Henry Woloson, said he was ‘very gratified? when more than 50 people filled his office Thursday night to talk about recalling Independence Township Supervisor Dave Wagner.
‘We had not gotten a lot of indication as to how many people were going to come, so we couldn’t adequately prepare,? he said. ‘But we’ve already started making arrangements for a much larger facility for the next meeting.?
Woloson, along with Mike Powell and Joel DeLong, split the group into three rooms due to its size. Topics of discussion included flyer distribution and getting 25 percent of people who voted in the last governor election to sign petitions, which Woloson said is approximately 3,500 people, but they’ll target 400,000 just in case.
‘They know perfectly well we’re going to mount this recall,? Woloson said to the crowd. ‘They don’t know when we’re going to do it, they don’t know at what point we’re going to come and that’s exactly how we want to leave it.?
He also noted they figured out a way to do it at no cost to the taxpayers. DeLong said the action to recall is not a ‘personal vendetta,? as the supervisor has expressed in the press.
‘This is about the accountability and legacy cost he is leaving us at what expense both to us and to the people who want to move into the township,? he said.
Joe and Mary Mills, who recently moved to the township agreed and said they would like to see ‘more honesty in every branch of government.?
‘We just want some accountability,? Joe said. ‘Like everything else in the United State right now, things are getting out of hand and if people don’t get their heads out of the sand they’re just going to continue to run us over.?
Mary said ‘what’s happening in Washington and what’s happening at the local level is not much different.?
‘They have to nip it in the bud,? she said.
‘Transparency? seemed to be the key word to why many attended.
‘If we don’t get transparency in our local government then we get what we deserve,? Craig Strickland said. ‘Frankly I don’t think we should get that. I think we should have transparency and I think we need accountability.?
Between the lack of leadership and transparency Dave Belch said he was excited something was finally being done ‘to solve the problem we’re having right now.?
‘There is too much power in the supervisor’s hands,? he said.
Matt Reid said he came to increase his ‘civic awareness and activism.?
‘I have a lot of passion politically and fundamentally,? Reid said. ‘I don’t believe you can impact things at large, but you can at the home, so that’s the whole point.?
It was the most recent flyer that talked about healthcare, which caught the eye of Bill Skellenger.
‘The healthcare issues are a big thing to me because I pay for it myself. I work for a private company and I want to make sure our public money is being spent wisely. A guy who works for GM is receiving his money and healthcare through a private company that’s different than when I’m paying those benefits,? he said. ‘If all I had to do was work for eight years and be over 55 and get a lifetime of healthcare benefits for myself and my family that would be an unbelievable deal.?
CAITW President Mike Powell, said he was real happy with the meeting and the turn out.
‘I thought everybody was very happy to be there and it seemed like everybody was asking the right questions and pretty much everyone was on the same page,? Powell said. ‘We’ll just have to go from here.?