The Township Consolidation Open House

Tuesday from 5-7 people were allowed to offer a note card of comments and put a round green sticker on one of four maps at the back of the County Board room.

Four maps were displayed.  Those attending were asked to pick a favorite.

Four maps were displayed. Those attending were asked to pick a favorite.

I got there about half an hour after the event started.

After placing their dots people stuck around to chat.

After placing their green dots people stuck around to chat.

People were already beginning to leave.

Another view of the Township Consolidation Open House.

Another view of the Township Consolidation Open House.

Lots of township officials and relatives were in attendance.

The crowd milled around the back of the County Board room near the maps.

The crowd milled around the back of the County Board room near the maps.

That afternoon, a regional meeting of township road commissioners and their employees was held at Lake Julian hosted by Algonquin Township Road Commissioner Bob Miller.

So, what were the results?

Count the green dots on he four maps below:

The first proposal merged Algonquin and Grafton Townships.

The first proposal merged Algonquin and Grafton Townships.

Six people liked the first map proposed by those wishing to consolidate townships best.

This is the second suggestion for consolidating townships.

This is the second suggestion for consolidating townships.

Ten like the map that put Nunda and Dorr together.

The third map

The third map the big townships alone.

Thirteen favored the map that just proposed merging the small townships.

Most green dots were placed on the map of the current seventeen townships.

Most green dots were placed on the map of the current seventeen townships.

Most, including the current township officials, I would image, like things as they are now.

= = = = =
When the 2030 land use plan was being considered, hearings were held in every township.

That would seem appropriate for this proposal as well.


Comments

The Township Consolidation Open House — 9 Comments

  1. I never even grabbed a green dot, because not enough info has been given to make a proper choice.

    When did you put your dot Cal, fess up!

  2. Cal, were those township workers setting up at Bob millers mothers house for his little party and who paid for it.

    Sure would have liked to be a fly on the wall and hear miller rally the forces.

    As to the dots on the maps at the county board room, it looks like 29 came from taxpayers and the rest were from the special interest group of township officials, employees and their families…the same group that shows up at the task force meetings.

    What else is new?

  3. Yeah, township officials should have had a different color dot or something…

    If you include everyone who works for townships, what would that be? 200?

    Point is you can’t just look at the dots and say “the people have spoken” if 80 percent of the people in attendance have a selfish interest in keeping things the way they are.

    It was disappointing to see township officials standing by the maps talking to ordinary citizens, telling them consolidation would be Armageddon despite not having any evidence that it would be while also denouncing the pro-consolidation people for not having enough evidence of savings.

  4. Pretty maps but where’s the cost savings data on a spreadsheet.

    Wonder how much it cost to print the maps.

  5. Why would Township employees vote for the status quo?

    Consolidation would guarantee them higher wages and better benefits.

    In the smaller townships it would guarantee benefits they currently do not receive.

    The employees voted for the status quo because they do not want their taxes increased – guaranteed to happen with this ridiculous consolidation proposal.

    As Mark stated, the maps cost money.

    Staff time spent researching data for the Task Force cost money.

    Referendums cost money.

    In all cases, taxpayer provided money.

  6. Another argument for holding hearings in each of the townships, as the County did for the 2030 Plan.

    With regard to who should be proving what, my debate training (slim though it was) tells me that the affirmative has the job of providing something should be changed.

  7. Must have been free food at this “event”.

    Look at all the fat arses in attendance.

  8. Joe, you realize the people who want to change, the Pro side, have their own selfish interest, don’t ya?

    Cal, including the fact there was a NITHCA meeting shows a tad of self serving, and any negative comment about the Millers does also.

    When personnel are the issues, instead of $$$$ issues, they lose a bit of credibility in their whine.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *