December 8, 2005 Regular Meeting & January 2, 2006 reorganization/regular Meeting:
Some thoughts on the previous two meetings:
Budget:
We passed the budget without the per-capita tax. The solicitor is drafting an ordinance repealing the township per-capita tax. The school board may still send out per-capita tax bills.
Budgeting for medical:
This is more a police issue, but I was reading a depressing book dealing with the debt we have in this nation. As I understand it the federal government is understating the present value of the future commitments of both Medicare and social security. The result increases the per-capita national debt from a number like $27,000 to $100,000. If this is true, that means every Maidencreek family of four has an additional $400,000 in debt over and above their mortgages, credit cards etc.
When I read this, it occurred to me that we have basically done the same thing with the police. Under current contract the officers get 50% of their medical paid for at retirement. They also get a pension. We are putting money away for the pension. Every three years (I believe) we have an actuary look at the pension to assure it is well funded and safe. However, we are putting away no money for this future medical liability. I've informed the new police commission that we should put some money away for this starting in the 2007 police budget.
Reorganization:
We took no action on Park and Rec since the number of members is likely to be modified by the new ordinance that will be considered 1/31/06. Dave Brown was re-appointed to planning commission, and Tom Evanosky filled the unexpired term of Randy Wolfe. Randy was removed, after he refused to resign to bring himself into compliance with an old township rule requiring appointees to resign their posts before running for office. Randy's refusal to resign put the supervisors in the difficult position of either ignoring the rule (when others had resigned to bring themselves into compliance) or enforcing the rule. It cost the township just under $1,000 for the Wolfe hearing. This amount is characterized by some as money the supervisors wasted on enforcing a foolish rule. I think of it as money that was spent to assure rules are enforced fairly. If the rule had not been enforced, the supervisors would have been guilty of giving Randy special treatment. There were two ways to avoid having the taxpayers spend the $1,000 on the hearing:
the supervisors could show favoritism by unequally enforcing the rule, or
Randy could have resigned as requested.
The rule:
The rule states that appointees must resign their position before running for township office. I've actually changed my opinion on this rule since the Randy Wolfe hearing. Before the hearing, I thought the rule had some merit but should be changed. In the case of an open supervisor seat, an appointed planning commission member has a BIG advantage over an un-appointed citizen running for the same seat. The appointed person has more likelihood of being quoted in the newspaper etc. He is visible at public meetings before groups of residents etc. These are all advantages that the un-appointed citizen candidate does not have. Therefore, in the case of an open seat, the rule levels the playing field. In the case of an appointed person running against an incumbent, the fact the incumbent holds office tends to level the playing field. It was my opinion, at the time of the Wolfe hearing, that the rule should be changed to require the appointed person to resign in the case of an open seat.
Since then, as a result of a member of the community making an argument for the status quo, I tend to think that the rule should be left the way it is. My previous position would not require the appointed person to resign if they are running against an incumbent supervisor. However, it was pointed out to me that the incumbent running for re-election has put his entire position in the local government at risk. If the voters do not re-elect him, he is out. An appointed person running against an incumbent (if he is not required to resign) is risking nothing. If he loses the election, he still has his appointed position. Therefore, if you look at it this way the rule as it stands, levels the playing field in both cases not just the one.
You can view copies of the meeting minutes here:
http://maidencreek.net/Supervisors/SupMinutes.html
I still have copies of the Fredrick Bastiat book “The Law” available to Maidencreek residents. Email me if you want one.
Paid for by Roy Timpe