THAT’S JUST UNACCEPTABLE

Council Members Want Township To Accommodate Resident Schedules

SUMMARY: Council Members Astor and Burkus successful in getting the Twp Budget Meeting Re-scheduled For 8 PM, Tuesday April 28th

The Off-again, On-again, Off-again Township Budget meeting kept getting re-scheduled for 5 PM. Even though regular Council meetings start at 6 PM.

Why?

Some speculate that Township Administrator’s like a 5 PM start time because it discourages resident participation and thereby assures the meeting is short and ends early.

As it turns out, two of the residents who find the 5 PM start time unreasonably early are also elected Council members.

“That’s just unacceptable.” says council member Tara Astor.

“I struggle sometimes to make the regular 6 PM start times, and that’s as a business owner who has a relatively flexible schedule. Many working residents who would like to attend the public meetings can’t make it to these ridiculously early start times. So, I told our Administrator’s to push it back or I would not be able to attend.”

As it turns out, Council member Kim Burkus also couldn’t accommodate the re-scheduled meeting for Tuesday, stating that her schedule did not free up until 7:30 PM.

And so, faced with a budget meeting that would have at least 2 council members unable to attend, the Administrators reluctantly rescheduled to the meeting for 8 PM on Tues, April 28th.

With regard to the content of the budget, resident Gary Brotz tells the Reporter that Township Clerk Sherry Marnell refused to provide a copy of the draft budget to him. She stated that its not an official government record until it gets passed by Council.

This means that residents do not get a chance to review the 2026 budget until its too late to object to the “First Reading”. But residents will be able to obtain a copy before the 2nd reading, which has yet to be scheduled.