Cass County prosecutor resigns as board tensions continue over pay dispute

Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz has resigned after months of warnings that attorney turnover and compensation concerns were threatening the future of his office.

Fitz submitted his resignation Monday, May 11, to Cass County Circuit Judge Mark A. Herman. In his letter, Fitz said his final day will be Tuesday, May 19, 2026. He did not provide a reason for his resignation. 

The resignation comes less than a week after a contentious May 7 Cass County Board of Commissioners meeting, where prosecutors warned commissioners that more attorneys could leave if the county did not provide additional support to retain staff. 

Watershed Voice has previously reported on the growing dispute between the prosecutor’s office and county commissioners over attorney retention, compensation, and the county’s recently implemented classification and compensation study.

Chief Assistant Prosecutor Mary Foster and Assistant Prosecutor Jason Ronning have also said they intend to leave the office, though neither has publicly submitted a formal resignation.

Fitz has appeared at multiple county commission meetings in recent months seeking additional funding and greater flexibility to retain attorneys in his office.

Lawrence calls for limits on administrator’s authority

During commissioner updates early in the May 7 meeting, Commissioner James Lawrence said the county’s classification and compensation study had become an obstacle to addressing staffing problems in the prosecutor’s office.

“It is our responsibility to maintain that office,” Lawrence said, referring to the prosecutor’s office. “It is not the state mandate to maintain a class comp study, do you all understand this? Evidently not.”

Lawrence argued the county had already completed the study, and should stop relying on it when considering pay requests.

“The class comp study has been reviewed by the board, implemented, we paid $60,000 for it, we implemented the wage increases, it’s done, it’s history, it’s dead, let it go,” he said.

Lawrence said the compensation study “caused us to lose two prosecutors,” referring to Foster and Ronning’s announced plans to leave.

He then announced he planned to place an item on the next board agenda to limit the authority of County Administrator Jennifer Rentfrow.

“Because of the administrator’s decision-making right now, I’m gonna add to our next board meeting agenda a motion to limit the administrator’s authority,” Lawrence said. “She can’t make decisions without hate and without respect, so she don’t need to make ’em.”

Lawrence also said he would add a second agenda item to formally recognize the completion of the compensation study.

He concluded his remarks by urging commissioners to “take back our county and stop this nonsense.”

Commissioners defend county administrator

In the wake of Lawrence’s comments, several commissioners said his remarks were out of line, and criticized what they described as a disrespectful attack on Rentfrow.

Multiple commissioners praised the work of Rentfrow and her staff.

What the class-and-compensation study did

The county’s classification and compensation study, commonly called the “class comp” study, was completed in 2024 and implemented this year.

Cass County hired Municipal Consulting Services LLC for up to $60,000 to review county jobs, wage scales, and benefits across departments. The study compared county compensation to similar counties, evaluated internal pay equity, and recommended a structured salary system with 13 pay grades and step levels. 

According to the final report, Cass employees overall were paid about 1% above the market midpoint among comparable counties. 

The study has become a central point of disagreement between commissioners and the prosecutor’s office. Several commissioners have said they are reluctant to approve raises outside the study’s recommendations after investing in the compensation review.

Prosecutors have argued that countywide averages do not reflect the specialized market for licensed attorneys, who can often move to higher-paying private practice or neighboring government positions.

Judge Herman to appoint replacement

Under Michigan law, the county’s circuit judge is responsible for appointing a replacement to serve the remainder of Fitz’s term, which runs through 2028.

To remain in office beyond that period, the appointee would need to run in the 2028 general election. 

In a Monday press release, the Cass County Courts said Judge Herman will oversee the appointment process and that application instructions will be posted on the court’s website once the process is finalized.

Maxwell Knauer is a staff writer for Watershed Voice.