Van Buren Township’s newly elected Supervisor Kevin McNamara led a budget workshop on Monday that was more than three hours long. The problem was that the other new board members weren’t familiar with all the ins and outs of the budgets that were set up by the old board.
“This should never happen again,” said Clerk Leon Wright, who was a part of the old board that set up the budget and then dumped it in the lap of the new board.
“A new board shouldn’t have to vote on a budget made up by the old board,” Wright said. “It’s not fair for us trying to bring you up to speed.”
The budget was the responsibility of outgoing Supervisor Linda Combs, who chose not to have her board vote on it.
Combs also had put 3% raises for all the salaried employees and elected officials and there was a lot of discussion about that. Then there were wage hikes for the director and deputy in the planning and economic development department, the new HR Director, and Clerk Wright, who wanted “parity” with Treasurer Budd.
“We inherited these 3% raises,” Supervisor McNamara said. “I don’t like it.” McNamara had asked department heads not to add new employees, but his new assistant, with no experience at all, was to get $1,000 a week – and McNamara was firm on that. Next Tuesday night they will make final decisions. We’ll report on those next week.
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3 Comments
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Hi Rosemary
I just wanted to say give Supervisor McNamara a chance to feel the Township and the growing problems we face. I know we have to have a plan to keep us solvent as a community. But I wish when they ask us to help by asking more money they would take into account what they’re asking use for!! Over the years they keep saying only as a example (It will only cost the homeowner $70.00 on a home worth $100,000.00) But when they asked for 3 or 4 increases at a time plus the 1% they tack on every year than if your home is worth more then $100,000.00 which most of the homes in this township are over that than you tag a increase of over $210.00 plus the yearly 1% for example you pay $1200.00 winter & $769.00 summer your tax on your home $1969.00 base add $19.69 add $210.00 your new yearly tax can be over $2198.69 on that $100,00.00 home and If your on a fixed income like most Seniors in time they will be not be able to feed or keep a roof over their head thus they will be priced out of their homes. Just remember S.S. hasn’t given a raise in more than Three years the last raise they received was only $20.00 per month plus they faced a increase in Medicare of only depending on plan of up to $21.00 per month so the average Senior lost the raise plus. Please remember if you take the average Senior Income of $1200.00 or less then it amounts to on a 40 hr pay system and take away the payment to Medicare Approx.$100.00 per month they only receive $6.87 per hr that’s under min wage now . I hope this information will influence everyone to make sure you to protect the older residents from giving up. Just remember if they move out of their home you can stand to lose your funds and have to help pay them to live.
David, please take time and watch the tape on the VBT website or on TV 12.
Watch the tape and see how the elected official tells Trustee Frazier “to come into her office and see what we’ve got” instead of answering her questions in front of the public. The trustee was speaking for many residents with her concerns about spending but the career politician does not want this addressed in public. This lack of transparency is part of the old way of doing things.