Dear Editor,
In response to Major D. Murray’s Oct. 13, 2021 letter to the editor entitled “They abdicated their responsibilities, a ‘no’ vote for library,” I wish to set the record straight. With respect to Oxford Township’s approval of the Oxford Public Library’s request to place a $9.1 million bond proposal on the Nov. 2 ballot, here are three key points to keep in mind:
1) There is no state statute directing how a township board should handle a bond proposal from the library board or what its “responsibility” is concerning such a proposal. As such, the Oxford Township Board cannot be charged with abdicating its responsibility since there is no legally defined responsibility.
2) The Oxford Township Board could have rejected this proposal’s placement on the Nov. 2 ballot. However, according to Tom Colis, bond council for the township and library, this is rarely, if ever, done. Decisions on such ballot questions are typically left up to the voters.
3) The Oxford Township Planning Commission’s role would only come into play if the library bond passes. There is nothing in state law that requires the planning commission to determine the feasibility of the library’s plan or approve it prior to its placement on the ballot.
The Oxford Township Board of Trustees was asked by the library board to place this bond proposal on the Nov. 2 ballot. The township board chose to honor that request because it met all of the legal requirements. Thank you.
Jack L. Curtis,
Oxford Township Supervisor