I must say I’m a big fan of two of the six amendments being proposed for the Oxford Village charter.
One of them is designed to prohibit public officials from having conflicts of interest while serving the community.
This is long, long overdue.
One of the most basic, and often ignored, tenets of good government is the people holding public office should not be allowed to use their position to enrich themselves or their family members via business dealings, contracts, etc.
I’ve always firmly believed that if a person is an elected or appointed official neither they nor their family members should have any personal financial relationship with the government they serve.
For example, if they or their spouse own a company, the government should have no dealings with that company, period. No contracts, no onetime purchases, nothing.
Even if there’s no funny business going on, it still looks bad and in government, even the appearance of impropriety should be avoided at all costs because the public’s trust is at stake.
Simply abstaining from voting is not enough because as long as you serve on the board that makes the spending decisions, you have the opportunity and ability to influence your fellow officials.
I recall screaming and yelling about this type of thing years ago when the village was basically being run by the late Renee Donovan, who served on council from 2001-06, and her husband, Tracy A. Miller, Sr.
Invoices showed that between June 2002 and November 2005, the village spent $185,917 for computer equipment, services, upgrades and maintenance supplied by Next Generation Computers, which was owned and operated by Miller.
While the village did business with Miller, council allowed Donovan, who served as village president from 2004-06, to abstain from voting on any contracts and expenditures of funds related to Next Generation Computers.
The company operated out of the couple’s home in the Oxford Lakes subdivision.
I wrote a few columns pointing out how very wrong all this was and how bad it looked, but as usual in the village, nobody listened, nobody cared.
I’ve learned over the years that many people don’t want to believe their local officials engage in questionable behavior or are guided by broken moral compasses because they want to maintain their comfortable illusions, especially in small towns.
Currently, the village charter actually allows council members to have an interest, either ‘directly or indirectly,? in any contract made with the municipality or services performed for it as long as the remaining council members say it’s okay through a unanimous vote. This is truly one of the dumbest things I’ve ever seen.
Having a charter amendment prohibiting conflicts of interest in accordance with state law would be a giant leap in the right direction and hopefully, help clean up village government.
I also support the charter amendment that would prohibit people from holding elective or appointed office if they’re ‘indebted? to the municipality, meaning they’re ‘past due by 90 days on any water bill or other financial obligation to the village.?
Basically, you can’t run for office or be appointed to a board, if you owe money to the village. You can also face removal from office if you don’t pay your bills.
Village attorney Bob Davis called this ‘logical? and I quite agree. ‘It’s very difficult for you, I think, to vote on millage issues and water rates and things of that nature, when you may be behind (on your payments). It’s better if the slate is clean,? Davis told council.
It stands to reason the folks who set the rates for our property taxes, water and sewer services, and trash collection should pay their bills in a timely manner like the rest of us are expected to do. If they cannot do so, then they shouldn’t be able to hold office and make those decisions.
For example, Councilwoman Maureen Helmuth currently owes the municipality $471.95 in unpaid water, sewer and trash collections fees, which village residents are assessed on a single bill on a monthly basis.
[It should be noted local utility bills, along with property taxes, are public information that anyone can request. I checked and none of the other four council members are currently indebted to the village, so nobody’s getting ‘picked on? here. Council raised this issue via the proposed charter amendment and Helmuth is the only one who’s delinquent on her bills at this time.]
Village Clerk Susan Nassar estimated Helmuth’s debt represents about five months worth of unpaid bills.
The clerk noted Helmuth’s debt was actually up to $721.95, but after receiving a shut-off notice, a partial payment was made on Jan. 22.
I don’t know what Helmuth’s financial circumstances are these days and frankly, it’s none of my business.
But as one of Helmuth’s constituents, it most certainly is my business when a council member representing me is consistently not meeting the same municipal financial obligations that I am expected to satisfy every month.
As a village taxpayer, I don’t like the idea of someone who owes such a large sum of money to the municipality continuing to serve on council and make decisions that affect my pocketbook.
It’s like going out to dinner with somebody who makes all the menu choices for the entire table, then hands you the bill at the end of the night and says, ‘See ya!?
Under this proposed charter amendment, Helmuth could be removed from council. That’s not harsh. It’s reasonable, it’s fair, it’s just. Public officials are supposed to be held to a higher standard of conduct and that includes paying their debts to the government they serve.
Would you want to be represented by a U.S. congressman who doesn’t pay any income tax? Would you want to be served by a township treasurer who doesn’t pay his property taxes?
If you can’t live by the rules you set for everyone, you shouldn’t be making them. That’s common sense.
I hope village voters will see the wisdom and logic of these two charter amendments and approve them, along with the other four, when they go to the polls in November.
Ethical, trustworthy government doesn’t just happen.
The public has to demand it and take the necessary steps to make it a reality.
In other words, don’t just sit on your ass.