Joseph County government thanks to the creation of the fund and hiring of Pat Yoder.
The $1 million revolving-loan fund will help backers behind a new or expanding business who may not have quite enough money on hand to get a full loan from a bank, Dobberteen said.
In addition, the board benefitted by having Yoder join the county as its administrator in 2013, Dobberteen said, adding that Yoder’s contributions to county government play a large part in the smoothness of its operations.
The terms of all five county commissioners expire at the end of 2014.