Dear Editor:
Every family faces some tough choices, especially during tough times. If you go over budget, you go into debt, period. It’s as simple as that. When government goes over budget, the debt is passed on to you and me as taxpayers. Do the math! If any department goes over budget and dips into the carry-forward emergency fund, (which is the taxpayers money by the way), that is deficit spending. If the present board didn’t know about this, shame on them! The past board did know about this. The 2007 deficit was $386,810. That amount came from the Plante & Moran PLLC, auditor, financial report dated Dec. 31, 2007, page 11. Knowing this they still approved the present budget. And the budget passed by what margin? The board is now telling us we need to take out 20 percent of each department equally. Yet not every department overspent, and not every department is mandated by law to be part of the services provided by the township.
Shame on the board for allowing the budget to get this out of control.
We deserve a board that provides intelligence, accountability, and leadership. A board that will perform their duties with some sanity and wisdom. A board that actually listens to the public without rolling their eyes. A board that objects to indifference, personal greed and immorality. Leaders that are more than politicians who allow their own self-interests to become more important than creating and maintaining the wellbeing of the township. A board that truly believes in sharing the sacrifice they impose on the other working employees, not the ‘do as I say, not as I do? sacrifice we see so much of lately.
This should also be a ‘call to arms? to the people who live in this bedroom community to hold their elected officials and community leaders accountable for the decisions they make that directly affect all of us.
Terri Darnall
Brandon Twp.