Interesting that we are to congratulate Atlas Township on creating a 2.9 Million Dollar fund balance for all of our taxpayers. The collection of taxes is to be used for the good of the community and it looks to me that a fund balance of this size is not considered good planning. The past Township supervisor assessed all taxpayer for the increase in the police protection but did not use the fund balance for this purpose. Taxes are to be used for the services of the community and police protection should have never been assessed with this kind of fund balance in hand. I would think a tax reduction would be in order especially during these economic times that our taxpayers could use some help. This type of decision making would be in order of congratulation instead of sitting on the 2.9 million dollar fund balance.

The Township has 37 square miles of taxpayers to collect their funds and the Village of Goodrich has only 1 1/2 square miles. Let’s look at the services the Township provides Police protection which is contracted out, Road Maintenance which is contracted out, Fire Protection, control of Election, and collection of taxes by their office force. I think us residents should look at the duties of the Township office force (compared to what they get paid) and the Village of Goodrich duties (compared to what they get paid). The office force of the Village of Goodrich runs a sanitary sewer system, DPW in house Department, and has bike paths, street lights, and a park for its citizens and supports functions for its tax payers (Good Times in Goodrich). The village has reduced its Taxes for its citizens while keeping its fund balances in good standings with the State of Michigan. The Village has worked on its bridges and maintained its roads and even replaced some of them while using their funds for the betterment of the community.

Mr. Wartella I think it is about time you put a thinking cap on and look at the real facts, that just because the Village of Goodrich collects Taxes and uses the funds for the betterment of the community, you call this deficit spending . You also go along with Atlas Township just collecting Taxes and sitting on the funds of 2.9 Million dollars as good planning. You think you are smarter than the experts who have commented on the financial decision making of the Village. Maybe it is time you start questioning whether Atlas Township could do a better job in the use of their funds. Municipalities are not Banks and although it’s a good idea to have a rainy fund, 2-9 million dollars is quite a bit more that a rainy day fund. Atlas Township should be utilizing those funds instead of banking them!

Norman Bass – Goodrich