I have been walking the neighborhoods for the past 3 weeks. Mostly though, I shared my ideas and listened to the thoughts of folks like you about our town and what to do to make it better. The following is a list of ideas, I got the chance to discuss with our fellow citizens of Forks Township:
- Lean Township Spending -- We need to implement a fiscally conservative approach to township finances. I believe we need to hold he line on Real Estate Taxes. It is time to act!
- Clean Government -- In my mind, clean government has three basic components. First, candidates for public office should have the highest level of integrity. Second, Forks needs to have an open access policy to documents and officials. Finally, Township elected officials should proactively reach out to the public on critical issues and seek diverse ideas while formulating public policy. It is time to act!
- Go Green -- Too many times, innovative energy saving solutions are just talk and nothing more. Forks needs to continue implementing forward thinking ideas. A good example is the Solar Ordinance passed by the Planning Commission. In terms of open space, it is clear that the decision about whether to fund an open space initiative should be up to the voters. Private citizens (or a formal group) should take the lead in crafting and leading a winnable Open Space Referendum. Forks' farm acreage is shrinking fast, and it is critical that decisions be made ASAP. It is time to act!
- Create a truly transparent government -- The good folks of Forks Township deserve easy and consistent access to public township records. The 2009 budget with all accounting notes, all 2009 department plans, all five-year plans, all developer plans, all final legal decisions from the Zoning Hearing Board, all drafts of the Comprehensive Plan (including maps/exhibits), and all public testimony on any topic - should be easily available. I have a simple and easy solution: Reduce the per copy price from 25 cents to 5 cents and put these (for free) documents on-line. It is time to act!
- Support a active Business Relations organization -- This is critical to figuring out why so many retail businesses in this township fail. It is disturbing that Forks Township does not collect data on business failures in order to determine the root cause and help to prevent it in the first place. Retail businesses need our help. It is time to act!
- Proactive Community Planning -- We need to proactively identify businesses we want in Forks Township and take steps to attract them! It is important the new Forks Business Association succeed and help the township create a viable economic development plan. It is time to act!
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2 comments:
Mr. Billings,
As you have put forward your ideas for your platform, which sound like wonderful ideas, in theory, I would like to ask for clarification, as you have not provided information on HOW you will implement your ideas. I say this based on the following.
1. You say that a fiscally conservative approach needs to be implemented and taken.
a. HOW is the current system NOT fiscally conservative compared to your intended approach?
b. How do you propose to “Hold the Line” on property taxes. As Forks Township has a payroll, are we to discontinue giving any of our employees an annual raise? Although costs of virtually everything has been, and will always continue to increase, do we stop using such resources, like fuel, electricity, heat, police cars, office supplies, insurance rates, and any other resource or material necessary to operate our township?
I did see in your blog post from September 16, that you want to have Proactive planning to identify and encourage businesses to come to Forks Township. Is it your position that if we encourage enough businesses to come to our township, that we can stem any potential tax increases by any tax revenues they might generate? That sounds almost contradictory, as if we would want to encourage businesses here, I would think that tax breaks would actually be the likely way to encourage them to come here.
c. Wouldn’t pushing for a fiscally responsible approach be a much more beneficial approach to take? Being simply conservative is not necessarily the best approach.
2. You indicate that Forks Township needs “Clean Government”. Based on this assertion, you are directly implying that we currently do not have this.
a. I ask that you clarify this position of HOW Forks Township currently does NOT have what you define as “Clean Government”
b. You state that the officials should have the highest integrity. This implies that at least one or more of our current officials, or perhaps at least one other candidate does NOT have high enough integrity by your standards to hold such a position. Please clarify, or identify any individuals you believe currently does not have enough integrity for said position.
c. You state Forks Township needs an open-access policy to documents and officials. Please clarify how we currently do NOT have this, as your assertion implies this.
d. You indicate that the supervisors should reach out to the public on “critical issues”, and while “formulating public policy”. Isn’t this why we elect officials? Don’t’ we elect officials who be agree with how they operate, and with the hopes that they will administer the position without needing outside influence? This sounds more like someone who is a puppet who needs to be directed by others, instead of directing from said position. Elected officials get elected because the citizens who elect them agree with their ideas, ideals, and positions. Elected officials who feel they have to reach out to the public on issues they are elected to handle is plain irresponsible, and not being a leader.
3. While I do agree with you on the idea that Forks should be pushing more green energy initiatives, I find it ironic that while you want to “hold the line” on property taxes, that you would put forward the possibility to “fund an open space initiative”. Wouldn’t said funding come from our property taxes? Depending on the size of the initiative, couldn’t that have a impact, albeit small, on each residents property tax bill? To put forward ANY idea of funding something new after you state that we should “hold the line on Real Estate Taxes” is plain contradictory.
END OF PART 1.
4. While I believe your comments on creating a “Truly transparent government” is repetitious of your ideas on “Clean Government”, I am curious why you think EVERY piece of paper the township has should be made public?
a. While I am not completely aware of the townships current status on every document that you stated, but are any of said documents currently NOT available to the general public if requested?
b. You indicate that Forks Township should also be taking steps to provide each and every document on-line, and have them available for free. While a great concept, have you even considered the cost of undertaking such a task, either to put any past documents on-line, or future documentation? Between the cost of equipment, web hosting, salaries to perform the conversion of documentation to electronic format, the cost of salary to maintain said on-line documentation, etc.? I will again mention, that for someone who keeps putting forward the idea of “fiscally conservative approach to township finances”, this is completely contradictory, and without putting forward an numbers on costs to execute and maintain is irresponsible. Do you remember George Bush Sr’s speeched where he kept saying “No New Taxes!”? How would you propose to pay for this?? Obviously, from within the taxes.
c. Under the same premise, to push for an 80% reduction in the cost of copies of any documents is also contradictory. I know for a FACT that ANY member of the general public can, during business hours, obtain and look at any public records within the township, WITHOUT having to pay for copies. I have done this MANY times. However, if anyone DOES want copies, there is a cost for this. I do not believe 25 cents is out of line, as I have also obtained dozens and dozens of copies, and have paid the 25 cents per page very willingly as it takes time for an employee to make said copies.
5. As for supporting a business relationship organization, as this concept would also require funding to operate, I again believe this is a contradictory idea being put forward by you. I don’t think the township needs such studies. We’ve recently had a few pizza shops open and close within months. Why? Perhaps it’s because we already had a few pizza shops and the local area does not have enough demand to support that many. We lost a movie rental store. Do I really need to explain that one? There are many others. I think the government should stay out of it, and not waste ANY money on researching this as you are indicating, as this would be plain irresponsible spending.
6. Your idea on proactive community planning to identify businesses is also on the same level as the last idea of yours. Forks Township is generally a residential or agricultural area, with small pockets of commercial to sustain it, and some very small areas of industrial based on percentage of total area. We need to maintain balance, and balance is maintained by supply and demand. If commercial businesses open, and survive, that indicates the demand is high enough to utilize the supply. We cannot force demand, and you also cannot force supply. My only specific on this is that I do hope that whoever becomes a township supervisor will look to limit the amount of industrial and commercial areas. This is basically a residential area, and I hope it will, for the most part, stay that way.
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