Hello Bob,
The Chronicle Article was very good and very timely. Here are some quick thoughts on what you need to do, and quickly!
One way to fix the mess the town board has gotten us into is to simply not spend what we don't have. You guys are all guilty of this. I seem to recall that many items that were carved out at the end of fiscal year 2008 for fiscal year 2009 have made their way back into the budget. Things that have no business being funded by the tax paying public. Here is a sample for your perusal.
1.) Young at Hearters
2.) Summer play ground program which basically is a subsidy for day care.
3.) Park Superintendent-this work is currently being done during the day while the individual is being paid out of the highway budget. Double dipping to be sure.
4.) Poor internal controls over assets
5.) Failure to use competitive bidding on many large ticket expense lines.
Health insurance
General insurance
Supplies
Office equipment
Computers and phone systems.
On another note, our ZEO should be out there capturing revenue for all the apparent zoning violations in our township. If John Keeler and I can see violations, I have a difficult time with the apparent inability of the ZEO to see the same things. In addition to this, perhaps one building inspector is enough and one that has certification.
As far as the Police dept. being made into a substation for the State Police or the Sheriffs, that was one of Reggie's planks in his election campaign. Once elected he forgot about that and told us that the Sheriff could not get enough manpower to do so. Then the rumor was circulated that if we had abolished the police department we would have no coverage since we were so far from Hudson. Sheriff Harrison indicated that was untrue and that he had the responsibility to cover all of our county 24/7.
Immediately after the statement that our town could not be covered the State Police became an almost daily presence. So hate to say this, but someone was fabricating. We do not need the police department at all. The coverage offered by the state agency as well as the county agency if more than sufficient.
The list goes on and on and quite honestly it is shameful. The tax paying public is tired of the drama that unfolds each month. We are also tired of the games that are played with our funds and the apparent lack of fiduciary responsibility. I would hope that someone with some business sense comes out of the wood work to lead this town in a fiscally responsible manner. As it stands right now, we are doomed.
Sorry to have to break the news to you, but this is how many, many folks are seeing this and it needs to change ASAP.
Next November has the potential to be a blood bath on the local level if things don't change.
Fran Miller
