Some think by changing the highway superintendent from an elected position to an appointed position the Town Board would have more efficient control over highway spending. However, if a Town Board is functioning in accordance with NYS General Municipal Law and has adopted guidelines such as procurement and bid policies, the Town Board has the necessary tools to provide reasonable financial oversight of the highway department without dinging the “elected” Highway Superintendent for nickel and dime purchases that often must be made during a workday.
Procurement and bidding policies were adopted several years ago by Lindley Town Boards. With these policies in place we already have one of the means to provide financial oversight to control large expenditures such as equipment and contracts to insure we get the most competitive price.
The second means we have, and probably the most important, to control highway spending is the development of a budget every year, a primary function of the Town Board. It is at this point in the legislative process where a Town Board can be the most effective at controlling the spending of ANY elected official especially the Highway Superintendent. They are, quite frankly, at our mercy.
At budget time, every line item in the Highway budget is scrutinized for fiscal accuracy and consequences to the taxpayer. Budgeting decisions are based on real spending patterns over the past five years and also with one eye peering into a crystal ball: Are we due for a heavy snow and ice winter? Or will it be a wet spring next year that washes out 20% of our roads? Or will the grader break for good this time? And what about gas prices? Going up or down?
These spending decisions must be made regardless if the Highway Superintendent is elected or appointed. Once the highway budget is adopted it has been fixed in stone by the Town Board and any changes in the budget requires Board approval. That's a lot of control.
So if we have effective budgetary, auditing controls and purchasing policies already in place to provide maximum financial oversight on an elected Highway Superintendent, one must ask why this issue has come before the board four times during the last two years and will be discussed, yet again, at the upcoming November 13th board meeting.
I guess the citizens of Lindley will have to attend the November Board Meeting and listen as certain Board members argue why they don’t believe the voter in Lindley has enough common sense to fill the position of Highway Superintendent with a qualified individual. Or how they can assure the citizens of Lindley that a Town Board/a committee of five is the most efficient way to run the Highway Department.
For the reasons I’ve stated, I am totally opposed to changing the Highway Superintendent’s position from elected to appointed. I am a strong believer in the will of the people, not a committee of five where inside politics and personal agendas will lead to certain abuses and inefficiencies. Elected officials need the autonomy of their position to make managerial decisions effectively and spontaneously without the cumbersome problem of having to get permission from five people before they can buy a box of bolts.
An elected Highway Superintendent serves both the voter and the Town Board. An appointed Highway Superintendent only serves the Board. You should be very concerned over that prospect.
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4 comments:
I would have to agree. Based on comments I have heard many other residents make at the town Board meetings, when the issue has come up, most want to hold on to their right to elect the Highway Superintendent.
The big questions the Board will need to answer at the meeting are-
What are the Board's reasons for pushing this yet again, after all the public uproar, every time they brought it up before? What's the real reason??
Why does the Board feel they would be any more qualified to manage the highway department than someone elected to do the job? If they feel more qualified, why aren't they running for the position INSTEAD of trying to take away the public's right to choose?
Why do they believe they would do a better job of choosing someone than the voters would do?
Why should the voters trust them to act in our best interest?
It's interesting that not one of Board members lives on one of the town dirt roads ;so wonder just how much they would know about maintaining them.
I deleted my original post because I added wrong.
Anyway----
Observer said: “It’s interesting that not one of Board members lives on one of the town dirt roads; so wonder just how much they would know about maintaining them.”
I know the Town Board is quite aware of how much it cost to maintain the dirt roads in the Town of Lindley. The fact that none of the Board members live on a dirt road doesn’t mean we don’t understand the challenges of living and driving on a dirt road. We get it.
We also get that it cost of lot of money to maintain dirt roads and even more to pave them. Let’s for the heck of it, see what would happen to next year’s budget and tax rate if we chip sealed six miles of dirt road in Town in 2008.
It costs $111,000 per mile for 12” of gravel, fabric, dust oil. Road bed must be built up with gravel before it is chip sealed.
So $111,000 X 6 miles = $666,000
It costs $30,000/ per mile to put down three coats of chip seal, not counting labor and equipment rental costs to lay it down.
So $30,000 X 6 miles = $180,000.
Add $180,000 plus $666,000 = $846,000
We are expecting $76,000 in CHIPS next year. Subtract $76,000 from $846,000 = $770,000.
The tentative tax levy for 2008 is $505,878. If we add the $770,000 to that total, we would need to raise $ 1,275,878 to accomplish that and keep the town operating. That amounts to a 267% tax increase for 2008, IF we paved six miles of dirt road next year.
Believe me. This Town Board gets it!
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