Monday, November 27, 2017 @ 7 pm is a Board of Trustees meeting. One agenda item is :
You can review the 2018-2019 Prelim. Budget document:
BOARD PACKET for Board of Trustees/ 11/27/17
You can read the Annual Report 2015 (last one reported on twp. website) for Water & Sewer
Last year, Supervisor Savoie deliberately EXCLUDED the water and sewer department budget from the approval process. The rest of the Board of Trustees went along with that move. This year, the water and sewer budget is again EXCLUDED. Why? Does the Class Action Lawsuit against the township concerning water and sewer have anything to do with this decision? Keep the information out of the public review? I heard that the lawsuit has a court date in early January 2018.
From an earlier (and typical report) in the annual 2015-2016 budget is the following about water and sewer revenues and expenses:
Millions of that water and sewer REVENUE pay for both current and former employee wages/ health/pension/life insurance and other benefits. Those "millions" were collected as "fees" on all water and sewer bills. Where and how our Water and Sewer FEES.... this is NOT TAXES... are spent should be made public. There are about 17,000 households in the township plus an unknown number of commercial/business/etc. buildings in the township.
The Board of Trustees have approved all EMPLOYEE wage increases by 2% each year... for six years in a row now. For the township water and sewer department our FEES/ bill payments are paying those employee costs. That is not right! We pay property taxes to run our local government. We expect the township to pay the employees hired with that money. For some departments, the taxpayers have approved at the ballot box special millages to pay for wages and programs such as police, fire, roads and senior services. That is taxpayer approved money.
Think about this: why can the township spend money such as buying expensive vehicles for so many employees to drive around in and gas up on the township tax money, but can't (or just don't) choose to pay the water and sewer employees wages and benefits? The W & S employee wages are coming from the fees charged on YOUR water and sewer bill. (Same "fee" payment is happening with Cable and other departments and wages/benefits- but that's another blog).
Note also from the above chart that there is a FUND BALANCE at $50.7 million per budget 3/31/16. What is that figure today? Where is that money deposited? Is it invested? This W & S FUND is NOT part of the AUDIT of township funds.
This W & S department of the township isn't included in this preliminary BUDGET report. What is the township hiding? Please attend the meeting Monday night. Public comment is agenda # 1 ONLY @ 7 pm sharp.
There is soooo much I could write about this issue. However, it gets very complicated and makes for a long blog.
some previous blogs:
http://bloomfieldtwphappenings.blogspot.com/2017/02/township-budget-review-vote-coming-soon.html
http://bloomfieldtwphappenings.blogspot.com/2016/09/class-action-lawsuit-certified-11m.html
Marcia
PS:
some information about the water and sewer lawsuit can be found at this person's link ( he ran for Supervisor in the August 2016 Primary and lost to Savoie by less than 500 votes):
https://www.electdavidthomassupervisor.com/home.html
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