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Township supervisor’s letter prompts questions, commissioner’s response

Dear Editor,

As an elected township supervisor, I take offense at the commissioners comment concerning administration fees connected to the dispersement of liquid fuel funds.

“Keep it.” Really? The percentage allowable for administration is sizable. To somehow suggest that these funds remain in County coffers as opposed to townships and municipalities somehow implies you deserve the money more than we do. Liquid fuels funding has been dropping each year. The rising costs townships and municipalities face every year before a plow is dropped or a shovel of gravel hits the road might be a dollar amount you are unaware of.

Liquid fuels funds and the limited usage of said funds are possibly the only source of clear revenue townships and municipalities have for road materials and equipment. With no industry or large retail all our funds are generated from property taxes from our residents.

The forest is our largest land owner and we get a pittance. After the School District takes its evergrowing piece of the pie, we get an amount that the state by law comes from a mileage rate we cannot exceed. County residents would be surprised at the amount of taxes townships and municipalities actually receive.

Out of this we fund our fire departments, jump through every new hoop we are presented with, and still function as best we can. The ending thought in this reporting that an emergency fund be set up for storm damage to roads and bridges; get your funds from the FEMA and keep your fingers out of our purse.

Our budgets are open for public viewing, you can take a look any time. Over the years I will put up our spending of tax monies against the County Commissioners usage of resident’s taxes any time.

Thanks for the opportunity to vent.

Jeffrey Carlstrom,

Elk Township Supervisor

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