Supervisor Dave Wagner says one of the latest recall flyers put out by Citizens Against Independence Township Waste overstepped the lines and he would like to ‘set the record straight.?
On the back of the flyer was included a Dec. 31, 2008 memo from Wagner to Assistant Finance Director Renee Poole, directing her to increase all monthly car allowances by $100 for six township employees who receive car allowances starting Jan. 1, 2009.
‘This has terribly troubled this individual because it’s brought her into it with people presuming that she may have possibly done something wrong,? Wagner said. ‘The truth of the matter is that the board member who supplied this memo knew that the memo was not accurate.?
However, Henry Woloson, treasurer for Citizens Against Township Waste, said he did not receive the memo from a board member, nor did he think it was a confidential document in anyway.
‘There are no Social Security numbers, addresses, or anything like that,? Woloson said. ‘If it involves taxpayer funds and it does not release confidential information like Social Security numbers then we have a right to know, period.?
Wagner said the memo was inaccurate because he, Treasurer Curt Carson, and Clerk Shelagh VanderVeen decided against receiving the $100 increase in their car allowances because they thought it was ‘not a good thing to do.?
‘I believe I did get it for two months and then we stopped it,? he said. ‘This was approved by the prior board, there was discussion on it.?
Carson confirmed they did opt out of the $100 increase.
“I was brand new. It was the first of the year, the supervisor sent that in and set up to have the increases that were approved by the previous board and I later found out that wasn’t right and said I’m not taking that if it’s not right,” Carson said. “Then the supervisor went in and said stop paying him and I believe the clerk as well.”
VanderVeen said she doesn’t recall the prior board authorizing the increase in car allowances, which is why she didn’t except the increase.
“When I first got my check I asked Renee about it and she told me (about the memo),” said VanderVeen. “I said I can’t take that because I knew it hadn’t been authorized by the board.”
Both Carson and VanderVeen repaid the extra amounts taken out.
Wagner said car allowances for township workers has been around since the early 1990’s and have not been increased since approximately 1995.
Wagner also took issue with other bullet points on the flyer including ‘hiring architects for a possible new building again not approved by township voters.?
‘The supervisor’s office has every right to hire an architect as long as it’s within his budget and under a certain dollar amount, which this was,? he said. ‘They (the board) knew we were looking at the possibility of a new police substation, it didn’t mean that we were going build it. There is no way you can determine cost until you have a drawing.?
As far as ‘making secret bonus payments to employees,? Wagner said he as been cleared of any illegality by the Oakland County Prosecutor’s office. He also said there was ‘no concealing a water and sewer fund deficit.?
‘The township board has known for years that we have not increased the rates on water and sewer,? he said. ‘They thought because of the amount of money we had in fund balance that we should run that down.?
The question of a possible ‘trash hauling monopoly? is the one that ‘takes the cake,? he said.
“Seven communities looked into this, not one community, but seven,? Wagner said. ‘Two of them do have single haulers, five of us, don’t participate in that whatsoever.?
Their intention was to look at different ways of disposing of the trash and they had never determined they were going to use a single hauler.
“There was no intent for a single hauler because we knew how the people felt about it and Smith’s Disposal did a good job of getting that particular message out,? he said. ‘This is nothing more than a personal attack against me. Unfortunately, many people have been caught up in this and hurt.?